How much PSI jump do you get when solar turned on?

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H

haybird

0
LifeTime Supporter
Mar 29, 2007
211
Ontario
Hi,
Just got my solar hooked up today.
I was wondering how many PSI your gauge jumps when you turn on your solar?
Mine jumps from 15 to 25psi. If I keep the return vaule cracked a hair it goes to
18 or 19psi.

Is it ok to run full pressure through the solar at 25psi, when it normaly runs at 15psi?
Thanks
 
I was thinking 4 or 5psi might be about right. Mine jumped 10psi,
so I cracked the other vaule to keep it at 19psi not 25psi.
Just trying to figure out if its hard on your equipment to run it at 25psi?
Thanks for the replies.
 
When I turn my solar on, the filter guage jumps 10lbs, to 25, I have another guage located on the bottom 1 1/2" header pipe that reads 5 psi, I believe 3-5 lbs is the optimal (btu transfer)pressure for the solar heater according to the instructions. My pentair DE 48 filter say max pressure is 50 psi, I was concerned when I first installed it but after reading the specs for the filter I am comfortable running it that high, also I have to mention that my solar panels are on my second story.

Rob
 
Thanks,
What a great idea check my filter manuel for max preasure.
After I find that out maybe I can relax. My top pannels are on a
12/12 pitched roof, we seem to be running the same psi's
That took all but 2mins,my maximum working preasure is 50psi.
Thanks again
 
Most solar panels have an optimium flow rate. For example I have Heliocol 4x8 panels. These panels like to have between 4 and five gpm each. I have six of them so the total flow rate through the solar bank should be about 25 gpm. At high speed my pump produces around 75 gpm. To try and send the entire flow of the pump throug the solra panels would no only stress them unduly, but also cause the pump to be much less efficient. For this reason I have a bypass around the solar panels. The filter pressure jumps about 1 to 2 psi when the solar panels are place online.
 
The only gauge I have is on my filter. If I gave all my information(ie pipe run,pump GPM,panels sizes) could somebody brighter then me figure out my flow rate? I am running 1 1/2 poly
to 1 1/4 headers. Should I just keep the straight return line cracked a little?
Thanks for the replies so far.
 
Haybird,

If your trying to figure out if you have enough gpm going through your solar, the easiest way to this without all the mathematical stuff is, on a hot day, feel your solar panels, if they are cool to the touch then you have enough gpm going through them, if they are warm, you need more.

This link has a bunch of information, as well downloadable instructions to see if you have enough flow or not.

http://www.powermat.com/index.html

so far as keeping the flow control cracked a little, it depends if you are getting enough water through the collectors, on mine, I leave mine cracked a little, I used a paint marker and painted a line where the valve should be if I want solar on, that way when I have it off, and decide to turn the solar on I just line up the painted lines and I am good to go all the time no guess work, like I said before if you have your flow control cracked a little bit and your solars feel like pool temp you have optimal water flow, if the solars are warm you need more water going through them,

Hopes this helps
 

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Thanks,
I read that link before I decided to go with solar. Very informative.
I think I on the right track. Before I turn my panels on they are hot to the touch.
When I turn them on they cool down. When I place my hand infront of the return
the water is quite a bit warmer. Its only been a couple days but it seem my temp.
is raising about 1* per hour. Thanks for all the help.
 
I have 12 solar panels with optimum flow rate of 4 GPM each so 48 GPM total. The PSI running through the solar is 24 PSI while the same 48 GPM with the solar off is 10.5 PSI so a 13.5 PSI difference, but I've got a long run of pipe to/from the solar and the solar goes a long distance across the roof. When the solar is off, I normally run the pump at 26 GPM which saves a lot of energy (1500 Watts with solar on; 275 Watts with it off at lower GPM).
 
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