intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for solar?

[john redcorn]

I'm about to buy the 2x20 solar panels on amazon. I have this pump in my garage doing nothing it takes the smaller cartridge filter (I'm not putting filter in) could I run small garden hose size tubing to inlet of this pump and outlet of the panels and run the tubes over the top of the agp rail?

I think I should be able to prime it with a garden hose hooked up to faucet, but after that will it stay primed when shut off most of the day?

 

[Charlie_R]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

Are you averse to adding a suction and return to your pool?

You could add that, preferably at differing heights, and not have to have hoses over the side. There are many threads on hard plumbing Intex pools, and a good one on adapting to Intex fittings to normal. You could also use one of these.

 

[john redcorn]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

Yeah I really don't want to do any cutting and also don't want to tap into my existing filter pump tubing for the solar. Want solar to have its own pump on its own timer.

 

[asxetos]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

These pumps are very noisy when stressed, so better be prepared for that.

Other than that, it is doable as long as the pump is situated lower than the water surface, otherwise any power outage of any duration will empty the pump chamber (pump will lose prime), then when power comes back the pump will self destruct in minutes.

 

[DigbyAllen]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

I'm about to buy the 2x20 solar panels on amazon...

Hey John I was thinking of doing something similar. Which panels are you buying? There are a bunch of them on Amazon so please post the link here if you can.

Thanks!

P.S. Love the King of the Hill reference!

 

[john redcorn]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

These pumps are very noisy when stressed, so better be prepared for that.

Other than that, it is doable as long as the pump is situated lower than the water surface, otherwise any power outage of any duration will empty the pump chamber (pump will lose prime), then when power comes back the pump will self destruct in minutes.

Thanks for the reply, I know you know your stuff, I've read your natural pool thread and seen your posts elsewhere too. I think I may do a proof-of-concept with the tubing and some restriction to simulate the solar panel before I decide this pump will be it. See how noisy it will be.

I'm about to buy the 2x20 solar panels on amazon...

Hey John I was thinking of doing something similar. Which panels are you buying? There are a bunch of them on Amazon so please post the link here if you can.

Thanks!

P.S. Love the King of the Hill reference!

This is the one I've seen linked here a few times and what I want to get:
http://www.amazon.com/20-Foot-Solar-Hea ... ool+heatee

PS. I'm offering natural-healing headache treatments at 25% off the 1st 5 visits. (ladies only!)

 

[asxetos]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

Just making these pumps lift water is enough of a stressor, as they were designed for zero lift (both pool inlet and outlet in OEM configuration are situated below the water surface).

A lift of as little as a couple feet above the water surface already calls for pump sound insulation if people need to be constantly nearby, while a lift of 3 - 4 feet or more makes you think the pump will probably explode very soon and you need to get away from it as fast as possible.

This is for the magnetic drive Intex pumps, if yours is a direct drive pump, then you might not have such issues at all.

 

[DigbyAllen]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

I had another crazy idea. I have an old submersible pump lying around. It is meant to be a sump pump, but we got it to pump out our basement one time when it flooded. The last time I used it was to help drain the pool at the end of last season.

What about using something like that to pump water through a solar panel? The sump pump has a garden hose connector. My only concern is would it be powerful enough to lift water up over the side of the pool, push it through the panel, and then back up over the side of the pool again?

 

[john redcorn]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

If anyone's interested I've set this up over the last couple days. Works fine going over the rail. The 1st few times I've had the system opened to air working on it, I re primed with garden hose, tonight I found out a pitcher of pool water poured down the 1.5" suction tube + a quick drop of tube into the water + simultaneous flip of the switch works just fine.

I set it up 1st with 1.5" hoses going to/from the panel but it wasn't getting sun there (next to pool) and I couldn't afford the $150+ to buy 1.5" hose to put it in the best spot (25' away)
so I spent $15 and bought some stuff to adapt everything to use 3/4" id garden hose to put in best spot. A lot less flow than the 1.5" with 3 foot run for sure but we'll see how it goes once the sun comes out tomorrow. Not noisy at all using the little hose, same as 1.5". (Suction is still 1.5")

 

[DigbyAllen]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

John, I'm interested. How did you adapt it to garden hoses? What did you need to buy? I'm thinking I'll do the same thing. My pool was 79 yesterday and a few degrees warmer would help a lot.

 

[john redcorn]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

John, I'm interested. How did you adapt it to garden hoses? What did you need to buy? I'm thinking I'll do the same thing. My pool was 79 yesterday and a few degrees warmer would help a lot.

I made 3 adapters, one for outlet of pump and one for inlet + outlet of solar panel (pump intake is a standard 1.5" intex tube hanging in water). The pump already has a game 4550 adapter screwed on to output so it will accept clamp on hoses.

The adaptrers I made are: I used a few inches of 1.25" id clear vinyl hose clamped to each of these three spots and then in the other end of the vinyl tube I shoved in a 1" threaded-to-3/4" barb adapter from Lowe's. The threads fit way tight in the tube but what I didn't think of is water spirals its way up the threads and drips a little bit. I need to add some silicone. I really dont even need the clamp in my pic over the threaded part of that brass adapter, just thought that would help the leak, it didn't. Then the garden hose is just clamped on to the 3/4" barb of that adapter.

A 1.25" barb to 3/4" barb would be optimal to not have those threads in there but they didn't have anything like that at the store.

Its putting out warm water now even though its 100% cloud covered.

 

[john redcorn]

Re: intex 1500gph pump with tubes going over agp rail for so

Also the manual says panel also can take 2" schedule 40 threaded stuff if you remove the black plastic hose barbs that it came with. Might be a good way to adapt that to garden hose too.