My wife and I had a pool built about 2 years ago just north of Orlando, FL. At the time, we didn't think we would need any type of heating system because we have a west-facing pool and get all of the afternoon sun. Unfortunately, between the high roof line on the one side and high trees on the other, our pool doesn't get much sun at all. Last summer, the water temp never went above 84-85F. This season so far, we've had plenty of 85-95F days, but the water temp will not go above 81-82. I had family over on Memorial Day weekend, and though the air temp was in the high 80s/low 90s, the water temp barely hit 82F. My guests who were brave enough to venture into the pool commented on how cold it was through chattering teeth. This prompted me to immediately begin researching pool heating solutions, with solar being the clear choice. My equipment is on the southwest corner of the house, and there's a nice, large section of southern-facing roof on the side of the house which is not visible from anywhere around the house. Absolutely perfect. I did my research and had reps for the big three come out to provide quotes. We got quotes for Heliocol, Aquatherm, and Fafco, in that order. We determined our budget to be around $4K, give or take a few hundred.
Initially, the Heliocol solution seemed best, with fewer penetrations, the monolithic panel without gaps, and the clamp/o-ring couplers instead of the hose clamps. Unfortunately, the Heliocol salesman seemed more interested in bashing the competition than praising his own product. He initially quoted us a price for 9 panels, but I told him that we didn't need 100F water or to swim year round, so we settled on 6.5 panels in a single bank. We have a Pentair 2 speed pump, and he said that the SolarTouch automation system they offer would not work for us. We decided on a manual system to keep costs down. The final number came in at $3702.50 for 6.5 panels with manual valves.
We then had the Aquatherm dealer come out to give us a quote. He explained how he offers 3 panels, the UltraSun, EcoSun, and SunSwim. The main difference were the warranties, which were 20yr, 12, and 5, respectively. Unfortunately, I couldn't find as much information online about the Aquatherm panels as I could about Heliocol and Fafco, so I was somewhat leery of them to begin with. I also didn't like the fact that they use the coated metal straps. Metal rubbing on plastic just doesn't seem right to me. The quotes for 7 panels of the three tiers were $4261, 3561, and 2861, with an additional Hayward controller for $395. Unfortunately, I cannot find ANY 20yr warranty information on the UltraSun, so I think the dealer extends the warranty himself.
Finally, tonight we had the Fafco dealer rep come quote us. We were looking at the Revolution panel with the dimples. He gave his sales pitch, showed us samples of the big three, and explained in great detail how they attach their Dacron straps to the roof with waterproof adhesive/lag bolts. This made me feel much better about the extra roof penetrations, and told me that the other guys were somewhat blowing smoke. In the end, the Fafco dealer quoted us $3800 for 6 regular SunSaver panels (12yr warranty), including a $500 Fafco instant rebate, a free (normally $195) pool cover, and a free ($590 value) Pentair SolarTouch which he stated WILL work with our 2 speed pump to open/close the solar valves. It just won't affect the pump speed unless we upgrade to a variable. Makes sense. This price also includes a 10% discount for "standby installation", which means that if they're going to be in the neighborhood doing another install for a pool builder, they can call us with a day's notice to come install. As my wife is a stay-at-home mom, this was perfect and kind of sent us over the edge. The other nice thing is that Fafco guarantees in writing that our pool will be above 80F from March 7th until November 15th. If the system doesn't perform to this standard, they will come out and install a 7th or 8th panel free of charge.
TL;DR: We want solar heating for our pool. Spoke to Heliocol, AquaTherm, and Fafco. Quotes as follows:
Heliocol: $3702 for 6.5 panels, manual valves, no pool cover
UltraSun: $4656 for 7 panels, Hayward automation, no pool cover
Fafco: $3800 for 6 panels, free SolarTouch automation, free pool cover, 12deg rise guarantee/80deg water from 3/7-12/15
So tell me friends, what would you do?
Initially, the Heliocol solution seemed best, with fewer penetrations, the monolithic panel without gaps, and the clamp/o-ring couplers instead of the hose clamps. Unfortunately, the Heliocol salesman seemed more interested in bashing the competition than praising his own product. He initially quoted us a price for 9 panels, but I told him that we didn't need 100F water or to swim year round, so we settled on 6.5 panels in a single bank. We have a Pentair 2 speed pump, and he said that the SolarTouch automation system they offer would not work for us. We decided on a manual system to keep costs down. The final number came in at $3702.50 for 6.5 panels with manual valves.
We then had the Aquatherm dealer come out to give us a quote. He explained how he offers 3 panels, the UltraSun, EcoSun, and SunSwim. The main difference were the warranties, which were 20yr, 12, and 5, respectively. Unfortunately, I couldn't find as much information online about the Aquatherm panels as I could about Heliocol and Fafco, so I was somewhat leery of them to begin with. I also didn't like the fact that they use the coated metal straps. Metal rubbing on plastic just doesn't seem right to me. The quotes for 7 panels of the three tiers were $4261, 3561, and 2861, with an additional Hayward controller for $395. Unfortunately, I cannot find ANY 20yr warranty information on the UltraSun, so I think the dealer extends the warranty himself.
Finally, tonight we had the Fafco dealer rep come quote us. We were looking at the Revolution panel with the dimples. He gave his sales pitch, showed us samples of the big three, and explained in great detail how they attach their Dacron straps to the roof with waterproof adhesive/lag bolts. This made me feel much better about the extra roof penetrations, and told me that the other guys were somewhat blowing smoke. In the end, the Fafco dealer quoted us $3800 for 6 regular SunSaver panels (12yr warranty), including a $500 Fafco instant rebate, a free (normally $195) pool cover, and a free ($590 value) Pentair SolarTouch which he stated WILL work with our 2 speed pump to open/close the solar valves. It just won't affect the pump speed unless we upgrade to a variable. Makes sense. This price also includes a 10% discount for "standby installation", which means that if they're going to be in the neighborhood doing another install for a pool builder, they can call us with a day's notice to come install. As my wife is a stay-at-home mom, this was perfect and kind of sent us over the edge. The other nice thing is that Fafco guarantees in writing that our pool will be above 80F from March 7th until November 15th. If the system doesn't perform to this standard, they will come out and install a 7th or 8th panel free of charge.
TL;DR: We want solar heating for our pool. Spoke to Heliocol, AquaTherm, and Fafco. Quotes as follows:
Heliocol: $3702 for 6.5 panels, manual valves, no pool cover
UltraSun: $4656 for 7 panels, Hayward automation, no pool cover
Fafco: $3800 for 6 panels, free SolarTouch automation, free pool cover, 12deg rise guarantee/80deg water from 3/7-12/15
So tell me friends, what would you do?