MrBigStuff
Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2004
- Messages
- 497
Re: Pool Solar Panels
I spent countless hours contemplating, experimenting and otherwise messing around to heat my above ground pool (Boston area). The biggest issue I had with solar was timing. My pool loses about 8 degrees overnight in the summer with a solar blanket. The sun doesn't work its magic until after noon o'clock. Then it takes about 4 hours for it to get up to temp. The yard is large enough to allow for a solar panel but the size and the location required made it less desireable. The roof is three stories so would require a big pump and that costs money for the pump and to run it. Finally we like to use the pool in the early afternoon or even mornings sometimes so all those issues ruled out solar.
BTW- the tubing gets hot and imparts a smell to the water. Doesn't matter for a closed heat source but my pool water shouldn't stink like plastic. Perhaps that would have disspated over time but my patience had already worn thin...
I next built a heat exchanger to extract heat from a coal fire. Worked great! Stoking up a stove every morning wasn't the best situation and it had other drawbacks so that fell from grace.
I then buckled and bought a heat pump designed for the pool. I bought one that uses a scroll design pump and is extra efficient compared to conventional pumps. Costs me about $100 a month in May and September. The other months taper off accordingly with the rise in temps. July runs about $20 extra for the pool heater. I can get a good two to three extra months of use and it's always the same temp night or day. If it's cloudy for 4 days straight, the next day it's still right at set temperature. Always ready to use.
I spent countless hours contemplating, experimenting and otherwise messing around to heat my above ground pool (Boston area). The biggest issue I had with solar was timing. My pool loses about 8 degrees overnight in the summer with a solar blanket. The sun doesn't work its magic until after noon o'clock. Then it takes about 4 hours for it to get up to temp. The yard is large enough to allow for a solar panel but the size and the location required made it less desireable. The roof is three stories so would require a big pump and that costs money for the pump and to run it. Finally we like to use the pool in the early afternoon or even mornings sometimes so all those issues ruled out solar.
BTW- the tubing gets hot and imparts a smell to the water. Doesn't matter for a closed heat source but my pool water shouldn't stink like plastic. Perhaps that would have disspated over time but my patience had already worn thin...
I next built a heat exchanger to extract heat from a coal fire. Worked great! Stoking up a stove every morning wasn't the best situation and it had other drawbacks so that fell from grace.
I then buckled and bought a heat pump designed for the pool. I bought one that uses a scroll design pump and is extra efficient compared to conventional pumps. Costs me about $100 a month in May and September. The other months taper off accordingly with the rise in temps. July runs about $20 extra for the pool heater. I can get a good two to three extra months of use and it's always the same temp night or day. If it's cloudy for 4 days straight, the next day it's still right at set temperature. Always ready to use.
