Who here has a solar pool heater?

[LEGbEND]

The plastic tube-kind. How effective are they and where do you live? How many panels/sq.ft?

Have natural gas, but no line where the pool equipment is. Need a heavier gauge line run for an electric heat pump. Gas line and main are on opposite corner of the house, so it's a long run.

Solar is looking like the most cost effective option, but worried about it getting warm enough.

Would be 6 panels and more sq.ft than the pool.

 

[$ean]

I do. I live in southern california. Summertime the pool is 85+. I'd do it again in a second

 

[canning]

The plastic tube-kind. How effective are they and where do you live? How many panels/sq.ft?

Have natural gas, but no line where the pool equipment is. Need a heavier gauge line run for an electric heat pump. Gas line and main are on opposite corner of the house, so it's a long run.

Solar is looking like the most cost effective option, but worried about it getting warm enough.

Would be 6 panels and more sq.ft than the pool.

I'm going to be installing 4 4*12' panels in the spring and it'll be more than sufficient for our pool.

I expect that I'll have to turn them off at some points next summer.

 

[sp00n155]

The homie just has one of those essentially pool shaped bubble wrap tarps he drapes over the surface of the water and it heats the pool bigly in spring and summer.

 

[Hops]

Mom's neighbor does, says it's too fucking hot too cool off on hot days, which I would think a backyard pool is for.

 

[B-Line]

I do.
I have no idea

 

[wizurd]

I do. It's great in the summer, doesn't do shit when it's below 85.

Basically you'll never get to the outside temperature. So if it's always 85 in your area your pool will likely only see 75 degrees max.

 

[saxman]

Mom's neighbor does, says it's too fucking hot too cool off on hot days, which I would think a backyard pool is for.

Maybe they should set it to a lower temperature

 

[wizurd]

Maybe they should set it to a lower temperature

Or turn it off manually. My sensor went out and I just turned it on/off to my liking.

 

[Hops]

Maybe they should set it to a lower temperature

Just what my mom said, maybe they like their pool hot. Going back to the original post, they sound pretty effective.

 

[gthesob]

The homie just has one of those essentially pool shaped bubble wrap tarps he drapes over the surface of the water and it heats the pool bigly in spring and summer.

We had one of these when I was a kid. It helped a lot and it kept the pool cleaner, too.

 

[talontsiawd]

Uncle lived in Sarasota and had one that pumped water to the roof went through black mats or some shit and back into the pool. Seems tinwork well.

 

[Colleen]

I wanna upgrade ours to solar heating too, but sounds like a buttload of money:0

 

[saxman]

I wanna upgrade ours to solar heating too, but sounds like a buttload of money:0

Cost about $6k for the pool I'm having built right now, but that was through the home builder so I'm sure the price was jacked up. Next to no gas/electrical heating costs pay for it really quickly vs heating with gas or electric heaters, even if the heaters are cheaper.

 

[wizurd]

I wanna upgrade ours to solar heating too, but sounds like a buttload of money:0

If the plumbing is already there do it yourself and save a ton. If not...well...

 

[Colleen]

Cost about $6k for the pool I'm having built right now, but that was through the home builder so I'm sure the price was jacked up. Next to no gas/electrical heating costs pay for it really quickly vs heating with gas or electric heaters, even if the heaters are cheaper.

We're up in Canada so it's probably even more than that up here. Our entire pool is automated right now so we would have to make sure it even works with our panel. Our inspector said the pump and liner probably had at least another 5 years, so I just put it in the back of my mind to just do it then.
Edit: our pool is only open from May till September, so there is really only 3 months or so we really even need the heater

 

[wizurd]

We're up in Canada so it's probably even more than that up here. Our entire pool is automated right now so we would have to make sure it even works with our panel. Our inspector said the pump and liner probably had at least another 5 years, so I just put it in the back of my mind to just do it then.
Edit: our pool is only open from May till September, so there is really only 3 months or so we really even need the heater

Post the model of your controller/panel

 

[Colleen]

Post the model of your controller/panel

I'd have to go look at it outside lol too much snow for that tonight

 

[JohnnyBeagle]

My house had it but I guess the last owner didn't want to fix it after hurricane Irma so they pulled it off. I still have the heater so it wouldn't be too expensive to add but we barely use the pool so idk

 

[.chris]

For 8 months out of the year the sun heats my pool. The purest form of solar tbh, cuts out the middle man.

 

[Normie]

I have a heat pump, it adds between 200-400 a month to the electric, depending on the weather. But the woman doesn't like the pool to be under 82 degrees for parties and weekends we bump it to 86

#firstworldproblems

 

[.chris]

I have a heat pump, it adds between 200-400 a month

That’s my entire electric bill during the summer months in FL

 

[Normie]

That’s my entire electric bill during the summer months in FL

Mine averages 250 in the summer, 80-100 during the winter.

 

[Sailor Jerry]

My pool gets a lot of sun, does that count

 

[saxman]

I have a heat pump, it adds between 200-400 a month to the electric, depending on the weather. But the woman doesn't like the pool to be under 82 degrees for parties and weekends we bump it to 86

#firstworldproblems

This is why I went with solar heating. Wife wants the pool kept heated and fuck paying $400/mo for electricity (or more for gas) to do it.