Greetings - first post here so bear with me!
I built my own pool last year and recently came into possession of 5 solar panels (fafco). Even though these are probably not quite enough for the ultimate system I am going to hook them up and start using them and add more panels as my budget allows. I have a Pentair easytouch controller that will manage the system.
I have a couple of questions:
- I will be installing the panels on my patio cover which is basically flat. (My roof slopes the wrong way and I don't want to mess with the tiles). I was planning on installing the vacuum relief at the panel farthest from where the supply and return come onto the patio cover. Since there will be no "top" of the system will this work?
- Does anyone have a recommendation on the best make and model of these valves?
- Is it customary to install valves between sets of panels to control flow to the panels and balance the system? I will have two sets of panels (one with two and the other with three tied together)
- I need to get the solar temperature sensor (10K Ohm thermistor) and these are crazy expensive. I have seen 10K Ohm thermistors for 1/5th the cost from vendors other than Pentair - does anyone know if these will work? It would seem to me that the physics involved is pretty basic and since I don't need this sensor to go into a pipeline I don't need the configuration that Pentair is selling.
- I was looking at a 2" check valve at my local hardware supplier and it seems decent but I worry about head loss. Do the more expensive Jandy check valves have better head loss performance than the ones you can buy at the local hardware store?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Tom
I built my own pool last year and recently came into possession of 5 solar panels (fafco). Even though these are probably not quite enough for the ultimate system I am going to hook them up and start using them and add more panels as my budget allows. I have a Pentair easytouch controller that will manage the system.
I have a couple of questions:
- I will be installing the panels on my patio cover which is basically flat. (My roof slopes the wrong way and I don't want to mess with the tiles). I was planning on installing the vacuum relief at the panel farthest from where the supply and return come onto the patio cover. Since there will be no "top" of the system will this work?
- Does anyone have a recommendation on the best make and model of these valves?
- Is it customary to install valves between sets of panels to control flow to the panels and balance the system? I will have two sets of panels (one with two and the other with three tied together)
- I need to get the solar temperature sensor (10K Ohm thermistor) and these are crazy expensive. I have seen 10K Ohm thermistors for 1/5th the cost from vendors other than Pentair - does anyone know if these will work? It would seem to me that the physics involved is pretty basic and since I don't need this sensor to go into a pipeline I don't need the configuration that Pentair is selling.
- I was looking at a 2" check valve at my local hardware supplier and it seems decent but I worry about head loss. Do the more expensive Jandy check valves have better head loss performance than the ones you can buy at the local hardware store?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Tom