Re: SmartPool/Fafco Solar panel install.. build notes/questions on 3 way placement
just got around to opening and getting it rolling today.. some of the first shots.. I have another 3rd party drone (350 size) i've had for about 2 years as well, but it cant hold a candle to the clarity/range/features of the dji.
i added the video and some more pictures to the very first thread. I should mention, i dont normally like flying these in the suburbs, but this was mainly an above close range shot of the yard, so i stuck to the property limits to do this and the quad is very stable and mostly automated too.
Today around 3 or 4 i turned on the system.. happy to say no real leaks.. though, there is one small drip at the lower left, you can see in the photos where the elbow and bushing didnt quite go fully together. I thought about changing that out, but for the small drip, one about every 10 or 15 seconds, not sure its worth it. If i get adventurous maybe ill try this material i saw at ace hardware that hardens like steel and you can just wrap it around the area, assuming it seals it, unsure. Very minor either way.
Pressure gauge still holds at 18 psi with the solar in action. I was concerned at first that the one way valve before the return might have gotten stuck when glued, but when i shut the system off and turned it back on, you can see the hinge moving.. its just very slight, maybe due to the reduced GPM coming off of the panels.
You could feel a temperature difference in the inbound vs outbound pipes when touched up on the roof.. however, when i measured the flow in the pool with the meat thermometer i couldnt see a change in temperature of water vs return flow.. however, at that point the panels had only been on 40 minutes or so, and the air temperature was 64 roughly. Unsure why i couldnt measure it, given the warmer feeling pipe, but it may have been too early of a test.
The actuator system seems to work well (now that i took off the back 4 screws and adjusted the upper and lower cams to keep it either straight ahead/on or turned to the left/off). once shadows hit my roof after 6pm, the sensor picked this up and shut down the flow, moving the valve to the left blocking the solar pathway in the off position.
Tomorrow it will be 70F for a high and the rest of the week may average 78-85.. typically on those warmer days the pool would rise 4F.. it will be interesting to see now with solar if that number jumps up by 3 or 4 more.
I really couldnt justify the cost either, that was until i managed to buy/sell a few of them for a bit of profit
just got around to opening and getting it rolling today.. some of the first shots.. I have another 3rd party drone (350 size) i've had for about 2 years as well, but it cant hold a candle to the clarity/range/features of the dji.i added the video and some more pictures to the very first thread. I should mention, i dont normally like flying these in the suburbs, but this was mainly an above close range shot of the yard, so i stuck to the property limits to do this and the quad is very stable and mostly automated too.
Today around 3 or 4 i turned on the system.. happy to say no real leaks.. though, there is one small drip at the lower left, you can see in the photos where the elbow and bushing didnt quite go fully together. I thought about changing that out, but for the small drip, one about every 10 or 15 seconds, not sure its worth it. If i get adventurous maybe ill try this material i saw at ace hardware that hardens like steel and you can just wrap it around the area, assuming it seals it, unsure. Very minor either way.
Pressure gauge still holds at 18 psi with the solar in action. I was concerned at first that the one way valve before the return might have gotten stuck when glued, but when i shut the system off and turned it back on, you can see the hinge moving.. its just very slight, maybe due to the reduced GPM coming off of the panels.
You could feel a temperature difference in the inbound vs outbound pipes when touched up on the roof.. however, when i measured the flow in the pool with the meat thermometer i couldnt see a change in temperature of water vs return flow.. however, at that point the panels had only been on 40 minutes or so, and the air temperature was 64 roughly. Unsure why i couldnt measure it, given the warmer feeling pipe, but it may have been too early of a test.
The actuator system seems to work well (now that i took off the back 4 screws and adjusted the upper and lower cams to keep it either straight ahead/on or turned to the left/off). once shadows hit my roof after 6pm, the sensor picked this up and shut down the flow, moving the valve to the left blocking the solar pathway in the off position.
Tomorrow it will be 70F for a high and the rest of the week may average 78-85.. typically on those warmer days the pool would rise 4F.. it will be interesting to see now with solar if that number jumps up by 3 or 4 more.
