Solar heat is not heating like it use to

[jvmagic]

I'm in Sa Jose CA 95118 and this year has not been too warm.
We hit 80-85 this week and my pool has been rather cold compared
to last year. I would say it's only in the 70's (pool temp).

I have the system running 6.5 hrs like usual this time of year and
I can see the solar heating is on.
When the deck jets go on, I can feel that he water is not too
warm coming out of the jets (like before) though it's 85 degrees outside.
What cold it be, what can I do to troubleshoot?
It's been weeks of 80+ weather and my pool is too cool.

thanks in advance

 

[X-PertPool]

Just a guess, but maybe there was more direct sunlight last year? Temperatures could be similar from one year to another but if you have more cloudy weather it could be affecting how much heat you are getting.

 

[jvmagic]

Is there a way to check if my your solar system is working properly?

 

[JohnT]

Check the inlet and outlet temperatures.

 

[jvmagic]

sorry for the ignorance but how do you check
the inlet and outlet temp?

 

[mas985]

Do you have a solar cover?

The nights have been fairly cool even though the days are hot. Without a cover, you will lose quite a bit of heat. Being in the same area as you, I now run with a cover most of the time and without it, it would be impossible to hold the heat.

 

[JohnT]

sorry for the ignorance but how do you check
the inlet and outlet temp?

The easiest way is with inline thermometers, but you can use a pool thermometer to measure the temperature in the skimmer and then in front of a return to get a rough idea.

If there is water flowing through the panel, they are working though. Check for any warm spots on the panels while they are running. The panels should be about pool water temperature even in direct sun if there is good water flow.