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Solar panels for heating the swimming pool
- Thread starter AAP
- Start date
chris302001
Banned
do you mean actual photovoltaic cells or the panels you float on the surface that absorb most of the suns E, instead of reflecting it back into the atmosphere?
kx250rider
New member
They work great! (to make money for the pool supply house)...
Here's my take on the rooftop (or hillside, whatever suits your place), panels: They work well if you can get enough sun during the day, and you should have a pool cover also, to trap the heat in at night. You also need to design it so that the water will divert away from the solar panels at night, or they'll act like a radiator and cool the water you just heated all day. Or you can set your pool pump to only run during the afternoon, if you can get away with that. The more feet of piping in the panels, the better. If you have water-circulated radiant heat in your house, you can combine the pool heater with the house heating, and need only one boiler. A little more plumbing, but a whole lot less equipment. The third thing is, if you plan to re-plaster any time soon, go with black pebblecrete for your pool's bottom. It acts like a reflective solar heater, and will raise the temp at least a couple of degrees alone. That, the pool cover, and any other steps you take, will all add up nicely in savings!
COST is another issue. If you're in an area with fairly cheap natural gas, it's going to take a long time for you to make up the difference in savings from gas to the cost of installing & maintaining the solar panels. If you're on propane, or have expensive gas, you will do very well to go solar.
Charles
I already have a pool heater, just looking for something to save on the electric bill of heating it. Heater works awesome. Gets temps up to around 92-94 in one day.
Don't use a pool cover at all. don't even own one.
Just resurfaced pool with Diamond Brite, so no more work for several years in that regards.
Don't use a pool cover at all. don't even own one.
Just resurfaced pool with Diamond Brite, so no more work for several years in that regards.
I don't like to be cold nigga.
billfred
New member
you know there is a company here that installs solar heating for pools that is not actually solar panals. It just pumps your circulating water through an network of small pvc pipes on your roof that are painted black and sitting on a black sythetic blanket. It is relatively quite cheap to install ($3k-$4k) and works well.
Check that out.
canadianhitman
Well-known member
It will get the pool a heck of a lot hotter than 80 degrees. A buddy of mine had one heating his pool when we were kids...and that sumbitch would be close to 90 sometimes...and that was in the early 80s...so I can only assume the technology is better now. You'd need a 'pool blanket' at night during the early spring and fall, but the solar panels work well.
I don't use a pool blanket or own one.
Link to what you are talking about? I use my pool year around.
Any link?
redshirt27se
New member
damn.. sounds like your pool is a giant hot tub.
generally speaking solar panels are overly expensive and offer a poor ROI since the energy savings won't pay the panels off for years.
if you're handy, you can try this: How to Make Inexpensive DIY Home-Built Solar Panels with Damaged Solar Cells from Ebay : TreeHugger
i know people who have gone that route, and you will save quite a bit of money.
generally speaking solar panels are overly expensive and offer a poor ROI since the energy savings won't pay the panels off for years.
if you're handy, you can try this: How to Make Inexpensive DIY Home-Built Solar Panels with Damaged Solar Cells from Ebay : TreeHugger
i know people who have gone that route, and you will save quite a bit of money.
wonder how many of those I would need.
S
shrimp poboy
Guest
LOL at having a pool heater in South Fl ya gotta be kidding me?Do you test the water with your pinky toe as well?
With my elbow.
redshirt27se
New member
I bet you get a solar blanket and use it at night to hold and trap in the heat and you wound need to do much than just run the heater a little. The solar blankets are like 200 bucks. I have one for my pool and it makes a big difference because since you dont loose that much heat at night the pool just gets warmer and warmer everyday. I am in Tennessee and after a few days in the uppers 80's I have to take it off or the water gets too hot.
canadianhitman
Well-known member
You should get a solar blanket for sure...makes a big difference as the pool loses most of its heat at night during the cooler months that you'd want to use it.
billfred
New member
Let me know how it goes.
slat1
New member
While you are checking it out to heat your pool you should price out panels just to create energy. Most utility companies will actually pay a premium on the energy generated. Say 5%. The energy you generate goes into the grid and you get credited for it. It could be a nice deal. Not all utilities pay a premium though.
