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Using Solar Power to Heat the Swimming Pool

Using Solar Power to Heat the Swimming Pool

Solar Heaters

Solar heated Swimming Pool with the collectors on the Pool House

Solar pool heating has the advantage of economy – homeowners turn to it because gas or electric pool heaters cost so much to run that they threaten to become unaffordable. A solar swimming pool heating system, on the other hand, is virtually free once the saving in fuel costs equals the cost of the solar equipment and installation.

Unlike solar heating for a home, solar swimming pool heating is remarkably adaptable. Its low operating temperatures (82°C) and summer use free it somewhat from the more stringent requirements of solar heating a home. The sun is readily available in Thailand, and even a fairly low efficiency of solar collection is enough to provide all the heat a swimming pool needs.

As a result of this design flexibility, there are successful solar swimming pool heating systems in which the collectors crop up in all kinds of unusual situations: on fences, pool-house roofs, banks and hillsides, and garage roofs. Some even face directions other than directly south.

Collectors in the form of water heating coils can even be embedded in a dark concrete deck surrounding the swimming pool. This method will work only if the pool receives full sun. One advantage is that the sometimes unsightly collectors are concealed; also, the water circulating in the coils absorbs heat from the deck's surface and reduces its temperature to a comfortable level. If installing this system, be sure that the contractor has experience in building this type of collectors. Improper installation can cause the concrete to crack.

To heat the swimming pool, a pump cycles pool water through the solar heat collectors and back to the pool again. A differential thermostat turns on the pump when the collectors are hot enough to benefit the pool. Most systems also include a regular pool filter and an auxiliary heater.

The most common pool collectors are extruded from plastic polymers which, in quality collectors are stabilized against the life-shortening effect of heat and ultraviolet rays from the sun. The inert plastic cannot be corroded by pool chemicals or eroded by the fast-moving water; and it does not allow scale to build up in the water passages.

The black color, essential for efficient heating, is permanent, unlike metal collectors which must be painted every few years. Prices of quality stabilized polymer panels are comparable to the best metal collectors.

The simplest, east efficient, and shortest-lived collectors are made from coils of black plastic tubing. The type of plastic used is mostly not resistant to ultraviolet radiation.

Metal collectors, most common for domestic water heating, may be used as pool heaters. The metal passages can be corroded by pool chemicals and eroded by high water flow rates, causing leaks. Scale deposits can clog the water passages and reduce water flow. For best heating efficiency, the metal must be blackened, usually with paint. Prices and quality vary widely.

Choosing a Solar Heating Contractor

It's best to deal with a company that has its own design and installation staff and service organization. Their experience in servicing their own systems, particularly when under warranty, usually spurs improvements in the next installations. The major manufacturers train their distributors' staffin the design, installation, and servicing of their systems.

Be sure to compare warranties and obtain copies and have a written understanding of where the manufacturer's responsibility ends and the contractor's begins. Also ask for an owner's manual or operating and service instructions.

The Dark-Swimming-Pool-Bottom Myth

Usually, pool are plastered in black or dark green or painted in dark colors for aesthetic reasons – such pools look like like lakes or pounds, reflecting nearby trees and shrubs. Take a look at one, though, before deciding on a dark-bottomed swimming pool. If these dark pools are located in the sun, they benefit from slightly increased solar heating; the gain, though, is difficult to measure.