Posts Tagged: Solar Pool Heating

There are several solar pool heater kits available in the market these days. They cost between $3,000 to $4,000 for the materials and labor. In terms of recouping your initial investment, you could probably get your money’s worth in energy savings, within two to seven years. This all depends on the fuel costs in your area.

Solar pool heaters are also more durable than heat or gas-pump pool heaters.

Before getting a solar pool heater system, you have to do a little research. One priority is to find out the solar resource of your location. The design and efficiency of your solar pool heater will depend upon the amount of solar energy reaching the site of your pool. Because the system utilizes direct solar radiation, you won’t need to have sunny weather all the time. As long as the sun continues to rise, it will be effective. Installers can perform a solar site analysis for you, to help you find the best spot for your solar pool heater.

Then you will need to find out the proper size for your solar pool heater collector. Factors that can determine this include the size of the pool, the length of the swimming season, the desired pool temperature, your area’s solar resource, and your collector’s efficiency. The surface area of your solar collector should also be equivalent to at least 50% to 100% of the surface area of your pool.

The efficiency of your solar pool heater will be determined by the collector’s thermal performance rating. The higher the efficiency, the bigger your savings on annual operating costs will be. A more highly efficient collector will also require a smaller surface area.

Before you purchase a solar pool heating system, be sure to shop around for various models. There are various collectors to choose from. Find out which of them best suit your requirements. You’ll have to compare the costs, with the savings you’ll achieve in the long run. Don’t just pick a system based on its estimated costs. There are various other factors to consider.

Check with the local building codes, subdivision covenants, and zoning ordinances that pertain to your pool location. You may be required to obtain a building permit for your solar pool heating installation. Some problems with building code could include excessive roof load, unacceptable heat exchangers, unlawful tampering with water supplies, or improper wiring. Zoning issues can be obstructions to the side yards, some protrusions on a roof might be illegal, and the distance of the system from the street or lot boundary. You’ll need to contact the local jurisdiction’s zoning and building enforcement divisions, and the community association, to find out more about the requirements.

These are a few things you need to know when you’re about to install a solar pool heater. Hopefully these can help you decide on the right model for your pool.

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Anna is a webmaster and a blogger who educates others on solar energy uses and cleaner living styles.

For more information on using solar power to heat your pool, see her articles on Solar Pool Heating Systems. To learn more about do-it-yourself projects you can try at home, visit her blog on DIY Solar Power.

Source Article: How to Choose a Solar Pool Heater

Solar Pool heaters can greatly reduce your energy costs. They’re more cost effective than either gas or heat-pump swimming pool heaters. You’ll be able to save on annual operating costs once a solar pool heater system is installed. Best of all, a solar swimming pool heater can be used in most climates.

The typical solar pool heater system consists of a solar collector, a filter, a pump, and a flow-control valve.

- The solar collector is the device which the pool water passes through, to be heated by the sun.

- The filter removes the dirt and debris before the water is pumped into the solar collector.

- The pump is the what circulates the water through the filter and solar collector, and brings it back into the swimming pool.

- And finally, there’s the flow-control valve. It is either an automatic or a manual device, which redirects the water through the solar collector.

A solar pool heater system works in the following manner:

The water from the pool is pumped through the filter and then enters the solar collector, where it is again heated before it returns to the pool. In hot climates, the solar collector can also be utilized to cool the pool. It does this by circulating the water at night.

Some solar pool collectors use sensors and a valve, which redirects water through the solar collector when the collector temperature is greater than the pool water temperature. When both temperatures are the same, the filtered pool water will not return to the collector but will simply return to the pool.

There are different types of solar pool heating systems. They differ in the types of materials they are made out of. You will need to find out which type is best for your region’s climate, and how to use it.

There are glazed and unglazed solar collectors. If the temperature in your area reaches above freezing, then you’ll probably just need an unglazed solar collector. This is made out of heavy-duty rubber or plastic, treated with a UV light inhibitor. Unglazed solar collectors are cheaper than their glazed counterparts, because the parts are inexpensive, and their design is simple.

Glazed solar collectors are typically made from copper tubing and aluminum plates, with iron-tempered glass covers. These are quite expensive, but in colder weather, this type of system is more efficient in heating pool water than unglazed collectors are. Glazed solar collector systems can also be used as domestic hot water heaters. Both types of solar pool heating systems need to have freeze protection when used in harsh cold weathers.

As you can see, solar pool heater systems can be a good investment. You’ll save a lot of money in terms of energy costs, in the long run.

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For more information on solar pool heaters, and how to choose the solar pool heating system which is right for you, visit Solar Pool Heating or DIY Solar Pool Heaters.

Anna Williams is the webmaster of a website on Solar Energy.