How are those Costco Solar Heaters? Best way to hook them up?

[jack.spratski]

Here is the product I'm looking at getting. http://www.costco.ca/SunQuest-Solar-....10349641.html

It consists of 2 x 2'x20' panels. The price seems attractive considering how much hoses would cost me to try and build my own. Do these work? I have an 18' round pool.

These 2 panels are supposed to be hooked up in series, should they actually be hooked up in parallel?

Any insight is appreciated.

[J.P.M.]

Here is the product I'm looking at getting. http://www.costco.ca/SunQuest-Solar-....10349641.html

It consists of 2 x 2'x20' panels. The price seems attractive considering how much hoses would cost me to try and build my own. Do these work? I have an 18' round pool.

These 2 panels are supposed to be hooked up in series, should they actually be hooked up in parallel?

Any insight is appreciated.

Pool water heaters of this type are usually more efficient and easier to install/maintain than a bunch of hose snaked around something/somewhere. I'd plumb them in parallel, in one end of the first and out the far end of the other. However, follow installation instructions and call the mfg. if you're still skeptical. If laid on the ground, a slight elevation of the panels at the out end will make for a better design.

[jack.spratski]

I'd plumb them in parallel, in one end of the first and out the far end of the other.

This sounds like Series to me. Am I confused?

[J.P.M.]

This sounds like Series to me. Am I confused?

A bit. Think of how the panels will be connected to one another. The panels are connected to one another in two places - the connections that face one another between the two panels.

Pool water will flow in at the "bottom" header of one panel. The flow will approximately split somewhat evenly between going up the risers in the first panel and the rest (~ the other half of the total flow) flowing out of the lower header of the first panel and into the lower header of the second panel.

At the "upper" end In the two panels, the outlet from the upper header of the first panel will flow into the inlet of the upper header of the second panel and be joined by the flow of the risers of the second panel.

The bottom in one end/top out at the other will tend to help the flow be somewhat more evenly distributed over the entire array and help minimize low flow "dead spots" in the flow pattern.

Parallel flow will also result in less pressure drop, which will result in less flow rate decrease than a series flow arrangement would incur, probably to a rough 1st approx. decreasing the pressure drop over a series flow arrangement by a factor of 8 or so.

Parenthetically, for most pool collector applications, solar pool water heaters are usually plumbed in parallel or some series/parallel arrangement . Reason: the heat transfer performance between series and parallel flow arrangement is usually a wash with flow rate and pressure drop considerations taking a higher priority in terms of flow distribution and proper system functioning, particularly for add on solar pool water heaters.

Summing up: Without the "bottom" connection between the two panels, or with only one connection between them, the panels will be plumbed in series. With two connections with the in/out at bottom/top respectively, they will be plumbed in parallel.

[inetdog]

This is directly analogous to the "diagonal" connection for two batteries wired in parallel.

[J.P.M.]

This is directly analogous to the "diagonal" connection for two batteries wired in parallel.

In the world of through and across variables, or the pairing of power and energy variables - the stuff of the study of engineering systems, precisely.

[jack.spratski]

A bit. Think of how the panels will be connected to one another. The panels are connected to one another in two places - the connections that face one another between the two panels.

I didn't realize they were connected like that. I thought it was completely in series. It's strange that I can't find a website for the product. I think for this price, you can't really go wrong.

[J.P.M.]

I didn't realize they were connected like that. I thought it was completely in series. It's strange that I can't find a website for the product. I think for this price, you can't really go wrong.

They can be plumbed either way or others, depending on application.

If I couldn't find a website, I'd be cautious. There are lots of other comparable products. Not a plug - Fafco is one.