Sanramonrover

The pool light should work off 12 - 14 volts AC. No way will it or should it be working off 110 or 220 volts! There should be a heavy duty transformer somewhere - in your poolhouse or similar. I believe Canadian codes require a GFCI in the circuit breaker box feeding the transformer. Depending how yours is wired, the pool light switch may be switching the 110V to the transformer, or possibly switching the 12 to 14 volts between the transformer and the underwater light.

Thanks, Solar panels are one on the roof, and it is a closed system - ie, no vacuum breaker at the top. The pump needs to get the water up to the roof, however I believe that due to syphon effect, the force or weight of the water coming down the pipes would equal the water going up, so net effect is zero. ; Changed the cams, and tested today. At thermostat setting the actuator operated, and the flow of heated water to the pool stopped. Therefore I believe the original setting of the valve was wrong and heated water was syphoning back down, mixing with the normal circulation, overheating the pool. ; Now, as per diagram 2 (posted above) this cannot happen. ; Today all worked as I would have expected!

Today reset the cams 90 degrees apart, as per the NEW diagram at http://www.griffco.ca/pool/poolvalve2.png With this arrangement the water CANNOT make a complete circuit through the solar collectors (ie taking path of least resistance) because the valve gate blocks the lefthand port. Waiting for sun now to test this. Also discovered that each microswitch can be adjusted closer to the cams to ensure positive switching - something I did not see explained in the online manual. Cannot run this system at night as it is solar powered directly from PV cells - no battery backup.

This is a strange forum - it cut off the following from my post above. didn't want to appear rude with such a short answer.... I assume the actuator has always worked this way. I do not recall the lever on the actuator changing its movement pattern. Since posting originally, I also found online the installation manual - something my installer never left me! I see that I can change the cams to make the actuator move only 90 degrees - thereby selecting the correct flow path.

Thanks PoolClown. Unable to post to photobucket, but have put a diagram here http://www.griffco.ca/pool/poolvalve.png

Great to find this forum! I have a solar heated pool with solar powered pool pump, the usual sand filter, chlorinator, etc. Living in the tropics this is all great. However,the system was installed by a company that is now long gone. This time of year we find that the pool overheats - getting up to 36 degrees Celsius. We like to keep it at 30-32*C and we set the controller at that temp. I believe the installer put the 3-way valve in wrongly! I'd like to post a diagram, but don't see how to. So, my system has the centre pipe of the 3-way connected to the solar panel return. The right port is actually the inlet from the pump (via filter, etc). The left port goes to the solar panels. When the actuator operates to allow solar heating, the 3-way valve internal gate blocks the center port, forcing water straight through the 3-way valve to the heat collectors and back to the "Tee" and into the pool. This works fine. But, when the actuator turns the 3-way valve 180 degrees, to what should be "off", the internal gate rests on the vacant space between the left and right port. Now the pump can force water out the left port as well as the centre port. This seems to cause mixing of solar heated water with normally circulating pool water - causing pool temperature to rise continuously. Any suggestions? Is it possible to reset the position of the internal gate? to what position? Remove and replumb the 3-way valve correctly? Thanks