Solar Panels. Which one????

[MaxxFusion]

Thank you so much. Your help is greatly appreciated!!! One more question though... what kind of piping do I use to get the water to the roof and is there a way to fasten the panels to the roof w/out buying a roof kit too. Sorry that was 2 questions. Hope I'm not being a bother and if you aren't sure could you direct me where I can find out. I'm really new at this and just want to make sure I do it right with as little money spent as possible

I agree on the roof rack. I dont think they are that expensive but I would just got with one. You dont want the wind to get underneath a panel and it takes off. You could have quite a mess on your hands with the water leaking everywhere. On my install I had a problem where one of my hose clamps wasnt tight and the hose poped off while I wasnt there. I come back to find a big mess. The water was everywhere.

As for piping I was going with 1.5" or 2" schedule 40 PVC from Home Depot. I will most likely be using 1.5" on this project. Your existing flexible hoses on the pump and filter are all 1.5".

[TCB in CA]

I just had a solar heating system installed for my pool (a 420 SF in-ground pool). Fafco panels and the install was done by Performance Solar out of Escondido, CA. I live in Orange County, and so far I am marginally satisfied. The lack of sun these last few days after the install is pretty unwelcome, but the high temperature has helped somewhat. Hopefully it will get sunnier here soon so i can see how well this thing works and if I can truly recommend it. I did have to jump start the pool using my regular heater in conjunction with the solar the day after I installed it (start temp was 85, end temp was 92). My wife likes it high 80s/low 90s. Yesterday it held pretty good at 89 without any supplemental heating. If anything major happens (either positive or negative) I'll post it here.

[mkelley]

TCB,

The Fafco panels are very good, but be aware that oversizing your panels (or using a cover) is really required to get the temps you want.

We have a similar pool to yours and started out with 4 4x10 panels and ended up going with 4 more (for a total of 8, natch :>). In a similar climate (central Florida) we can easily get the pool water in the 90's with only a day or so of sun (indeed we've lately been struggling with using the solar to cool the pool down at night, since I don't like the water warmer than 88 and if I start with water at 85 in the morning the sun will heat it to 90 by the end of the day).

If you don't want (or can't have) that many panels then you'll need to use a cover. I think they are a PITA and refuse to have them, but you'll save at least 2 or 3 degrees right now by using one.

Cloudy days will definitely cool a hot pool like you want down quickly -- we had 92 degree water that dropped (even with the panels) to 83 in about three cloudy days. However, today we had about 3 hours of sun and I was quickly able to get the pool back to 87 (I probably could have gotten it to 89 if I had wanted it warmer).

So -- to summarize, make sure you have enough panels (or use a cover), and understand that you will lose temp quickly during cloudy spells.

[pj1016]

TCB,

How many square feet of panels did you have installed? Are the panels on a south-facing roof that gets full exposure to the sun?

I installed solar panels on my house a couple of weeks ago; I installed panels with a surface area equivalent to 87% of my pools surface area.

My pool has been between 86-90 degrees ever since.

pj

[marcs]

I too analyzed the options and chose Vortex. I felt the marginal difference in efficiency ratings were inconsequential, and thus let warranty and design drive the decision. Despite the purchase being made 4 years ago, Vortex panels weighed more than its competitors. I had one panel leak, just last month, and they promptly sent a replacement.

The Goldline electronics work fantastic, and capture solar gain whenever it's possible. I'm in the process of researching a smaller .5hp pump that will be plumbed exclusively for the solar.

[TCB in CA]

I had 336 SF worth of panels installed on the roof facing south, and that maxed out the available space. I suppose if I wanted more panels, I could have them installed somewhere else on the roof. But it appears to be working properly for now. It's been pretty sunny here lately and today the pool hit a high of 96. I'm pretty satisfied now, but will keep my optimism in check for those cloudy days. A cover for me is not really an option. I'd most likely sooner use the heater if I needed to. I think without the solar, my pool would probably be between 80-83, depending on the sun and temp. I had been heating it before the solar install, and that's how it got to 85. I'll be posting pics of the install soon. Thanks for the advice.