I transposed the names - our first set we had were sunheaters by smartpool - a really rigid stiff plastic - and if you got a leak you had to plug off the whole tube. The set we have up now are the MIDWEST SATURN SOLAR ones! I really like them - the panels are made of a more flexible rubber-like material, and are really easy to repair should you get a leak on the panel itself. Just wish they still made them so I could order parts. GREAT IDEA on the plastic welding - will check around town to see if I can find someone to do it - husband welds but can't plastic weld.

You're absolutely right - if we took them in before winter it would solve all our problems - but I'm scared of heights and can't get on the roof to take them down, so would have to rely on my husband to. I wish I had a husband who liked to swim and help with the pool stuff - that would solve a lot of my problems, but unfortunately I have to do 98 percent of the pool upkeep. In the instruction manual - they are made to withstand the elements and can be left out all winter - but they need to be drained sufficiently. Some how we aren't getting them drained completely. How do you guys get yours blown out good- do you have some kind of special attachment to go on the end of the air compressor hose? I know you have a different kind - that you can walk on around your pool I believe, like a deck, if memory serves me right, Carl - how do you winterize yours?

One other solution my husband did think of - was to take the end tube completely off and use the barbs that we repair them with and extra tubing which I have a lot of, and just connect each tube from one half of the panel - to a tube on the other half of the panel. So essentially instead of having a straight tube on the end of the panel - it would almost look like a rainbow of the smaller tubes all connected to each other. That's hard to explain- hope you know what I mean. Will try to find a plastic welder first - but it's another option.

If any dealers out there are reading this thread and happen to have any of the Midwest Saturn Solar panels or any of their parts on hand - please let me know!!

Sincerely,
Donya