Whether you are turning on your system at the beginning of the season or turning it off for the winter, you need to follow the specific instructions that match the type of controller that you have installed. Your Suntopia Solar Pool Heating System is able to be operated from a variety of controllers, please choose yours for more information.
Considerations for Starting Solar:
Changing the filtration times
During the winter months, the number of hours required to filter the pool is far less than the warmer months. Typically, during your annual solar heating service, your pool service technician will help out here. If not, we recommend you configure your pool filtration pump (variable speed only) to run for 12 hours from 6:00am to 6:00pm.
Considerations for Winter Use:
Dedicated pump for solar
Some of the older systems were installed with a dedicated pump for solar. These pumps are typically controlled by a Goldline controller. When you turn solar off for winter and the system has drained, we recommend that you empty half of the water out of the pump basket and leave the pump lid off. This allows the water to expand if freezing occurs.
Draining your system for Winter
More than 95% of systems installed are self-draining. The systems that require draining are typically those, below pool level, 2 systems on opposite sides of the roof, or where the equipment is located on the other side of the house. In any case, check with your Suntopia installer if you have any doubts.
Changing filtration times
Just as you would check the filtration times for starting solar, you may want to consider reducing the amount of filtration time for the winter months. Again, you can discuss this and more at your annual service checkup.