Solar heater settings please help!

[Stsbuhre]

I am frustrated. Last year the solar heater was great. This year not so much. I’m an extreme novice at this and reading the stupid directions is not working for me. Please talk to me like a second grader and tell me what I should be setting my temperature differentials at if I want my pool to be around 83-85 degrees. I just want the Dang thing to be on and heating it as much as possible! Also the rpms of the pump. Right now we are running it at about 2700. Thank you!!

 

[Pool_Medic]

Do you have a solar controller that moves a valve when your roof sensors detect the panels are 4 degrees hotter than the pool water?

 

[Stsbuhre]

If does. But it’s a programmable on and off differential and I don’t know what to set it at in order to get the temp up. The target temp is set to 90 or something, even though I know it won’t ever get there.

 

[Pool_Medic]

Im still confused, is it sunny? Everything working properly?

 

[Stsbuhre]

Sunny yes. Solar says it’s over 100. But the pool doesn’t gets over 80.
I just want to know what to set the on and off differentials to in order to maximize the heat going to the pool. I think it is set to 6 and 3. But maybe that’s not the problem. Maybe the rpms?

 

[hwy17]

I don't know how big your solar system is but are you expecting much over 80 this early in the season? I'm not far from you and mine's in the high 70's these days, might've touched 80 today, and am pretty happy with that compared to no solar. It's my first year with it and I have about 50% of my pool's surface area in solar surface area.

Mine's manual control but here's a relevant thread with someone happy with 4 and 2.

Solar Controller Setting - Temp Differential

What is everyone setting their solar controller temperature differentials at? I'm trying to figure out a good setting that provides efficient heating with minimal valve cycling. The temp differential that I am referring to is the difference between the panel temp which is basically air temp at...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Stsbuhre]

Ok I will try 4 and 2. I just thought maybe it should be heating it a bit more bow that the panels are up in the high 90s, but maybe that’s not realistic.
Thanks!

 

[mas985]

What is the surface area of the panels?

Are you using a solar blanket?