Should i solar heat my pool

The actual increase in temperature, however, will depend on a number of factors. Principal among these are the size of the collector area — in other words, the m 2 of the solar collectors that are feeding your pool. Of course, the cost of the system is directly proportionate to the size of your pool.

Though be warned, due to complications in installation, the DIY solar pool heating options can often end up being less cheap than it may have first appeared. The good news is that virtually all the costs of solar pool heating are upfront.

To get an idea of what this means in practice, it is worth comparing the upfront and running costs of solar heating alongside other pool heating options. In short, although a solar heating option is likely to cost more to purchase and install than, say, a gas heated option, the savings in running costs will more than pay for itself over time.

And the pay-back time on the extra investment is attractively short. You may read our article on the 4 top pool heating options for a detailed discussion and comparison on the different pool heating options.

The cost of your solar heating system is going to be influenced by a number of factors. Obviously, the size of your pool is crucial. As a rule of thumb for measurement, the following table applies:.

And, of course, the cost is influenced by the type of solar heating system you decide to buy. See below. In Australia there are two main types of solar heating systems available.

These are:. Regardless of the system you choose, there are three types of installation options. Generally, installation should take days. The question here, though, is less whether your pool is suitable, than whether what you want to get from your pool is suitable.

So here are three tips for how to do it, how to use, and get the most out of, your solar heated pool system. Please leave your comments below and share the article with anyone you think may be interested. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Location Without Solar Heating With S olar Heating Melbourne 2 months months Adelaide 2 months months Hobart 2 months months Sydney 3 months months Perth 3 months months Brisbane 4 months months Darwin 9 months 11 months.

Without Solar Heating. You can browse our blog for even more information about the cost and savings of a solar pool heating system. UMA Solar will help you connect with a dealer to discuss pricing options. With the proper installation of your solar pool heating system, maintenance costs are practically non-existent. A professionally installed solar pool heating system will also operate at its highest efficiency and save money by reducing future repairs.

Our systems will often outlast the roofs that the panels are installed on, making them reliable and flexible for your needs. Additionally, you can be sure that your system will meet the requirements to qualify for warranty.

All labor costs are included in the warranty when the system is installed by an authorized dealer. To learn more about the costs of solar pool heating, connect with a dealer today. Depending on which part is damaged, the cost of repair or replacement can vary.

A properly installed solar heating system requires little, or no, maintenance. Unlike other manufacturers — which use rubber hoses and metal clamps to connect their panels together — our systems are connected with a patented plastic panel clamp.

Rubber hoses require maintenance every six months and metal clamps rust and stain the roof. Our plastic clamps never require maintenance or replacement, never rust and are guaranteed against leaking. This rugged design and reliability make maintenance costs practically non-existent on a solar pool heating system.

As a precaution, simply check your solar heating system for proper operation at the beginning of each swimming season, particularly if it has an automatic controller.

To learn more about the maintenance of solar pool heating systems, explore our blog. Installing solar panels on a metal roof is possible, but can be a challenging DIY project. Browse our blog for tips about solar pool heating or connect with a dealer to discuss your unique situation.

A site visit from an authorized solar pool heating system dealer is a critical step in the solar installation process. Every installation presents the contractor with unique challenges and advantages. Our highly-trained solar professionals will evaluate your property for the most suitable and cost-effective solution to maximize your satisfaction.

To schedule a site visit, contact a dealer today. While some home improvement projects are ideal for DIY, other projects are best left to trained professionals. A solar pool heating system installation — which involves roof heights, water and large materials — is one of those projects.

Not only are you protected from liability when using a professional, licensed and insured contractor, but a professionally installed solar pool heater will also operate at its highest efficiency and save money by reducing future repairs. Our authorized dealers are part of a nationwide network of hundreds of handpicked professionals with the training and experience to provide the highest quality installation and service in the industry.

The combined experience of these dealers, coupled with our strategically located U. To connect with an authorized dealer, contact UMA Solar today. Thanks, UMA! Thankfully, the UMA Solar dealer we worked with was an expert and took care of everything for us. I was totally clueless but now I know so much from working the dealer from UMA. Great experience. Thank you for your awesome customer service! The first of its kind in solar pool heating collectors, Heliocol systems are known for their design excellence with a proven track record of efficiency, reliability and safety.

SunStar Solar Pool Heating Systems provide you more enjoyment in your pool, long after the summer has gone. Easily replace damaged or broken panels with our all-in-one kit, designed to work with ANY solar pool heating system. This equals square feet of collectors. In any climate, you can usually decrease the required collector area by using a pool cover.

You'll also want a properly sized pool pump for a solar system. If you're replacing a conventional pool heating system with a solar system, you may need a pump larger than your current one or a separate, smaller pump to move the pool's water to and through the collectors.

Collectors can be mounted on roofs or anywhere near the swimming pool that provides the proper exposure, orientation, and tilt toward the sun. Both the orientation and tilt of the collector will affect your solar pool heating system's performance.

Your contractor should consider them while evaluating your site's solar resource and sizing your system. Solar pool heater collectors should be oriented geographically to maximize the amount of daily and seasonal solar energy that they receive. In general, the optimum orientation for a solar collector in the northern hemisphere is true south. You'll also want to consider factors such as roof orientation if you plan to mount the collector on your roof , local landscape features that shade the collector daily or seasonally, and local weather conditions foggy mornings or cloudy afternoons , as these factors may affect your collector's optimal orientation.

The angle at which a collector should be tilted varies based on your latitude and the length of your swimming season summer or year-round.

Collectors for year-round heating should be tilted at an angle equal to your latitude. However, studies have shown that not having a collector tilted at the optimum angle will not significantly reduce system performance. Therefore, you can usually mount collectors flat on your roof, which might not be at the optimum angle but more aesthetically pleasing.

You will, however, want to take roof angle into account when sizing your system. You can determine the efficiency of a solar swimming pool heating system based on the collector's thermal performance rating if available. The higher the number, the greater the solar energy collection efficiency. High efficiency solar collectors not only will reduce your annual operating costs, but may also require fewer square feet of collector area to heat the pool. Before purchasing a solar pool heating system, you can estimate and compare the costs of using different solar collector models.

This will help you determine the potential cost savings of investing in a more efficient type of collector, which may require fewer panels for the collector area needed to heat your pool. You can then calculate a collector's energy output per dollar spent or invested using this formula:. Don't choose a solar pool heating system or collector based solely on its estimated costs. When selecting a solar pool heater, it's also important to consider all of the factors involved in the system's sizing and quality of the design and installation.

As with a solar water heating system, it is important to consider local building codes and regulations for solar water heating.