Solar Panel For Pool Pump

Solar Pool Pump Incentives

• Save $$$ Hundreds of Dollars Annually
• A Huge Federal Solar Incentive that offers substantial financial savings to the homeowner.
• Exempt from Florida State Sales Tax
• Exempt from Florida Property Tax Assessment
• Protects you from future rate increases
• Increases Property Value
• Quickly pays for itself through electricity savings and State & Federal Incentives!!!
• Guaranteed Pool Pump operation in the event of a utility power failure

Can You Install Solar Panels Yourself

Parts and labor make up about 75 percent of the total cost of solar installation. At that rate, its natural to wonder whether you can cut some of that cost by doing the installation yourself.

Solar pool pumps that come in a kit with solar panels are often super easy to install. Theyre intended to be installed by the homeowner, so the manufacturers make the process simple enough that just about anyone could do it.

However, installing solar panels that tie into the grid is more complicated. If youre a handy homeowner, its possible to install solar panels on your own. However, it takes a lot of planning and electrical knowledge, which most homeowners and even handypersons dont have.

Unless youre an electrician or have a lot of experience working with electricity, solar installation is best left to the experts. Its a hard job, they know what theyre doing, and they do it well. Thats why their labor is so expensive.

Alternative: Using A Grid

Most pool pumps are powered by household electricity, so the most elegant solution to save on running costs is to have a grid-connected rooftop solar system that meets the entire energy needs of the home, including the pool.

But this is not always possible. For example, you may add a pool after you have installed solar power, with the additional energy usage not accounted for. Or your roof may not be large enough to accommodate the number of solar panels required to power both your home and your pool.

In some cases, the electricity network provider in your area may limit the number of grid-connected solar panels you can install, which may not deliver enough energy for both your home and pool.

The good news is you can take your pool off the grid and use the energy of the sun to power a solar pool pump directly to save a lot of money, and reduce your carbon footprint.

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Does Home Insurance Cover Swimming Pool Pumps

Conventional homeowners insurance policies usually include covered perils. So, therefore, it can be said that home insurance policies do cover swimming pool pumps. However, the extent of the insurance coverage also significantly depends upon the reason behind the damage of the solar-powered pool pump system.

To provide an example, the insurance policy may cover pump damage from a tree falling over or even a clogged pump system but not in case of a burned-out pump caused due to misuse. Although, the good news is you can easily buy an equipment endorsement to cover even that.

When Is A Solar Pool Pump A Good Idea

In our opinion, you are much better off with a variable speed pool pump if you are a Florida pool owner. If you are truly interested in eliminating your pool pumping costs, we recommend that you pair a variable speed pump with a small traditional grid-interactive solar electricity system, or photovoltaic system. While the initial cost might be a bit more, the solar panels will power more than just your pool pump, and will continue to produce power for your home when your pump is not running and the sun is still shining. You can also expand a traditional solar electricity system like this to cover more electricity needs in your home in the future.

Solar pool pumps do make a lot more sense in areas with very high electricity rates or time-of-use billing structures like Hawaii and California, and the Caribbean where rates can be exorbitant. Ideally, a traditional AC pump would also be present to deal with some of the deficiencies of solar pool pumps whenever necessary.

There are also applications of this technology outside of the swimming pool industry. Water lifting is a great application for solar direct pumps. If you are lifting water from a body of water into an elevated tank for later gravity use in farming or domestic applications, then the time at which the water is lifted is not important as long as there is enough storage and overall flow to meet long term demands.

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Run Your Swimming Pool Filter Or Solar Heating System Directly From The Sun For Free

Ideal use for old grid-connected solar panels that have expired CEC accreditation but still work perfectly well.

• For clean, clear pool water all day, every day
• No running cost at all
• Filter or heat whenever the sun is shining
• In bright sun, it runs fast and pumps more water, on cloudy days it runs a little slower

Ideal for small ponds, water features, and waterfalls. Also well-sized for solar-heating a spa.

Solar Pool Pump 200 watt 24 volt

Five: Connect The Solar Panels To The Pool Plumbing

This is where things can get a little tricky, so make sure to follow the manufacturers directions exactly for specific information. Here is a basic guideline:

1. Connect the bottom inlet header of the solar panels, using PVC pipes, to the 3-way valve. As a side note, this valve controls water flow to and from the solar heater, it can either be automatic or manual.

2. From the valve, connect the pipe to the pools existing pool filter.

3. From the other end of the pool filter, connect a pipe to the pool pump. Depending on the distance between your pool pump and solar heater, you may need adapters to lengthen the pipes.

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Take Your Pool Pump Off Grid

Pool owners are aware of how much energy pool pumps require. It takes more than 5,000 KWh per year to operate most standard pool pumps, financially affecting energy bills. Switching to solar-powered pool pump systems harnesses the suns power for free pool pump operation. It reduces long-term costs associated with keeping your pool clean and well-circulated.

Likewise, homeowners can use solar-powered pool pumps for water features, such as ponds, waterfalls, bubblers, and fountains.

The great South African sun!

Using our great South African sun to help convert some of our energy drainers in our home to use solar, just make complete sense!

You can install a pool pump and dedicate 2-6 solar panels to power it. The solar panels are wired directly into the pool pump and when the sun is shining your pool pump will run. Your panels are not connected to the grid!

Are Solar Pool Pumps Worth It

Theres no getting around the fact that getting started with solar power is a significant financial investment, whether youre just powering the pool or the whole house. Federal tax credits in the United States offset the cost somewhat, but not completely.

Even so, solar pool pumps are still worth the investment. Youll pay a little money out of pocket up front, but they save you money on your energy bill every month from that point on. Youll have saved enough money to recoup your upfront costs within a few years.

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How Long Do Solar Panels And Solar Pool Pumps Last

The industry-standard warranty for a solar panel is ten years, so thats how long you can expect a new solar array to last before the panels need replacing. However, a solar pool pump generally only has a warranty of around two to three years.

Given that it takes anywhere from three to seven years to save enough money to recoup the initial investment cost, youll probably replace your solar pool pump at least twice in that time. The pump is a relatively inexpensive piece of the whole system, so its not a total loss.

Feet Of Resistance/total Head

The last important calculation you need to make is to determine your pools total feet of head . Once youve worked this out, youll be much better equipped to determine which solar pool pump system is going to work best for you, since youll know what kind of horsepower youll require, and whether the particular pool pump youre eyeing has enough Feet of Head to meet your requirements.

To calculate your pools feet of resistance, you must perform a few calculations .

• into the filter tank) x 2.31 make note of the result
• from the vacuum) x 1.13 make note of the result
• Add together both results to find your pools feet of head/feet of resistance

For example, with a PSI of 10, then 10 x 2.31 = 23.1. With a suction line reading of 5 PSI, then 5 x 1.13 = 5.65. Thus, by adding the two together we get 28.75 feet of resistance.

Youll need this number, along with your pools total volume and optimum flow rate, to work out which solar pool pump is going to work best for you. In other words, you can work out what kind of horsepower youre likely to need from any given pool pump, thus narrowing your search.

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What Kinds Of Solar Panel Pool Heaters Are There

Four types of commercial solar panel pool heaters are used in the majority of installations.

• Flexible mat heaters
• Glazed solar panel heaters
• High-temperature solar collectors

Lets check each one out briefly to see how they work, what pool types and environments they are suited for, and approximately how much they cost.

Flexible Mat Heaters

These are the least expensive solar heaters and among the easiest to work with and install. The pool solar panels consist of a serpentine tube coil sandwiched between two fabrics, or flexible UV stabilized PVC sheets. Each sheet has an inlet and outlet and may be used singularly or in groups of solar panels for a larger surface area and higher output. Here is an example.

For the most part, flexible mat heaters use a mobile, submersible pump, and the mats can be connected using ordinary garden hoses and fittings. These pool solar panels are ideally suited for small to mid-sized pools in warm climates. To install a solar pool heater using flexible mat collectors would cost approximately $500 and $3,000 installed depending on the pool size.

Unglazed Solar Pool Panel Heaters

Unglazed pool solar panels are generally larger than flexible mats and are primarily designed for permanent installation. They consist of manifolds and vertical riser tubes, as illustrated in the basic example below. The pool solar panels can be encapsulated in a UV stabilized rubber sheath or exposed depending on the design.

Glazed Solar Pool Panel Heaters

Solar Pool Pumps: Costs Options And Benefits Explained

A backyard pool is the quintessential lifestyle accessory in Australia, and around 13% of Australian homes have a pool in the backyard. Having a pool provides relief from summer heat without taking a trip to the beach, and hours of fun for family and friends on warm days.

On the flipside, it costs a lot of money to own and run a pool. Not only is installation expensive, running costs are high. The largest annual cost by far is electricity to run the pool pump for essential filtration. This needs to be done year round, though less often in the winter months when pools are likely not used very often, if at all.

It is estimated that a typical in-ground pool can account for 17% of a homes electricity usage, which potentially adds $660 to $1,000 annually to a household electricity bill even if pool pump timers are set to run through the night, when electricity is cheapest.

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Which Solar Pump Stood Out Above The Rest

Selecting the right pool pump for your pool begins by identifying your most basic needs for the pump to function properly. This includes choosing a pump for your style of pool as well as a pump that has the power to handle the volume of your pool specifically. There are some great pump options that are versatile and capable of supporting a wide variety of different pools.

Our top choice falls into this category, easily adjustable to work for all styles of pool. The PWS Solar Powered Swimming Pool Pump is a great option for those who are looking to install a solar-powered pool pump. It comes not only with a reliable and efficient pump but also with the various cords and accessories needed to hook up your solar panels quickly and easily.

Characteristics Of Mc4 Male & Female Connectors

Durable PPO material, lightweight, portable and easy to use.

With excellent aging resistance and UV resistance, it can be used in harsh environment.

You do not need additional instruments for plug removal and removal will not cause any damage to the plugs.

Solid male and female points with a stable self-locking system that is easy to lock and open.

The contacts look like silver copper, which means it has excellent conductivity. The connectors bond so well, with a positive locking mechanism.

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Pros And Cons Of Solar Pool Pumps

A solar pool pump is a significant investment, and as such we think its important that you take some time to assess both the positives and negatives associated with the technology. Lets take a look at the pros and cons of solar pool pumps.

Pros:

Cons:

How Many Solar Panels Do You Need To Run A Pool Pump

The exact number of solar panels youll need to run a pool pump depends on several factors. How much power the pump requires, the number of hours it runs, the size of the panels, and how much sun they get all determine how many solar panels youll need.

Generally, to run a two-horsepower pool pump for eight hours a day, youll need four to six 250-watt solar panels. The more sun the panels get, the fewer panels youll need. Likewise, having more panels guarantees your pump will have power even on overcast days.

If your solar-powered pool pump is wholly disconnected from your home and the power grid, you may want to invest in a couple of extra panels just to be safe. It may take more hours of run time on long summer days to keep your pool working its best.

Four to six of these highly-rated Renogy solar panels would power your pump

If your pool is disconnected from your homes main power supply, youll have no way to run the pump on overcast days in the summer. Whether youre swimming or not, your pool needs some circulation to stay healthy and clean.

Having a couple of extrasolar panels will ensure that you always have enough power flowing to your pool pump, even if the weather is gray. Otherwise, powering your pool through your home power supply will provide backup energy even when theres not enough sun to run your pump.

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How To Connect A Solar Panel To The Pool Pump

The solar panels can be installed on the pool pump, and it follows a very simple method to do it. One can easily opt for installing the panels themselves, provided they are guided with proper instructions. The installation of solar pool pumps will require you to connect the pumps return hose to the panels inlet, which in return will bring cold water from the pool into the solar-powered heater. To obtain warm water from the panel into the pool, you have to connect the return hose to the solar panel outlet as well as the pool return.

However, you can always opt for professional help in case you dont feel confident enough to install the pool pump yourself.

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How Much Energy Does A Pool Pump Consume

A pool pump is a must-have element of any swimming pool system, circulating the water to clean it. Pool pumps are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from small submersible pumps to huge above-ground devices. The size of the pump you require will be determined by the size of your pool.

A typical 1.75 to 2.4 kW/h pool pump is one of the most energy-efficient on the market, utilizing 1.75 to 2.4 kW/h per hour. If you have a larger pool, a two-horsepower pump consumes 2.4 to 3.1 kWh per hour. Make sure your chosen pump is ANSI certified to assure safety and quality standards are met.