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By installing a solar pool heater, you can significantly reduce your swimming pool heating costs. Solar swimming pool heaters are cost competitive with gas and heat pump pool heaters. They also have low annual operating costs. In many climates, solar swimming pool heaters are the most cost effective use of solar energy. Yes, it does. Depending upon climactic conditions, you can expect a solar heater to: raise your pool temperature between 2and 5 degrees Fahrenheit each time the water passes through the system and raise your pool’s temperature 5 and 15 degrees Fahrenheit when there are several days of good weather. The additional usage of a solar heating blanket will help hold the heat in at night or when the conditions are windy. This can help the system be even more effective. What does a solar swimming pool heater actually do? Most solar swimming pool heaters include: • A solar collector – a device by which pool water is circulated to heat the sun, • A filter – the part the removes the debris before water is pumped through the collector, • A pump – the part that circulates water through the filter and collector and back to the pool again, • A flow control valve – an automatic or manual controlled device that diverts water through the solar collector. Swimming pool water is pumped through the filter and then through the solar collector. There it is heated before it returns to the pool. In hot climates such as the one we have in Austin, TX, the collector can be used to cool pool water when used at night. Some systems include sensors and an automatic or manual valve to divert water through the collector when the collector temperature is greater than the pool temperature. When collector temp is similar to pool temp, filtered water bypasses the collector and is returned to the pool. What are solar pool collectors made of? Solar pool collectors can be made out of different materials. The type you’ll need depends on your climate and how you are going to use the collector. If you’ll only be using the collector when temps are above freezing, you can get by with just an unglazed collector. They don’t include a glass covering. They are made of rubber or plastic treated with an UV light inhibitor to extend the life of the panels. They have inexpensive parts and are usually cheaper than glazed collectors. Unglazed systems can even work for indoor pools in cold climates if the system is designed to drain back to the pool when not in use. Even if you shut down the system in cold water, an unglazed collector may be more cost effective than a glazed collector. Glazed collector systems are usually made of copper tubing on an aluminum plate with an iron-tempered glass covering which increases the cost of the collector. In colder weather, a glazed collector with a heat exchanger and transfer fluids can capture solar heat more efficiently than unglazed systems. Glazed collectors can be used year-round in many locations and climates. How do I choose a solar swimming pool heater? Since a solar swimming pool heater usually costs $3,000 and up to buy and install, you want to make sure you get the right system. They typically last longer than gas and heat pump pool heater. Before you buy one, you should: • Evaluate your site’s solar resource, • Determine the correct system size, • Determine the correct orientation and tilt for the collector, • Determine the system’s efficiency, • Compare system costs, • And investigate local codes and regulations. The proper installation of a solar swimming pool heater depends on many factors. If you have any questions as to what it all entails, please call Hines Pool & Spa! Joe Hines Hines Pool and Spa in Austin-TX-stands out from the competition with the promise of complete satisfaction to all of our customers. We offer cleaning, repairing, renovating and maintaining pools and spas in Central Texas so you can get the most out of your pool or spa. Visit our site at www.hinespool.com or call us at 512-873-8565 to schedule an initial consultation.
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