Solar Pool Heating Saves Money

Solar Pool Heating Promises A Warm Future

If you've ever picked up a hosepipe that has been lying in the sun for some time and then turned on the tap, you will have noticed that the water coming out of the end of the pipe is hot - sometimes very hot. That is the same principle as the solar heating of a swimming pool. The solar heating of swimming pools relies entirely on the heating properties of the sun's radiation. But what are its advantages - well, apart from the installation costs, which will depend on the type and size of the materials used, solar energy is free. All other types of pool heating involve a running cost, for example the cost of natural gas, oil or electricity. A typical solar heated pool will extend your swimming season by two to three or even four months and raise the pools temperature by 10 - 15º.

A gas-fired heater will cost several thousand dollars to install and several hundred dollars each year in gas bills - an oil fired system is the same. A typical solar heating system for the average pool will probably cost between $2000 and $4000 with no annual costs - sunshine is free. In almost all cases solar heating can be easily installed onto an existing swimming pool using the pool's filter system. A bit of fairly simple plumbing with some PVC pipes can convert the system for you. If you are anything of a handyman it should be possible for you to install a solar heating system yourself, and to this end kits are available. There is an added advantage that the solar system is environmentally friendly - solar energy is a renewable energy resource and no greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.

When solar pool heaters were first introduced back in the 1970s, the acceptable material for the heat exchangers was copper - because copper has a very high thermal conductivity and heat exchange to water was extremely efficient. The heat exchangers used were extremely heavy and often covered with glass - somewhat impractical for mounting on a roof. Anyway, it was very soon realized that swimming pool chemicals had a corroding effect on the copper with an added side effect that the chemicals produced in the reaction often left bad stains on the pool walls. So an alternative had to be found. The alternative that has been accepted by nearly 100% of the swimming pool industry is PVC.