A warm swimming pool is a welcome idea for lots of people, especially for those who live in places with longer winters, and for those who prefer warm waters due to health reasons.
And a pool solar system, which relies on the boundless energy of the sun to work, is a good solution for keeping the outdoor pool warm.
A pool warming solar heater is a simple device, in comparison with other solar equipment. It typically operates through solar panels, which can be mounted on the roof of the house adjacent to the pool or close to the pool.
These panels are designed to absorb the heat from the sun and transfer it to the attached solar collector. Water is pumped from the pool into the collector and then back again into the pool once it is warmed.
On a day of normal sunshine, a pool solar system can raise the temperature of the water in the pool between 7 and 10 degrees Celsius. A solar heater cannot work on a sunless day so that it will be more or less ineffective during the very cold winter months.
But it can heat up the water during the months just before and after winter, when there could be some sunshine or at least some more daylight. A pool solar system can thus extend the swimming season, though it will not be able to do the warming job all year long.
The capacity of the solar heater you will require for your swimming pool will depend upon the climate of the place where it is located, and the pool size. A solar pool panel of 2’ x 20’ in size will cost around $150.
To heat the waters in a swimming pool of the size 18’ x 24’, two such panels will be required. With a larger pool, the number of panels will have to be increased. To maintain the temperature in a cold climate also, extra numbers of solar panels will be required.
The manufacturers of solar heaters provide detailed installation instructions. The solar panels have to be installed in a place like a roof where it is fully exposed to the sun. Frames will be provided for fixing it in a suitable place. The panels have to be then connected to the pumping arrangement. The panels heat up very fast but they also cool fast.
The water filter in the heater has to be checked once in a while to ensure that it is working properly and right water chemistry should also be taken care of.
Other than that a swimming pool solar system requires very little maintenance. Further, a solar pool heater is a more energy efficient solution than an electric heater or a gas heater.