Forums > Specific Focus > Home, Garden & Construction in Mexico

bournemouth

Aug 19, 2005, 1:54 PM

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Solar pool heating

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Does anyone have any advice or input on simple solar heating for a pool - we're thinking along the lines of coiled black tubes on the roof. Maybe we're wrong, but expensive panels seem like overkill for a simple job.

carlw

Aug 19, 2005, 2:54 PM

Post #2 of 8 (2193 views)

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Re: [bournemouth] Solar pool heating

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go to www.smartpool.com They have simple solar heaters that are easy to ship, assemble and use.

Karin

Aug 19, 2005, 3:02 PM

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Re: [carlw] Solar pool heating

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Here is an other version: www.imprema.com or www.powermat.com

bournemouth

Aug 20, 2005, 9:48 AM

Post #4 of 8 (2163 views)

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Re: [Karin] Solar pool heating

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Thanks to both of you for the information.

talosian

Aug 24, 2005, 9:04 AM

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Re: [bournemouth] Solar pool heating

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In Reply To

I just went through the entire coiled black tubing routine and it was a learning curve but I got it done. Cost was very nominal (under US$750) for the entire routine but then I'm a "do-it-yourself" person.

If you decide to go this route, I'm glad to offer input if needed.

Enjoy.
"When all logical explanations have failed, we must look to the illogical for the answer.

Esteban

Aug 24, 2005, 9:23 AM

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Re: [talosian] Solar pool heating

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My uncle did the same thing in Southern CAlifornia and the only problem he had was that the black tubing melted.
How about your system Talosian? Is it working or not? Enquiring minds want to know.

talosian

Aug 24, 2005, 11:20 AM

Post #7 of 8 (2102 views)

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Re: [talosian] Solar pool heating

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My uncle did the same thing in Southern CAlifornia and the only problem he had was that the black tubing melted.
How about your system Talosian? Is it working or not? Enquiring minds want to know.

I thought I answered this but don't see my post.

Mine works fine and on a hot/sunny day, the water coming out is VERY hot. But of course the pool is 10,800USG and the tubing maybe holds 750USG so it's not going to be as hot as a 50,000BTU heater but it does make a difference.
"When all logical explanations have failed, we must look to the illogical for the answer.

mkdutch

Aug 31, 2005, 6:51 AM

Post #8 of 8 (2046 views)

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Re: [bournemouth] Solar pool heating

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Just a cautionary note - while simple black tubing can be very cost-effective in the short-term, you may need to watch it like a hawk. The tubing breaks down over time, and will result in your pool looking like a puddle of oil if not promptly attended to. I.E., replacing the tubing the minute you observe any deteriation of the black plastic via black water entering your pool. Modern solar collectors are made of materials that are highly-resistant to breaking down like this. Buena suerte..............Dutch

P.S. I had Faffco solar panels installed to heat our Las Vegas pool in 1999. They were guaranteed for five years and are still going strong, with excellent heat-transfer properties. We are able to keep our water temp here in the high desert above 90 degrees F for 8 months of the year with zero gas bill cost, using a 20'x40' solar blanket to retain heat at night about 1/2 of that time. The solar blankets last about 2 years before succombing to the intense desert sun and breaking down. They also retard evaporation.