Solar Plumbing - mine looks strange?

[Karl72]

Hi All,
Looking for some help with my current solar heating plumbing. I have only recently bought the house and am not convinced about the existing plumbing set up. The solar system has been 'piggy backed' on to the main system, and runs an extra pump to boost the solar flow. This arrangement has no 2 way valves or a 3 way valve.
The solar feed pipe is plumbed straight after the outlet from the main filter, goes to the solar pump, up to roof and is plumbed back in (warm water) just before the chlorinator (which is basically the same spot where the solar feed is located - it is only about 6 inches further around in the same section of pipe). I have attached a photo showing the plumbing setup. It also has a solar control that turns the pump off and on.

Also, in the photo you will see a stand alone return pipe sticking up from the ground in the right hand corner. This is a separate pipe into the bottom of the pool and it does not leak. I am wondering if this system would work better by diverting all of the solar water warm rerun into this spare pipe and into the bottom of the pool, as I believe that all of the warm water currently may not make it into the pool with the current plumbing arrangement, as it would have to push past the main flow of water from the filter. AND even possibly plumb the solar water feed straight from the main feed to the pool filter near the ground, and then the solar system and pump could run stand alone without having to run the main filter pump. Any help and suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Karl72]

UPDATE:
I connected the solar warm return to the (newly) used spare pool return. Everything appears to be working OK except for a large bubble(s) in the top of the spa pump. Now that the solar return has no restriction and pump ALL of the warm water into the pool, maybe the suction solar return is fighting a bit with the main pump and there is not enough flow to feed both?

OR, maybe my solar is running a bit too freely now with the reduced pressure? Could I limit the flow on the intake to the solar, or on the solar return? There are certainly no bubbles in the line where the solar return goes back into the pool.

Any ideas are most welcome.

[Denniswiseman]

Hi

If looking at the image and the solar return is adjacent to the soil pipe, it looks like that was an original place for it. So why was it changed?

If you want to restrict the supply to the solar, I would suggest putting it on the flow for two reasons

1 You wouldn't put any extra pressure on the solar panels
2 You could isolate the solar panels and even drain down for maintenance

Are the solar panels the only way of heating the pool?
If so why dont you just incorporate them into the filtration system and fit a bypass
Pass the water through the filter send it to the solar panels and return it to the pool

I use an air source heat pump which is plumbed in this way

[Free info]

I have never seen a solar system setup this way it always is plumbed in after the filter and then to the return line. Why run 2 pumps when its not needed your electric bill has to be high.