Texans with Solar Heaters?

[tedujam]

How do you like yours? Would you switch to gas if you could? I'm looking at them right now, but my concern is the reliance on sustained sunny days. I'm afraid I'll be stuck wishing I had gas because I want to swim, but it's been overcast the whole week.

 

[pooldv]

I am happy with our solar panels, much happier after I added the Solartouch. They definitely add heat to the pool. I'm trying to do a little better at tracking temp this year. Pool was 61 on 3/15, it is 77 on 3/31. No cover. I check temp around 6pm, we get 4 degree 24 hour gains pretty regularly. Rain and cold fronts in the 40s overnight have set us back a few days. For the most part the pool has stayed at or slightly above the daily high temp as a general comment. Our pool gets sun about 6 hours, but full sun on the whole pool less than an hour. The other good thing solar panels did last summer was help recover from rain, rain can cool a pool in a hurry.

We only have 5 panels on a small roof by the pool, I am considering adding more on the house. I am also considering adding a heat pump. Not really interested in gas, I think that is too inefficient. For us I think a heat pump would probably be better. But, I think adding 6 or 8 more panels on the house would add a ton. We will see how the experiment goes with what we have this spring.

 

[Divin Dave]

I voted heaters are a waste of money. I can make plenty enough margaritas and other beverages that will numb me plenty enough to get in a cold pool.
To note, I consider cold water to be less than 65F. In my stong Texas accent "I don't need no heater!"

 

[tedujam]

I voted heaters are a waste of money. I can make plenty enough margaritas and other things that will numb me plenty enough to get in a cold pool.
To note, I consider cold water to be less than 65F. In my stong Texas accent "I don't need no heater!"

I can swim in cold water if I have to, but if I'm shivering, I'm not having fun