How Does a Solar Energy Pool Heating System Work?
It works on the same principle that in the summer you can't walk across the blacktop with bare feet. It is too hot. The solar collectors are a special high-tech black plastic. With hundreds of small tubes with heat absorbing surface area. Your pool water is pumped through the efficient black collectors, (and because they are black, they warm the pool water), and then the warm water goes into your pool.
Can You Purchase the Solar Pool Heating System In kit Form and Install It Yourself?
Many of our customers bought the factory built and pressure tested collectors, and the system installation hardware from us and installed the system themselves. We supply a complete installation manual with all kits, that shows step by step how to put in the system. With our 37 years of experience, we can help make it easy for you.
This works out well because you get an efficient system with a 12 year manufacturer's warranty, and if you are handy and do some projects around your home, you may put it in yourself and save money on the installation.
You can easily spend $1,500 per year to heat a pool with a gas heater. After 10 years, that is a cost of $15,000. Plus the price of a gas heater is about $3,000. So in 10 years, the cost of a gas heater and the gas to heat a pool can easily be $18,000.
How to Install Yourself
This is NOT Everything: No one should ever do roof or construction work without all of the proper safety courses for construction, roofing, ladder safety, etc. Only work on clear calm days, with the forecast clear and calm. Never work on roofs or with solar panels when there is any moisture or wind.
All Quality Solar Systems is not responsible for what might occur with self-installation of solar pool heating panels.
Just three peoples observations from 100+ years of helping people use solar for pool heating.
It is A,B,C: Panels, Piping, and Valve. 3 Main parts to an installation.
None of the steps is really hard, but for a good install, it is necessary to do basic things to make sure an installation is done well and the system will work properly. I always say that if you do all 99 things, but do not, for example, use PVC pressure fittings, the 1/2" depth of non pressure fittings is not as strong, and if the pipe is cut on an angle, maybe only 1/4" or less of pipe may be in a fitting and the system could leak. People are often not great at following instructions. I PROMISE you that for every hour you spend planning out the installation, you will save 2 hours overall.
Make Safety a Priority
Take every pre-caution when installing your solar system.
The following safety tips can help eliminate injury.
- Prevent ladder injuries:
Ladders should be of high quality and commercial grade and meet American national
standards Institute standards. Check ladder before use. Defective ladders should be
repaired or destroyed. Keep ladders away from power line. Place ladder on secure, even
footing and secure it (tie-off) so that it will not shift while in use. Don't lean it against a
movable object. Set ladder on an angle about 75 degrees to the ground. The distance
from the wall to the foot of the ladder should be 1/4 the length of the ladder. Allow only
one person on a ladder at a time. Face the ladder, grasping side rails or rungs with both
hands. Extend the ladder three (3) feet above the roof line or landing. Where there is a
danger of a person or vehicle bumping into a ladder, have a helper stand guard. - Wear good shoes that have a thick rubber sole.
- Work with an assistant, never alone.
- Do not work on a slippery roof.
- Use a rope and harness to prevent falling from the roof.
- Never walk backwards on a roof.
- Do not work close to the edge of the roof.
- Stack all materials and tools on the roof so they can't fall off the roof.
- Make sure there are no children or adults near the roof, in case something did fall down
from the roof. - When working with electricity, consult an electrician and make sure the power is turned off
at the main breaker. - If you have any concerns with regards to the condition of your tools, roof, electrical
system, pool system or any other aspect of the job, do not hesitate to contact a local
professional
The 5 Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
A. 1). SAFETY
2). SAFETY (the 3rd most important thing is a good job).
Read Manufacturer's instructions/watch video
No wind or rain for weather.
Safety glasses, hardhat, gloves, safety harness
Clear all breakable items from near house in case items fall
Allow NO ONE or animals outside at all
If steep, non walkable roof, whole extra set of safety measures
Sweep roof of debris, nails.
B. Measure 5x the roof area, and mark with fat yellow crown.
Eye up and then focus on where panels will fit, where pipes will go.
Figure for expansion. Panels and pipes must be able to move, or float..
All must be strong, but because of expansion, allowing for hot and cold is key.
Dress panels on ground with couplers and ss clamps.
Hose clamps over panel end grooves precisely. Reread this. Reread this.
Proper ladder properly tied off and properly set.
Figure vertical pipe drops, from ground and on roof.
Figure where panel inlet will be.
Make first yellow layout marks small.
As you figure ultimate solar panel location, yellow marks will be larger.
Measure over, and over, where everything will be 5X.
One person pulls panels up along ladder while ground person guides it up.
Keep panels off of sharp aluminum trim, gutters, etc.
C. Drape each panel over ridge, & keep there as joined together.
Join panels into array once all/some are on roof.
Tie a strong rope on each end of panel array.
Gently, slowly slide array part way down roof, into position.
Slope array a little toward inlet.
Tie array off to chimney, big nails, etc.
Look over all factors again. Left or right, up or down?
In relation to inlet pipe coming up side of house, how outlet pipe will run?
Repeat last 5 steps.
D. Drill 3/16" pilot hole for 1st bracket, fill hole with clear silicone, leave 1/2" blob.
Attach 1st bracket at top of middle panel, by lagging to roof.
Use cordless drill to turn lag mostly in, and hand tighten remainder with ratchet.
Recheck all of layout again. If perfect, install all top brackets.
Mark side to side strap bracket locations with yellow crown.
On each end of array, tap with hammer to find rafters for end strap brackets.
Install end brackets for straps into rafters.
Predrill for all mounting bases, silicone, tighten lags to hold bases to roof.
Run straps all in one piece left to right , knot ends, and hand tighten caps to secure straps.
E. Schedule 40 pressure PVC pipe and fittings-almost always 2"
Deburr, prime, glue, twist, and hold joints. Glue on pipe 1st, then in fitting, to prevent puddling.
Make up inlet pipe into bottom of panel, for roof and vertical drop.
Make outlet pipe on opposite side of top of array, for roof and vertical drop.
Verticals are better looking and usually easier on side of overhang, not front and over gutter.
Red Flag this: Allow for panels and pipes to expand and contract with hot and cold***
Use 1 size bigger pipe brackets on roof to allow pipes to move freely.
Never cut existing piping with PVC cutter, as it causes twists and shatters/cracks
We do not use poly pipe-can be difficult.
F. 3 Items to install at Pump and Filter: All installed After filter.
Check valve, solar 3 way valve, return T.
All 3 installed after filter, but BEFORE a chlorinator or salt system.
If plumbing is tight, make a U or C loop to provide space for the 3.
Do all at P&F without glue, and before priming, just hold together loosely with masking tape.
Like with every part of this and every construction project, measure 3x and cut once.
We still, after 40 years, take 1 hour to plan out the location for our 3:for less 90s and best efficiency.
The filter will feed to the "inlet" port on the solar valve. The other ports will be solar feed, and bypass.
See where inlet pipe is best to go to vertical feed from solar valve.
Figure where outlet pipe is best to tie into the T, after the solar valve.
Make a sketch and draw out exactly how you will connect the 3.
Glue into solar and check valves so glue does not run into the guts of them.
Finish piping, retighten all hose clamps. Note we do not put check valve on return line.
We do install a check valve after filter, before the 3 way solar valve, to prevent the draining solar panels from backwashing the filter into the pool. At any low points, install unions to make it easy to winterize the pipes and panels. Recheck each glue joint, and put a check mark on each glue joint to insure @ is glued. Allow all to dry.
G. Turn on pump and send water first thru bypass, then to solar feed. Check out from ground, and then roof to see if any rubber hose drips-if clamps not in groove.
If all dry, paint roof pipe with oil based paint to match roof color or black panels. Explain and show how. How it works when solar ON, Solar OFF(bypass), and winterizing.
Run system when sun is out, or even on a cloudy day. (It works best on a sunny day, but you can get a sunburn on a cloudy day, and this will help heat the water on a cloudy day too.) On a rainy day, and at night, the pool water does NOT want to be sent through the solar panels because at that time, the panels will be cooler than the swimming pool water, and it will cool the pool. We do mostly manual solar valves, and if the pool owner has a pool timer, they have the pump run during the time that the solar panels are getting sun, usually 9a-5p, and they have the solar valve in the solar on position. The valve handle is then turned away from solar on the days when there is not sun, but the pump is needed to run, or if the pump is desired to run after dark.
This can be a fun project to do, and will provide many years of enjoyment. Do not try to rush it, and hurry because as the old saying goes, haste makes waste. Take your time, and by following good procedures the system will last and the pool owner will tell everyone they know how great a high quality, well designed, and well installed solar system works to heat their pool.
Again, these are only some steps, not all by any account. It is recommended to allow a professional solar pool heating company to do installations for safety.
The Collectors Have a Life Expectancy of 23 years.
The price? That's the best part.
It is Reasonable!
Heat Your Pool with FREE SUNSHINE!