solar panel pool pump help

[pongmstr2]

Same price though...Ouch

For my small applications I'll just run direct.

nobody has answered the original question of what pump to use that can get me the 15 foot lift and is dc. any takers??

[Naptown]

Probably no one here has experience with small DC pumps. you might try a google search.

[pongmstr2]

Probably no one here has experience with small DC pumps. you might try a google search.

haven't really been able to find much on google, the closest pump that i found that can run for long periods of time are fountain pumps for waterfalls, i found one at home depot that has a 14 foot head, but it's ac. i really want to drive this thing on dc with solar panels. also the dc pumps that i found don't have a long life span, averaging 1500 hrs. if this is going to run for 6 hrs a day, that's not very long.

[SunEagle]

haven't really been able to find much on google, the closest pump that i found that can run for long periods of time are fountain pumps for waterfalls, i found one at home depot that has a 14 foot head, but it's ac. i really want to drive this thing on dc with solar panels. also the dc pumps that i found don't have a long life span, averaging 1500 hrs. if this is going to run for 6 hrs a day, that's not very long.

Why not go to the link that Mike90250 gave you at http://www.sunshineworks.com/linear-...t-boosters.htm They seem to have a lot of DC pumps that work off of a PV panel systems.

[pongmstr2]

i'm curious, if i fill the solar collector with water from a hose, keep both the inlet and outlet under the pool surface, will the water drain out? if it doesn't then i can just put a cheapie bilge pump underwater just to circulate the water in my solar collectors?? anyone have any experience with this?

[Naptown]

that would work. It may be worthwhile to put a swing check valve in the outlet of the pump to prevent the colder water at night falling out of the collector and pulling warmer pool water back up.

[inetdog]

i'm curious, if i fill the solar collector with water from a hose, keep both the inlet and outlet under the pool surface, will the water drain out? if it doesn't then i can just put a cheapie bilge pump underwater just to circulate the water in my solar collectors?? anyone have any experience with this?

You will have an uncertain situation if the water has some amount of dissolved air or air bubbles in it and bubbles form in the collector when the water heats up, the eventual result could be one big air bubble inside the collector. If the flow velocity through a narrow tube or hose collector is high enough, bubbles will be carried away.

But in the absence of air bubbles and leaks, the water will not drain out of the collector.

[SunEagle]

that would work. It may be worthwhile to put a swing check valve in the outlet of the pump to prevent the colder water at night falling out of the collector and pulling warmer pool water back up.

With a check valve you should be able to keep the water from draining back into the pool but you need to have an over pressure device that will pop off in case the water temperature in the panel gets too high and the pump has stopped running for some reason. You always need a backup path for the water to expand in case the primary is blocked.

[Naptown]

With a check valve you should be able to keep the water from draining back into the pool but you need to have an over pressure device that will pop off in case the water temperature in the panel gets too high and the pump has stopped running for some reason. You always need a backup path for the water to expand in case the primary is blocked.

It is an open loop with only one check valve in the supply side of the panel only.
This would only be to prevent cold water in the collector from falling back down into the pool in a reverse flow.
the other end would be open.

[pongmstr2]

It is an open loop with only one check valve in the supply side of the panel only.
This would only be to prevent cold water in the collector from falling back down into the pool in a reverse flow.
the other end would be open.

Ok sounds like a plan, i have a rule 500 gph bilge pump that i will try this with.