Solar Heating

[badutahboy]

So, I got my AGP yesterday, and they sent me the wrong liner... They offered me $70 worth of in-store credit if I'll keep the one they sent, so I'm looking at solar heating equipment.

Can anyone give me advice on the systems shown here:

http://www.poolsupplies.com/heating/solar-heating-systems.asp

They're all pretty similarly priced, but I don't know anything about the quality of them at all.

Also, any of you who use solar, can you advise me on how many panels I'll need? I seem to remember a thread where a few people said they use less than the manufacturer recommends, because you're only trying to assist the sun, rather than actually fully heat your pool.

My pool is 18x33x54 oval. I have good south and west exposure, and ideally, I'd liketo run my collectors next tomy deck, facing south.. my deck will be approx 20' long, placed at one end of the pool... my only other good option for placing panels is to mount them vertically on a cinderblock wall that's next to my pool, or lay them flat on the ground next to my pool, which is partly shaded by my house.

[JMCFAN]

I purchased a set of Ebay last year ( much cheaper...) I have a 21x41 with a 6' deep end. I plumbed the panel to one of the outlets with the divertor vavle... when on the water is very warm entering the pool. I only was able to use 1/2 the season but it worked very well.

mine is mounted to a framework i constructed at a 45 degree angle and against the side of my home "south facing".... gets a lot of exposure..

[medvampire]

I am running 2 2x20 panels on the ground next to the pool. Last year I seen a jump in temp of about 4 to 8 f using a solar cover. The units I am using have a rated output of 1000 btu per sq ft per hour. 1 btu = 1 pound of water 1 degree per hour. I gal of water = 6.3 to 6.6 lb ---> 151 gal of water 1 degree per hour * number of sq ft. For my self that is about 12000 gal of water 1 degree per hour based on 80 sq ft. I can get about 7 hours of sun where I have my panels set up so I the math lets me get 6.28 deg f each day. But in the real world it is not so predictable. Wind, ground temp, and other effect the panel.
Steve

[gonefishin]

So, I got my AGP yesterday, and they sent me the wrong liner... They offered me $70 worth of in-store credit if I'll keep the one they sent, so I'm looking at solar heating equipment.





Hi,

Solar Heating is certainly worth investigating. But first things first...what liner was supposed to come with your pool. What liner did you receive (that they're giving you a $70.00 credit for).

If the original liner, that you were supposed to get, is of better quality...I would get the better liner.

dan

[badutahboy]

Hi,

Solar Heating is certainly worth investigating. But first things first...what liner was supposed to come with your pool. What liner did you receive (that they're giving you a $70.00 credit for).

If the original liner, that you were supposed to get, is of better quality...I would get the better liner.

dan


Same quality liner, different pattern. They're both 25 gauge (about 20 mill) liners, but the one they sent is much lighter than the one I want.

I was originally going to have them just send me the correct liner, but they're backordered on them for about 3 weeks. I'm hoping to have the pool assembled and filled long before that (who knows if that'll happen, though).

Which ones did you buy on ebay? I'm looking and they're cheaper, but I have no idea how they stack up in terms of quality.

[badutahboy]

Here's another question....I'm looking at some on ebay, and they're cheap enough that I could buy 2 4x20 panels for just a little more than 2 2x20 panels through a retailer. I'm thinking that might be beneficial for getting a jump start on spring and extending the season a little longer into the fall....

Do any of you guys remove your heaters in the middle of the summer? I was thinking that if I bought two systems, I could pull one out and only use it for the spring and fall, and disconnect it and store it through the summer.

Anyone got any input on that idea?

[medvampire]

Here is a link to solar panel comparison by FL Solar
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/industry/testing/STcollectors/pool_ratings/index.htm

Steve

[gonefishin]

Same quality liner, different pattern. They're both 25 gauge (about 20 mill) liners, but the one they sent is much lighter than the one I want.




Good deal! Just wanted to make sure. I bought a 4'x20' SolarBear panel last year, but haven't hooked it up yet. I'm hoping I get the yard (and deck) done this year so I could hook up the Solar panel.

good luck!
dan

[badutahboy]

Good deal! Just wanted to make sure. I bought a 4'x20' SolarBear panel last year, but haven't hooked it up yet. I'm hoping I get the yard (and deck) done this year so I could hook up the Solar panel.

good luck!
dan


Lol.. I'm in the same boat.. my back yard is a weed field. We managed to get the sprinklers in last summer, but took our sweet time about it, and when we were done, the weeds had grown back. Hoping I can get the weeds dealt with, put sod down, and build the pool and a deck this summer....

[badutahboy]

Here's another question....I'm looking at some on ebay, and they're cheap enough that I could buy 2 4x20 panels for just a little more than 2 2x20 panels through a retailer. I'm thinking that might be beneficial for getting a jump start on spring and extending the season a little longer into the fall....

Do any of you guys remove your heaters in the middle of the summer? I was thinking that if I bought two systems, I could pull one out and only use it for the spring and fall, and disconnect it and store it through the summer.

Anyone got any input on that idea?


Bumping this question.

[matt4x4]

It's easy enough to plumb in some kind of bypass or disconnect, you can either install a couple of diverter valves that will allow you to bypass the heaters, or do like I did and install a couple of quick disconnects so you can disconnect at either end of the panels, then join the hose from the pool to the hose returning to the pool and eliminating the panels completely.
There will be a time in the summer where you want to take the heaters off line primarily because of teh water temps, mine's been upwards of 95 before I installed the disconnects.

My reasoning for going with the disconnects over diverter valves was that with diverter valves, the panel portion, when bypassed, is a closed system, and with the heat from the sun could build up immense pressure from the remaining water being brought to a boil inside this closed system, the pressure could easily burst a panel, pipe or connection unless I installed another (3rd) valve that I could open to alleviate pressure buildup.

With the disconnects, the cost was reduced to about 1/4 of the valving setup, it switches over in about the same time (2 spin on/off unions) and provides me an open system that can vent so no pressure buildup will occur when disconnecting the panels.

Edit

My panels are permanently mounted to the ground on the south side of my pool, I drain them for the winter - it's a 10 minute winterization process. Removal and storage is a big pain -especially if you leave it too long and run out of sun - the panels get relatively stiff and don't roll up too tight taking up a ton of room, I have lots of storage so it's a non issues, but the removal and reistall process is probably upwards of 3 hours per year that I can spend more eficciently elsewhere.
The way I have them mounted is they're staked/tied using the strap cutouts on a slope on the south side of the pool, the ground prep was as simple as using the pool's supplied winter cover as a ground sheet to stop weeds, some 5" edging and the whole area around the panels is filled in with round pea gravel - I have this edging and pea gravel for 3 feet around my entire pool, as well, I encompassed the area where the posts for my solar blanked reel are mounted. This makes grass cutting around the pool with the riding mower an easy task without having to do any edging.
The winter cover provided me just enough material to cover the entire area I needed.
If you're wondering why I chopped up the winter cover, I see numerous pools every winter that have collapsed because of these things in combination with a leaky liner, high winds that billow the thing and thus tears at the pool structure or just other circumstance, I don't have many trees nearby (and if I did, I'd be using a leafnet instead) thus i don't get too much crud collecting, spring cleanup is usually relatively easy, just throw in bleach, the barracuda and a couple of backwashes and 3 days later I have sparkling clear water.

Sorry to go on this long! :)

[NWMNMom]

We have ours on a diverter system and if the water gets too warm, we run them on a timer at night to cool it down.

Ours are mounted on upright rack systems on the north side of our pool due to shade on the south side. The racks are pvc into concrete 50" high, then 48" at 45 degree angles. The whole system runs 35' along the north side. There are 3 uprights in front, 3 supports in back and pvc along the lengths w/connectors to connect top and bottom with chicken wire to hold the panels. Its all plumbed down the center of the system. It looks a lot like a pergolla and we actually use the back side to hang tools, hoses, etc. Its all drained for the winter (air blown out) but not removed. It has held up just fine and does a fantastic job of heating our pool.