I have a manual valve that directs suction from either the pool vacuum or the drains/skimmer. I've found that my vacuum works best if all suction goes through it at around 30gpm, with the drains and skimmer closed. If I pull from all intakes then the vacuum has difficulty climbing walls, even at higher pump speeds.
The problem is that when solar kicks in, the pump has to increase to a more optimal 45gpm. This is far too much suction for the vacuum. The pump will briefly trigger an overpressure alarm as it works to refill the panels, and then the vacuum will about jump out of the pool.
This isn't really an issue while I'm working from home. I just turn the solar off while the vacuum is running in the morning, then when it starts to warm up I turn it back on and then go outside and switch the suction valve to pull from all intakes. But if I ever do go back to the real world then I'll need to come up with a better system. I assume it would be best not to replace the manual suction valve with an automated one, for safety reasons. Has anyone gotten their solar and vacuum to play well together?
The problem is that when solar kicks in, the pump has to increase to a more optimal 45gpm. This is far too much suction for the vacuum. The pump will briefly trigger an overpressure alarm as it works to refill the panels, and then the vacuum will about jump out of the pool.
This isn't really an issue while I'm working from home. I just turn the solar off while the vacuum is running in the morning, then when it starts to warm up I turn it back on and then go outside and switch the suction valve to pull from all intakes. But if I ever do go back to the real world then I'll need to come up with a better system. I assume it would be best not to replace the manual suction valve with an automated one, for safety reasons. Has anyone gotten their solar and vacuum to play well together?
