SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on check sensor?

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Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

jblizzle said:
I never remove my VRV, but I did add a spigot valve at the low point on the roof that I open in the winter to ensure that all the water is out. Of course in my climate, that is probably overkill, but no in yours ;)
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Yeah not overkill in mine for sure.. thats why i added the drain valves as added insurance. I was hoping i wouldnt have to get back on the roof in the fall, so thats good to know.
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

so i rolled out or tried to roll out the panels tonight.. very hard to get to go flat.. i have the curved side up in the air to try to flatten them.. i think this almost requires two people to get them up via the ladder to the roof etc.

Slightly intimidated by the task ahead (tomorrow i hope) in tethering them down and finishing the pvc connections.

I dont think curved side up or down matters.. i'm following the manual with the slits for the roof fasteners on the tops and obviously lower left is the input and upper right is the vac valve (3 way tee) to pvc output/return.

I'm not really sure where to start up there.. i'm thinking maybe a partial pvc finish around where i think the lower panel will be (ill probably lay at least 1 of the 4 up there and see where it ends up).. i would think you cant finalize exact pvc connections till all 4 are secure to the roof though.
Which brings me to the question of whether i should find some 1.5" steel brackets and screw them around the solid tubing portions here and there for extra stability. I thought i read somewhere that your not supposed to, but i dont see why not. I'm also concerned the brackets and straps wont be enough to keep things in place and held flat enough too.

I'm also thinking i may need extra 1.5" joining sleeves with brackets for connecting the two boxes together, unsure.

I'm also wondering how i prove or insure the water flowing into these is 40 gpm without using one of those gauges you can insert into the tube (a consideration).. ie: maybe i close off the valve that shuts of the inbound flow, just slightly closed for starters.. or just rely on the 3 way valve to do a good enough job at slowing it down?
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

The panels will expand and contract with temperature changes. My upper header is locked down and the lower header has a special Heliocol bracket that allows for the lower header to slide up and down a few inches.

If the lower header were locked in place, then as the panel contracts it could rip all the tubes out of the header (or the header out of the roof).

You do not need to worry too much about the flow rate. If you feel the panels when it is hot and sunny with the water flowing and the panels are cool to the touch, you have enough flow. If they still are warm, then you could use more flow to up the efficiency.
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

Hayward has stated that extending the sensor leads, though they mention the water temp one.. is not recommended due to the way the sensor uses resistance and with a different wire can change the reading.. however, on the solar sensor (the only sensor i need to extend), i'm not sure its an issue (i had assumed solar didnt measure the temperature).. still though, wondering if the thermostat 18awg is ok for just the solar lead.. the water one i'm leaving as is, its fine.
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

I added about 75' of wire to my solar sensor with no apparent ill effects, if the temp is off a couple degrees, that does not really matter to me.
I got some fire alarm cable from my BIL which is a foil shielded twisted pair ... can not recall the gauge though, but I think it was bigger than 18awg. Bigger wire is going to lower the resistance.
 
SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

I can't see where that would matter as long as it's in the stream coming from the pool so it gets the correct temp. You just don't want it on the return after the panels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

n240sxguy said:
I can't see where that would matter as long as it's in the stream coming from the pool so it gets the correct temp. You just don't want it on the return after the panels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Well, it's after the 3 way valve, so if the valve is in solar off that should mean that flow to that left pipe from the pool is cut off, it would them only head to the return
 

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Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

Mostly done a few tethers to go.. seen in lower right i forgot i had a default end cap on.. when i tested water after this pic was taken it blew off.. you have to use a threaded or clamp on end cap.. the ones that come in the kit do not hold or have threads.

onroof.jpg
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

So what's your opinion of the construction quality of those panels? Got any close up pics of them and/or the mounting hardware? What did you like or not like about any of it?
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

I know it is a little late now but why didn't you supply the panels on the lower right and have the solar exit on the upper left?
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

n240sxguy said:
So what's your opinion of the construction quality of those panels? Got any close up pics of them and/or the mounting hardware? What did you like or not like about any of it?
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Ill take more pics when i get the chance closer up.. its going to rain straight through sunday, so things are on hold again. They seem pretty sturdy to me. What i didnt like was that they give you these non threaded caps and expect that theyll stay on.. its also crazy that they dont ship it with the straps/tethers in the existing hardware that comes with it. They give you all the screws and clamps for the straps but no straps. You have to buy the sk43 kit to get the straps which also come with clamps and screws.

- - - Updated - - -

jblizzle said:
I know it is a little late now but why didn't you supply the panels on the lower right and have the solar exit on the upper left?
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Well, the manual had a picture in it, which i think i posted or reflected in my diagram.. showing the exit on the upper right and entry in lower left. I could be wrong but changing that would maybe only change the tilt angle to the right instead of to the left i guess.
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

Some other build details..

we started with the lower panel of the 4.. basically used the shingles line as a guide.. i decided on tilting the right side upward by like 2 shingle sizes.. so my friend raised up his end while i held the other end (no pvc connections to this point).. he then came along with the metal clamps + drill and put them into the roof (not really concerned with stud placement) .. seems the plywood + shingle plus self driving screws that come in both the box and sk43 kit went in and held tight, no issues.. he chose to put the sealant on after the fact, said should be fine this way. Once we got all the panels and clamps/clips in place we then moved to measuring the pvc and interconnecting those pipes.. we then added a few steel 2" pvc pipe holders for the lower and right pvc pipes (deck screws didnt work.. so we used a few of the self driving screws from the kit to achieve about 3 clamps worth.. may need to go find some more screws at the hardware store though). Nothing holds down the actual main area of panels/pipes except the straps.. i only held down with clamps the added 2" pvc around it. It came with the rubber slide on couplers plus 2 clamps for each interconnect.
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

Here is a picture of the default hardware that comes with each box (taken from the manual.. unfortunately i never had a chance to take a pic before hand, ill take closer up pics when the weather breaks)..
hardware1.jpg

As you can see above, you get 10 brackets (there are 5 slots in each panel.. so one kit has 10 slots)..


And here is the sk43 roofing kit. which has 15 brackets AND the 10 straps which are about 5-6 feet long each. (here is the roofing manual), based on this description, it seems there should be an added row of 5 brackets just on the outside bottom of the set of solar panels.. so you lay down 2 sets of panels (slots at the top).. at the bottom edge put a bracket in line with the brackets above.. repeat for the other two panels if using 2 boxes like I am.. this way the bottom panel in each set is held down by a strap and cant flop around.. this is how i have things so far. I think in the end, 10 brackets should be left over, the ones that came with the default kit basically (along with 10 self tapping screws, which i ended up using for the pvc metal clamps). **i would say though, the extra row of brackets between the two sets of boxes might not be needed, so long as you can reach the straps from the top two to tie into the top bracket on the upper brackets of the lower two sets, tbd**
sk431.jpg
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

Today I got the actuator set up correctly, had to take the housing off and make sure the upper tab was facing straight ahead and the lower tab was facing left.

This was after i accidentally had the valve move 180 to the right blocking the rightward path.. bubbles and pulsating i quickly turned off the pump..

this created a new mess.. now my pump wont turn on.

One step forward and 2 back.
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

n240sxguy said:
Did it trip a gfci or something? Dead heading for a second shouldn't really have harmed it.
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Turned out the wiring inside somehow pulled out when we were working around it.. it was a simple enough fix.. tore apart and fixed.. working fine :)

Ill have aerial video from my mavic later on of the panels and still shots.. everything is now working :)
 
Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement

theskyisthelimit99 said:
Turned out the wiring inside somehow pulled out when we were working around it.. it was a simple enough fix.. tore apart and fixed.. working fine :)

Ill have aerial video from my mavic later on of the panels and still shots.. everything is now working :)
Click to expand...

Well now I am jealous! I want a magic but I don't do enough cool stuff to justify the cost at all.
 

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