This article is part of a series: The 12 Days of Solar Pool Heating. 

CR2® Corrosion Resistant Check Valve for Solar Pool Heating

When installing an iSwim Solar Pool Heating Systems, Florida Solar Design Group installs Premium Valves & Components. It doesn’t make sense to install a premium solar pool panel and then install cheap ball valves and other plumbing components that are likely to fail during the life of the system.

Just a few of the things we do that others most often don’t are:

• Install Premium Pentair Neverlube serviceable bypass and isolation valves. These have handles that are easy to turn and will remain easy to turn for the life of your system. Some installers don’t install isolation valves at all!
• Install Premium Magic Plastics CR2® corrosion resistant check valves that allow service and visual indicators of correct operation. These valves feature a Hastelloy spring that will not rust.
• Prebuild valve manifolds at our shop to ensure consistency and quality while making them the easiest to use and understand in the industry.
• Leave enough pipe exposed at key locations in case future service or modification requires splicing pipe.
• Supply a long lasting and reliable premium vacuum relief valve.
• Use roof brackets that support PVC plumbing runs above the roof surface, and use all stainless steel hardware.
• Provide aluminum roof protection pads at wear points where abrasion can cause roof damage.
• Use plumbing unions at serviceable equipment like pumps and filters.
• Supporting sensor wire with proper UV resistant ties and splicing sensor wires with weatherproof connectors.
• Selecting the proper sealant for various roof types and using it in proper proportions.
• Adhering strictly to engineering requirements for tile adhesive foam set attachments.

All of these things are costly, but we feel that solar panels that need to withstand well over a decade in the most demanding environment imaginable should be installed with components that will last equally long. Cutting corners to save perhaps a couple hundred dollars is penny-wise and pound foolish when considering the big picture. Our years of experience tells us that buyers on a budget would be better served buying a smaller system with premium components. The solar panels themselves form only part of the customer satisfaction recipe.