Aqualink re-prime on Solar?

[Dirk]

Just seems easier to start the pump a little after the sun first hits the solar temperature sensor so they both start at the same time. No reason in my mind to start it any earlier anyway. This is what I do with my system. If you need extra run time, put that at the end of the cycle instead of the beginning.

Easier, for sure, but I have a different MO. I want my pool as warm as possible as soon as possible. And I want my SWG to run during peek sunlight hours (so that it is replenishing FC as it gets used up). So that means 8:00am to 4:00pm. My solar doesn't always come on at eight, but often does. So I wouldn't want to set it for 10:00 and miss those two hours, even if it wasn't happening every day.

So your MO would certainly work, but, at least for me and my pool, it wouldn't be ideal. Another factor, though not one of mine, is that some folks need their runtime to coincide with the cheapest electricity, so sometimes the hours best suited for the pool are not best suited for the bill.

 

[mas985]

Easier, for sure, but I have a different MO. I want my pool as warm as possible as soon as possible. And I want my SWG to run during peek sunlight hours (so that it is replenishing FC as it gets used up). So that means 8:00am to 4:00pm. My solar doesn't always come on at eight, but often does. So I wouldn't want to set it for 10:00 and miss those two hours, even if it wasn't happening every day.

There is much less heat delivered to the pool during those hours due to a lower sun angle plus a lower panel efficiency due to lower air temperatures in the morning vs the afternoon so they are not very productive hours.

So your MO would certainly work, but, at least for me and my pool, it wouldn't be ideal. Another factor, though not one of mine, is that some folks need their runtime to coincide with the cheapest electricity, so sometimes the hours best suited for the pool are not best suited for the bill.

I think the OP has the same power co I do (PG&E) and it turns out that flat rate billing is cheaper for me because I run the pump during the day for solar. PG&E has a calculator on their web site which allows you to compare different rate schedules with actual usage.

 

[Dave95602]

Our solar earns its keep In the spring and fall. It doesn't do enough during the winter to be able to swim, and its barely needed during the summer. But during the shoulder seasons, like right now, we want to eek out as much heat as possible as efficiently as possible (the pool hit 78 today!).

Our panels face south, and go into shade around 3 to 4pm, which is conveniently also when our PG&E rate goes up (4-9pm/365). So right now we can filter from 9 or 10am until 3:30, keeping the solar diverter manually on solar. The solar system gets primed during initial pump prime, then rpm drops down to a speed that gets the required solar flow rate. We have essentially hijacked our filter cycle for solar heating, whether the sun is out or not. It's an ok workaround but the geek in me is struggling over a few kWh (I admit to being somewhat obsessive about wasting energy, just ask my wife).

I'll report back after the re-plumb, hopefully with good news.