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Speak With One of Our Pool Solar Heating Systems Experts
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Solar Heating Systems for Swimming Pools
- Heating Your Swimming Pool with Solar Energy
- Can Your Home Accommodate a Solar Heating System?
- How Solar Heating Systems Work
- Operation and Maintenance of Solar Heating Systems
- How Much Sun Do You Need To Heat Your Swimming Pool
Heating Your Swimming Pool with Solar Energy
Heating
your swimming pool with solar energy is an easy and efficient way to regulate
your pool water temperature. Many people are turning to solar heating
as an alternative option to running a pool
heater or heat pump due to the low cost
and ease of operation involved in solar heating. The cost involved in
running a solar heating system is all initial. Because the source of the
energy you use is the sun, you do not need to worry about high costs of
propane, natural gas, or electricity in your area. An added benefit you
receive from a solar heating system is the ability to run water through
the system at night in an effort to COOL your pool. This is a great feature
if you live in an area where daytime temperatures and the strength of
the sun make the pool water unbearably warm. With all these benefits your
interest in solar heating your pool may be rising. But is a solar heating
system the right choice for everyone? What are some factors you should
consider?
Can Your Home Accommodate a Solar Heating System?
If you are thinking about purchasing a solar heating system for your pool there are some factors you will want to consider. First of all, you must realize that the nature of the system means the performance of the system will be based upon the availability and strength of the sunlight in your area. You will need to determine the best area (most direct sunlight) to mount your solar panels. This will maximize the performance of your system. Gains of 10-12 degrees in the temperature of the pool water are not uncommon if a solar heating system is used in tandem with a solar blanket. With out a solar blanket, much of the heat you generate will escape at night so expect the heating effect to be somewhat less (7-9 degrees). And remember, the more direct sunlight the panels receive, and the strength of that sunlight, will determine the performance of the system. Let's explore that topic a little further.
How Solar Heating Systems Work
A solar heating system is designed to take water from the swimming pool and pass a portion of that water through solar panels, where it is heated before rejoining the normal flow of water and returning to the pool. The diverting of water to the solar panels takes place by way of a special valve known as a diverter valve. If the full volume of water was to pass through the solar panels it would travel through to quickly to be heated sufficiently and would have little effect on the overall temperature of the pool water. The fact that water must be pumped to the solar panels means you'll need a pool pump capable of the job. This shouldn't be a problem in most above ground pool applications where the panels are usually mounted close to the pool. But in inground (and larger above ground) applications, panels are usually mounted to the roof of your house or some other structure meaning your pump will need to be capable of pumping water up and into the panels. The good news is that most pool pumps are capable of this load.
Operation and Maintenance of Solar Heating Systems
The operation of a solar heating system is really very simple. When performed
manually, you will need to engage the system by opening the valve which
will divert water into the system. To turn the system off you will need
to shut this valve off, effectively bypassing the system. For people who
want to maximize efficiency or have schedules that do
not allow them to manually regulate the system, automatic
controls can be used to turn your system on and off. Depending on
the style and model of control you purchase you will be able to set the
"on" and "off" processes to a timer or, and this is
the option we recommend, to be governed by the sunlight itself. The latter
process takes place through use of a light detecting sensor that will
turn your solar system on when it makes sense to do so (when the sun is
out) thereby maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of the solar
heating system.
How Much Sun And Solar Panels Do You Need To Heat Your Swimming Pool
As has been mentioned before, the degree to which a solar heating system can heat your swimming pool will be determined by the strength and length of direct sunlight that hits the panels each day. With that said there is a standard for sizing the system. The standard is that the surface area of the solar panels should be 65% the surface area of the swimming pool. An example has been provided below:
A 16' x 32' swimming pool has 512 sq.ft. of surface area. 512 x .65 = 332.80 sq.ft. of solar panels required.
Since solar panels, sometimes called "collectors", come in different shapes and sizes you will need to figure out the surface area of one of the panels and divide the total area of panels needed by the area of one panel to find the number of collectors you'll need. When sized appropriately you can expect a rise in pool water temperature of about 10-12 degrees when solar heating systems are used in conjunction with a solar blanket, and about 7-9 degrees when used without.
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