How Much Warmer Will The Pool Be
As a rule of thumb, solar systems are capable of warming the water temperature of your pool by around 5-8 C, and even by as much as 10 C.
The actual increase in temperature, however, will depend on a number of factors. Principal among these are the size of the collector area in other words, the m2 of the solar collectors that are feeding your pool. Other factors include orientation and pitch of the roof on which the solar collectors are located, the construction material of your roof, the extent to which the roof and/or pool is covered by shade, etc.
Choosing A Solar Pool Heating Installation Company
- Choose a company that has both experience in installing and maintaining the system you have selected.
- Ensure that the company has the appropriate licenses as a plumber r solar pool heating contractor as required by your state.
- Shop around for the best prices and on-going service.
- Look for extended warranties. A-10 year warranty should be common, but watch out for warranty exceptions , and read the small print.
So, when diving headlong into the hopefully warm waters of solar pool heating, dont be prey to a nameless dread. Know what youre throwing yourself into. In general, the waters pretty inviting.
We would love to hear about your experiences with Solar Pool Heating The Complete Buyers Guide. Please leave your comments below and share the article with anyone you think may be interested.
Pool Scenarios Where Converting To Solar Makes Especially Smart Financial Sense
Keeping pool water warm enough for swimming takes energy. The most common pool-heating methods are natural gas heaters and electric heat pumps.
However, comfortable water temperature does come with a price. Often, the amount is moderate with only minimal impact on monthly energy bills. But the cost varies from pool to pool, based on various factors.
One key determinant of energy costaccompanied by less-than-ideal monthly billsis your current pool heater. Many pool builders make sure their clients have modern technology with high-efficiency ratings to maximize performance. However, your pool may not be equipped with such an option, relying instead on an older or cheaper, less-efficient model that consumes more gas or electric to get the job done.
Or, your pool may include a high-performing heating unit, but external issues contribute to particularly high gas or electric consumption. Just what are these variables that alone or in combination make it tougher to boost water temperature and drive up energy requirements on your heater?
Now, even if your pool is untouched by any of the factors above, and its heat consumption is moderate, your gas or electric bill still may not be. High utility company rates invs. your actual usage levelsin some metropolitan areas may be the culprit driving up the numbers on your monthly bills.
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Smartpool S601p Sunheater Solar Heating System For In Ground Pool
This sun heater system is loved by many people due to its efficiency and effectiveness.
You will be able to keep your pool warm by putting in use its uniquely designed solar collectors.
With an option for a solar blanket, you can actually retain more heat and deflect cooling winds.
This solar heaters panel measures 48 x 1 x 240 inches.
Its made from tough but lightweight polypropylene material.
This makes it the best in resistance to corrosion or scaling.
You will enjoy swimmable pool water all year round for many years. Thanks to this durable and efficient solar heating system.
It has a patented web designed panels that guarantee maximum exposure to the sun rays.
The sun heaters multiple tubes receive pool water flowing via the actual pool pump.
The warmed water now flows freely back to the pool.
This is aided by its one header hole for each heating tube.
Its lightweight solar panels can be installed in three easy steps.
They can be placed on any surface that enables maximum exposure to the UV rays.
With the use of an optional mounting kit , you can mount it on the roof of your house or a rack.
It can also be placed anywhere on the ground, where there are no shadows.
This Smartpool S601p Sunheater Solar Heating System is a perfect choice for any inground swimming pool.
The absorbed heat is capable of warming the pool water to a raised temperature of up to ten degrees.
Pros & Benefits:
Choosing The Best Solar Pool Heater For Your Home
When considering the best solar pool heater for your home, there are a number of factors to keep in mind.
- Design and size: Do the panels have to go on the roof, or can they be assembled on a rack or on the ground? Is a cover included to help retain heat? Make sure you think about how much space the system will require as well, and look for special features like a temperature sensor, which can help you get the most out of your system.
- Installation process: Can you install the system on your own, or will you need to hire a pro? Is a full installation kit included, or will you need to buy parts that are sold separately?
- Budget: Naturally, the cost of solar panels is going to be a big factor when seeking the best solar pool heater for your home.
- Durability and warranty: Always look for a system that is made with high-quality materials, ensuring its longevity. And make note of any warranties that are included, which can increase your peace of mind.
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Solar Heating Is Cost
Solar heating allows you to save on your electricity bills and extend the use of your swimming pool throughout the year, thus rendering the pool more profitable. To sum up, solar heating is an inexpensive way to heat your swimming pool.
The table below compares different pool heating systems in terms of operating costs in France.
The analysis comprised 5 months of use and was conducted on an 8 x 4 meter covered pool located in a temperate zone .
How Much Does It Cost To Install
Theres a number of factors on which installation cost depends. The size of your pool, solar heating unit purchased and manpower required to install a system.
Since different companies install the solar pool heating systems, we cant give you a hard number here. The best advice for pricing out the installation cost of your pool heater is to call around and get at least 5 quotes. Then use the one with the best combination of pricing, customer service, and reviews.
It may cost more if theres additional work required such as a very large pool, sharp angled roof, or other unique circumstances. But this information should be gathered by the businesses when theyre building your quote.
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Heat Storage For Electric Base Loads
Heat storage allows a solar thermal plant to produce electricity at night and on overcast days. This allows the use of solar power for baseload generation as well as peak power generation, with the potential of displacing both coal- and natural gas-fired power plants. Additionally, the utilization of the generator is higher which reduces cost. Even short term storage can help by smoothing out the “duck curve” of rapid change in generation requirements at sunset when a grid includes large amounts of solar capacity.
Heat is transferred to a thermal storage medium in an insulated reservoir during the day, and withdrawn for power generation at night. Thermal storage media include pressurized steam, concrete, a variety of phase change materials, and molten salts such as calcium, sodium and potassium nitrate.
Would The Water Have Warmed Up Anyway
The problem we have with solar heaters is that when the sun comes out the weather gets warm anyway. So is the heat gain in the pool down to the solar heater or would it have warmed up anyway? We have carried out experiments on two pools, side by side and in full sun, one with a solar heater and a solar pool cover and one without. We sampled the temperature every hour and we found, not surprisingly, that the temperature fluctuated with day and night. From a daytime high of 23C the pools could drop to 18C at night but then back to 23C the following day. What we did find was that the pool with the solar heater and solar cover was always warmer than the other pool, usually by about 3C but more in sunny weather. In sunny weather the solar heated pool reached 29C in the middle of the day whilst the non-heated pool was 24C.
During the experiment the weather did turn cool and we had rain. At these times the pools fell back to 18C to 22C but in those conditions no one wanted to use the pool anyway. When the sun came back the temperature of the water rose to 26C and that coincided with a desire to swim.
Comparison of heated and non heated pools
So we think that, provided you accept the limitations in this climate, solar heating it is worth investing in. We would sum up the pros and cons as follows
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Optimize Pool Mechanical Systems
A well planned pool pump and filtration system helps energy efficiency & saves money. Plan from the beginning for extra valves to be fitted in pipe runs so that additional pool heating systems like a heat pump or solar panels can be easily retrofitted or drained down for winterizing in the future. A little more thought at the planning and installation phase always saves money in the long-term and lets you fit the most efficient heating systems to your pool in the years ahead. Instead of the classic Army acronym 7P’s, perhaps we should remember Proper Planning Provides the Possibility of Peak Pool Performance?
Solar Vs Electric Pool Heater
An electric pool heater is only practical for a small pool or for use in an area where the temperature is consistently over 55 degrees. An electric pool heater needs its own electrical circuit to provide enough energy. In an electric pool heating system, water is pumped through the system, heated by an element, and returned to the pool. In a solar heating unit, the water is pumped through solar panels that use the suns rays to heat the water. Electric units are relatively inexpensive compared to a solar heating system, but the cost to run them adds up quickly. Expect the cost for an electric pool heater to be between $1,250 and $5,500, including installation. Solar pool heating systems range in price from $2,000 to $9,000.
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Benefits Of Pool Solar Panels
- Solar energy is obviously very environmentally friendly, relying on renewable energy for the entirety of its power.
- In turn, theyre energy savers despite the need for pumps in most cases. A pump is fairly power-efficient with modern engineering.
- Theyre quiet, reducing noise pollution though again, pumps are still needed. Pumps tend to be fairly quiet, though.
- You get longer swimming time since their presence will actively keep the pool warm.
- They require very little maintenance, at least in theory. I’ve got a little addendum to that well get to right now.
Choose The Best Time Of Day For Heating To Run:
Setting the timer to run HPPH around noon helps to lower energy costs. On systems with a Heat Pump Pool Heater for 100% of their heating requirement, the time of day that you run your HPPH is an important consideration as heat pumps get their heat from the air. Logically then the best time to run a HPPH is when the air temperature is at its warmest during the day. This is most easily accommodated by setting the controls for your filtration system to operate during the warmest time of the day as well – as a Heat Pump Pool Heater will only operate when it has water flow. As long as your filtration is running at the warmest time of the day, your HPPH will operate at its optimum Coefficient of Performance or efficiency which is calculated by dividing the measure of energy output divided by energy input. Pool Heat Pump heaters generally have a COP between 3.0 to 7.0. It’s probably possible to find smart control systems for swimming pools, and if not, we’re sure it will be shortly.
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Pool Color Effects The Amount Of Solar Gain
Black gets hot where white stays cool. Ever noticed that the color of your car effects how hot it gets when parked up in summer under a blazingly blue sky? It’s exactly the same with swimming pools… If located in a year round hot climate zone like New Mexico, Texas, Southern California or Florida then choosing the pool color shouldn’t just be about aesthetics. Neither should choosing a darker colored pool be ignored if in Quebec, Ontario, BC, Montana, New York or Illinois and serious about enjoying a backyard pool for as much of the year as possible without the pool heating costing the Earth. Literally.
Introducing The Solar Pool Heater A Low
Installing a solar-powered swimming pool heater is a great way to not only warm up your pool, making it comfortable to swim in well past swimming season it helps pool owners save money on heating costs, as well.
The systems are relatively affordable to install, cost less to operate, and often last longer than traditional gas or electric pool heating systems. Theyre also versatile and work with different pool sizes and types – solar pool heaters can be used for both above ground pools and in-ground pools.
In this blog, well explain how pool solar heaters work, how much they cost, and whether or not investing in one is right for you.
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Glazed Solar Pool Heater
Glazed solar panels run from $3,000 for a small system to $8,500 for a large system. When you think of solar panels, you usually visualize a glazed system made with glass. This system is better suited for areas that need more heat or lack enough long, sunny days to generate an ample amount of solar heat. Glazed solar pool heaters consist of copper tubing outfitted on an aluminum plate and covered with iron-tempered glass. The design is more efficient at capturing solar heat in areas with cold weather than unglazed systems. A glazed solar pool heater is made to be used year-round.
Why You Should Consider Making The Switch To A Solar Pool Heater
Solar pool heating systems are likely to last longer than electric or gas pool heaters, due to the fact that theyre more passive than the other options. Learn more about the difference between passive and active solar heating systems here.
The solar pool heater uses only solar power to pump the warm water through the system, effectively using far less energy for water heating, as compared to an electric or gas-powered system.
Electric and gas-powered systems require energy to power the pool pump, filter, and the heating elements of the system. Because it uses solar energy to power all of these components, solar pool heaters cost far less than traditional heating systems.
A solar powered pool heater effectively pays for itself over the course of 1.5 to 7 years, according to the DOE.
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Glazed Vs Unglazed Solar Thermal Collectors
There are two primary types of solar thermal collectors – glazed and unglazed.
Glazed solar collectors
Also known as flat-plate solar collectors, glazed solar collectors are encased in glass and are often more complicated in design, as they are built from metals under an iron-tempered glass covering.
These systems can heat water more efficiently and require less space, which allows them to provide higher levels of heat. While glazed solar collectors are suitable for year-round use, they do cost more than unglazed solar collectors.
Unglazed solar collectors
These collectors are often made of black plastic or heavy-duty rubber and are ultraviolet treated to help extend their service life.
Unglazed solar collectors, while typically cheaper, are less effective and limited to warmer climates and pools whose temperatures dont reach below freezing.
Which size solar collector is right for your home?
Depending on how many months out of the year you plan to use your pool and how warm you prefer your water to be, the Department of Energy recommends the solar collector be between 50% and 100% of the square footage size of the pools surface.
For example, if a pool is 15-by-20 feet, it has 300 square feet of surface area. Therefore, the solar collector should be between 150 and 300 square feet in size.
Homeowners looking to keep their pool open throughout the year should consider a solar collector that is the full size of the pool or larger.
Pool Heaters: Why Converting To Solar May Be Worth The Investment
Understanding solar power and why its particularly smart for some pool owners to adopt the technologyPool solar systems use collectors that absorb the suns heat, and then boost pool temperature by circulating water through the collectors where it gets warm. The heated water then routes back into your pool.
Would you like to reduce monthly utility bills for heating your swimming pool? Particularly if you have an older installation with a less-efficient heater and/or if you face other specific factorsdescribed belowthat boost pool heating needs, an energy-wise solar system may be the perfect solution for you.
Converting your pools current gas heater or electric heat pump to technology that harnesses the suns power will slash pool heating costs. In some cases, the better approach is to add a solar system to an existing equipment lineup. An example here is when a pool includes a spa that you want to be hot pairing solar with a traditional heater will reduce total reliance on the heater to fire up the spa.
Over time, solar pool heating is a proven money saver. Better yet, along with keeping more money in your wallet, using renewable energy sources like solar energy is a healthier alternative for the environment.
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