Using solar pool heating systems is one of
the most cost effective methods for using solar power. Low cost pool collection
units can heat a pool to 35 degrees Celsius or warmer. Using solar powered pool
heating systems extend the pool season well beyond summer months.
It's not unusual for a domestic pool owner
to spend over $1000 each year in pool heating fuel bills when they use an oil
or propane boiler to heat the water. A solar pool heating system can provide more
heating for much less cost and pay for itself in just a few short years.
Components
of a Solar Pool Heating System
The basic components of a solar pool
heating system include the collectors, pump, differential controller and a
diverter valve. The pump forces water into the collectors where the water is
heated a few degrees and then pushed back into the pool basin.
You may have seen collectors near a pool
area and not realised what they were.
Most are made of a black or dark coloured plastic. Several are connected
together to form a collector array.
Collectors usually are mounted on top of a building, but not directly to the roof
shingles.
It is better to build up a
mounting surface of treated lumber and affix the array to that surface. This
allows rain runoff to flow between the collection units and the roof shingles.
The array is mounted so that it faces in a
southerly direction.
The surface area of
the collection array needs to be about one-half the area of the pool. If the
orientation is a bit more to the east or west, then plan on a collection array
that is about three-quarters the size of the pool surface area.
The differential controller monitors the
temperatures of the water in the collectors and the pool water. When the
collectors are warmer than the pool water, the controller opens the diverter
valve. The water in the collection array drains into the pool basin.
It is recommended to use a transparent or
solar pool cover to minimise heat loss during the night or non-use hours. These
covers also contribute to heating the pool water as the sun rises and the sun
rays hit the pool cover.
Generally,
solar pool
heating systems are very low maintenance.
Modern collection arrays can last as long as 15 to 20 years. That often means
the solar pool heater outlasts the pool!
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