Sunheater & Loss of PSI w/ DE Filter

[dj2969]

I am new to the group.

I have had a pool I have been 8, so I am an expect in pool care.

This year, the family requested warmer water for the pool. Like 83 with solar cover during the summer is not warm enough for them!

Anyway, I purchased the Sunheater for the pool. I have assembled the panels and I do not have any leaks. I have a Hayward DE filter and the pool is 24 feet round. I hooked everything up and the Sunheater filled with water.

The problem is:

Prior to attaching the filter to the sunheater, the filter was working at 16-18 PSI, now, it is at 6 PSI. Low PSI is not good for pool maintenance!

I am stumped, I have lost PSI before, when I would vacuum. I would shut off the filter, and the PSI would return to normal. However, I have not been successful getting the PSI above 6 when attached to the Sunheater.

Any and all suggestions are appreciated to resolve this issue.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

Normally when you add solar panels the PSI will go up, not down. Low filter pressure is usually caused by a restriction on the suction side. Did you close a suction valve and forget to open it again? How did you plumb the panels?

 

[dj2969]

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I did not plug and hoses while I ran the pump through the Sunheater this morning. The water was free flowing from all of the hoses. I had no problem losing pool due to the fact that the water level this higher thanks to the rain during the week.

I noticed that once I turned the filter on, the water inside the pump casing went down half. The water is flowing easily from the pool to the filter.

I just don't know how to increase suction. I also bleed the filter just in case there was any air in the filter.

Thanks!

 

[kirbinster]

I would speculate that the increased pressure drop across the solar panel is why you see this. Because the panels have added resistance your flow has dropped, the reduced flow is why the filter is showing a lower pressure across it. You can either live with it, or get a bigger pump to bring your flow to where it was.

 

[JasonLion]

I would speculate that the increased pressure drop across the solar panel is why you see this. Because the panels have added resistance your flow has dropped, the reduced flow is why the filter is showing a lower pressure across it. You can either live with it, or get a bigger pump to bring your flow to where it was.

Kirbinster, you have it almost right. However, a restriction in flow after the filter will cause the filter pressure to read higher than it normally does. The panels add resistance and the flow drops while the pressure rises. The pump is putting out a more or less constant amount of energy. That energy either goes into flow or pressure. Assuming the suction side remains the same, when flow drops pressure rises and when pressure drops flow rises.

I wonder if the pressure gauge is broken?

 

[Mark PE]

Kirbinster, you have it almost right. However, a restriction in flow after the filter will cause the filter pressure to read higher than it normally does. The panels add resistance and the flow drops while the pressure rises. The pump is putting out a more or less constant amount of energy. That energy either goes into flow or pressure. Assuming the suction side remains the same, when flow drops pressure rises and when pressure drops flow rises.

I wonder if the pressure gauge is broken?

I am an engineer with excessive piping knowledge, the requester never answered the question of the location of the pump.

the flow of water should be as follows, Pump, Filter, then heater. he probably has the filter, heater then pump.

if the pump was before the filter and heater, he would have increased pressure and decreased flow; with low pressure & flow, the pump is cavitating due to the lack of water flow due to head loss of the heater.

his solution is to move the pump to before the filter and heater, then check his pressure vs flow rate from his pump curve, if his flow is too low, he needs a bigger pump,