Cold this morning, solar valve opened?

[jjslinger]

Hi Everyone,

Something weird happened this morning.

A couple months ago, I shut off the solar heating in the Easytouch system, and opened a hose bib at the bottom of the solar panels to drain them, as instructed by my builder (I notice that many of you have a vacuum release valve, and a small hole in your solar valve, but my system simply has a hose bib at the bottom of the panels for draining).

This morning at about 7 AM, it was very cold for around here, about 23F, which is the coldest it's been since the pool was completed in September. Apparently, the pump freeze protection turned on, which I would expect, but also the solar valve seems to have opened, which I would not expect; water had exited the hose bib, and the pool level was about 1/8 inch lower than normal.

Does the Easytouch system open the solar valve for freeze protection? Or, did something else happen?

Thanks,
Don

 

[mas985]

You should be able to select solar freeze protection on or off in the Easytouch menu.

Here is the manual see page 43: http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/easytouch8and4UG.pdf

 

[jjslinger]

Thank you Mark.

I went into the solar menu. Solar was enabled, as well as freeze protection. So, I set both of those to off. Does that sound right?

I swear I shut off the solar a few months ago, but I think it was a different menu. Maybe I just took solar heating off the scheduling, but it was still "enabled". I'm having trouble understanding the Easytouch programming. The system seemed to work fine until this morning; the pump and cleaner would come on at the programmed time, and nothing ever came out of the (opened) hose bib for the solar panels. So I guess the explanation is that freeze protection came on for both the pump and the solar valve, so water shot out the hose bib.

Thanks again,
Don

 

[racket]

Thank you Mark.

I went into the solar menu. Solar was enabled, as well as freeze protection. So, I set both of those to off. Does that sound right?

I swear I shut off the solar a few months ago, but I think it was a different menu. Maybe I just took solar heating off the scheduling, but it was still "enabled". I'm having trouble understanding the Easytouch programming. The system seemed to work fine until this morning; the pump and cleaner would come on at the programmed time, and nothing ever came out of the (opened) hose bib for the solar panels. So I guess the explanation is that freeze protection came on for both the pump and the solar valve, so water shot out the hose bib.

Thanks again,
Don

Usually when I winterize a solar system I disable the valve so this type of stuff cannot happen. Usually can you just flip the toggle switch to off, on the operator, or unplug it.

 

[jjslinger]

Usually when I winterize a solar system I disable the valve so this type of stuff cannot happen. Usually can you just flip the toggle switch to off, on the operator, or unplug it.

Thanks, racket. That seems like a good idea, given that I don't understand the Easytouch programming too well yet (obviously). I'll have a look next time I'm down in the equipment shed and see if something like that is possible. I think I have programmed the Easytouch correctly at this point, but I don't know how to test it, I guess I just have to wait for it to get cold again and see if it works. Your way is more foolproof.

Don C.