solar heating-check my thinking please.

[msm859]

Has anyone tried using smaller panels that are enclosed with glazing? It seems they would warm the water more and thus be as effective as a larger "less" efficient area.

[tphaggerty]

Has anyone tried using smaller panels that are enclosed with glazing? It seems they would warm the water more and thus be as effective as a larger "less" efficient area.

There is quite a bit about this on the web and even here on the forum. Those panels are designed for heating a small amount of water to a much higher temp than pool panels, but at a much lower volume. To get the same amount of heat into the pool, you would be spending much more money.

Remember that heat is temp rise * flow rate. At 4 to 10 GPM (which is typical for pool panels) per panel, with 8 panels, I get between 32 and 80 GPM of water at a 2 degree rise. A typical glazed panel will heat 30 to 60 gals of water to about 175 degrees over an hour plus. To get the same heat, you would need a significant number of glazed panels and they are expensive. They are just designed to do a different job. Sort of like comparing a Honda Fit to a semi. Each is more "efficient" at doing what they are supposed to.