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We sprung forward last night for Daylight Saving Time, and naturally many people want to change the clocks on their Pentair SunTouch Solar Pool Heating Controllers. It’s actually quite simple, and I’ll show you how here. Here are the steps to change the time on your Pentair SunTouch for spring Daylight Saving Time: Press Menu 5 times Press the right arrow Press the up arrow Press the right arrow 2 times Press the left arrow to return to the main screen In the fall, do the same thing, except in step 3 you will press the down arrow. If you need to adjust the minutesRead More →

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Calling all real estate agents in Southwest Florida! There is an updated form released by the Appraisal Institute® called the Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum (Form 820.04). This form provides a way to value solar energy systems on homes that allow the value to be included in residential and commercial real estate appraisals. It has long been known that solar energy system increase real estate values and reduce the time on the market for home sales. Only recently have widely accepted tools been released. Since there are so many solar panel systems in Southwest Florida, it’s important that real estate professionals understand the implicationsRead More →

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NOTE: Your system may look different than pictured below, and may have a check valve on the return line rather than an isolation valve, especially if installed in 2014 or later. Please call if you are unsure. Pool plumbing can be confusing. Solar pool heating valves can add to that confusion. If you want to learn how to turn off and isolate your solar pool heating system with manual valves, you’ve come to the right place. The images and videos below show you how to turn the valves correctly to change the flow of water in your system. What’s pictured below is what we callRead More →

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“Don’t call it the incinerator.” That’s what I learned when I toured the Lee County Material Recovery Facility today. Calling it an incinerator is like calling a car a “horse and buggy.” The facility produces energy in a renewable and sustainable way at the Buckingham, FL facility and sells the power to Seminole Electric Cooperative. Taking household waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill, the facility turns the refuse into electricity. It’s a part of recycling and trash disposal that is rarely considered by the public. Also known as waste-to-energy, material recovery facilities are slowly replacing landfills as the economics make the technologyRead More →

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The variable speed pump is a perfect match for solar pool heating systems, especially when an automatic controller is used. Without a controller the pump can be scheduled to run at optimum solar circulation speed when solar energy is most likely to be available. Adding a controller adds the capability of changing the pump speed based on the availability and demand for solar heating. With or without solar energy, the variable speed pump will pay for itself with energy savings. You can cut pumping costs up to 90% with this great technology while getting a far quieter and longer lasting pool pump.

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Solar pool heaters work better with variable speed pumps because the optimum flow rate can be achieved to maximize solar performance. A single speed pump is typically fine to use with solar pool heating, but if you want maximum pool heating, a variable speed pump can both save you a tremendous amount of money and provide the proper flow rate. Most solar pool heating panel manufacturers recommend a flow rate of 4 gallons per minute per panel. If you have seven panels, you need a flow rate of 28 gallons per minute. Anything less and the efficiency drops off quite rapidly. Anything more and youRead More →

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I had a little fun creating this video from an older post about how you need different solar panels for different tasks. One solar panel can’t do it all – at least, not as effectively as panels designed for a specific purpose. Let me know what you think of this animated video. No Flash Player? View Here: http://www.youtube.com/v/GAA3BYpdPww I’m toying with the idea of creating some how-to videos using XtraNormal… just for fun.