Solar Pool Heating Projects You Can Do
Save Lots of Money By Heating Your Swimming Pool with Solar Energy
If you own a swimming pool, you know that heating the pool can cost lots of money in electricity. Fortunately, by harnessing the power of solar to heat your pool, you can significantly reduce your electricity bills while keeping your pool warm. This is extremely beneficial if you live in a region where there are lots of sunshine.
In addition to reducing your electricity costs, the other benefits of using solar heating for your pool include:
- Your swimming season can be extended - As long as there are sun, you can harness the power of the sun to keep your pool warm. So you can start your swimming season early in the spring and last until end of fall season.
- Solar Equipment requires little maintenance and last a long time - Solar panels have minimum of 10 year warranty and usually last longer than 20 years. Additionally, very little maintenance is required.
- Solar is good for the environment - Unlike fossil fuel, solar is clean and renewable.
How Solar Heater Work
Solar heating systems usually consist of the following components (see figure 1):
- Solar collectors - Solar collectors harness the energy of the sun to heat the pool water that is circulated through. They're usually mounted on the roof or garage. Collectors can also be ground mounted on a rack if there are no suitable space on the roof.
- Filter - The filter acts as a debris remover before the water is circulated through the collectors.
- Flow Control Valve - The flow control valve that directs the pool water through the solar collectors. This could be manual or automatic device. If you use an automatic controller, special sensors are used to control when the solar collectors should be used.
- Pump - This device pumps the water through the filter and collector and back to the pool.
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Materials of Solar Collectors
Solar collectors are made of different materials. The most popular are the unglazed collectors. Unglazed collectors do not have glass covering. They are usually made from rubber or plastic material that has been treated with ultraviolet (UV) light. Unglazed collectors have inexpensive parts and the design is quite simple. As such they're less expensive than glazed collectors.
Size of Solar Heater
If you plan to use solar as the only heating source, the collector area should be at least 50% of the surface area of the pool. You can start with a smaller system and enlarged to a larger system later if you like.
To determine the size of the collector needed, factor in the amount of shading on the pool surface, the orientation and tilt of the roof, availability of pool cover, shading on the roof, etc.
You Can Build Your Own Solar Pool Heater & Start Saving Money!
A solar pool heating system can cost up to $4000 to buy and install. You can use a qualified contractor or you can do it yourself. If you want to find a contractor, make sure they have experience with designing/installing solar pool heater and are licensed.
If you want to build your own solar pool heater, make sure you abide by all the city/county codes and regulations. Building your own solar pool heater isn't too difficult. Anyone can do it. You can buy the materials and parts at local hardware store for less than $200 (for the panels and pumps).
If you want to build your own solar pool heater, I suggest you check out following guide:
The Panel construction does not require machining, welding or precision work and does not require special tools or skills. This guide supply the plans and a 14 page comprehensive set of clearly illustrated instructions to guide you every step of the way.
Are you ready to build your own solar pool heater and save tons of money???
Download the Solar Pool Heater Guide Now
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