Compared to gas and heat pump pool heaters, installing a solar pool heater is now the most practical way keeping your pool water at the right temperature year round. Given that your pool enjoys 4 to 5 sun hours per day, a solar pool heating system is very much feasible. Depending on your home’s location, a good solar power-operated pool heating system allows you to extend swimming seasons for up to twelve months. While it costs a substantial amount of money to get installed, it has absolutely has operating cost. It does no use fuel which means no pollution. Another great thing about a solar pool heater us that it can last up to 20 years, comes with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty, with minimal maintenance required.
While there is solar heater equipment that you can buy for a couple hundred bucks, the overall cost of installing a complete solar pool heater system for an average size of pool can cost up to $3,000. Despite the high cost of installation, it saves much on its operating and maintenance costs. To understand the savings that this type of water heater yields, you must first understand how the system works.
All solar pool heater system works with a solar collector, filter, pump and flow control valve. It operates under simple mechanisms. First, the water is pumped from the pool to the solar collectors where the water is warmed by the sun. The warm water is then pumped back into the pool for your enjoyment. The solar collector refers to the device through which the pool water is delivered and heated using solar energy, the filter traps the debris carried by the water through the pumps, the pump provides the force that drives the water into the from the pool, into the collector, and back to the pool. The flow control valve is an automatic or manual device that regulates and diverts the flow of pool water to the solar collector.
A solar pool heater works with two types of solar collectors; the unglazed and glazed pool heating collector. An unglazed solar pool heating collector is less expensive than the glazed collectors since it does not use glass covering. Instead, it used heavy-duty rubber and plastic protectors that are treated for ultraviolet (UV) protection. It works great on indoor pools during the cold climates. On the other hand, the glazed solar pool water heating collector are made with copper tubing on aluminum plates with iron-tempered glass covering, which somewhat increases its cost. During cold weather applications, it captures solar heat more effectively than the unglazed collector. Therefore, it is more effectively when it comes to year-round pool heating operations and can work under any climate conditions. Usually, the service life of these collectors would depend on the climate and how tedious it is used in solar heating applications. Both the unglazed and unglazed collectors have freeze protection which is useful during extremely cold.
Although solar pool heating systems are pretty much ideal for all types of pool, there are some factors that must be considered before deciding to install one in your very own swimming pool, since a system costs a substantial amount of money. The actual cost of the system,installation, and its payback period would depend on many factors. With that, try to evaluate your pool site’s solar resource. Solar heaters are usually energy efficient and low maintenance but it will do no good without sufficient exposure to sunlight. Also, have its actual size measured to buy a heating system that is proportionate to its size. Determine the working efficiency of the solar pool heater that you intend to buy. Then compare the system costs of the heater systems that you intend to buy and consult a trained solar technician for advice and additional information. After doing you homework you should end up with the most effective solar pool heater and be on your way to substantial long term savings.
