Hi all. I’ve decided that we will get a solar pool heating system for our pool, which is in the 12-15K gallon range. We have a hot tub as well. Our gas heater broke and we currently have no heat other than the Southern CA sun.
Some details about my system- 2 owners ago (>20 yrs ago), there was a solar system but it leaked onto the roof, so the previous owner had the panels taken down. The trenched plumbing is still there and as far as I know, the pipes are still good. There’s also a large 34 x 11 ft metal rack on the roof that’s “bolted” onto the roof at 18 areas. That’s where the prior panels were.
I did some reading about the panels and it turns out there are many different brands of panels with some minor and some major differences between the designs. I can’t find online which is the best in general, and which is the best for me. Everything I read is put out by retailers or partners of the companies that make the panels, and all of their points seem valid enough. I’ve had 2 companies come and give estimates, and their prices are pretty comparable. I will have a 3rd company come out this coming week. For me, other than price, the most important factors are, 1. maintaining the integrity of the roof, 2. longevity (prior panels from 2 owners ago eventually leaked), 3. efficiency. Obviously, I want the water to warm up, but one of my big concerns is having to repair the roof or the panels soon.
The 3 main categories of panels seem to be welded tubes, basically a bunch of tube weldged together in sequence, tube and fin, with a short segment separating the tubes, and separated tubes, where the individual tubes aren’t touching. I read that separated tubes are the least efficient because wind running between the tubes can cool down temps, which make sense. But since I have a rack, I’m worried that in a solid panel without gaps, the air under and over the panels on a windy day will cause enough lift (like a parachute) to stress the points where the rack is attached on the roof.
Some details about my system- 2 owners ago (>20 yrs ago), there was a solar system but it leaked onto the roof, so the previous owner had the panels taken down. The trenched plumbing is still there and as far as I know, the pipes are still good. There’s also a large 34 x 11 ft metal rack on the roof that’s “bolted” onto the roof at 18 areas. That’s where the prior panels were.
I did some reading about the panels and it turns out there are many different brands of panels with some minor and some major differences between the designs. I can’t find online which is the best in general, and which is the best for me. Everything I read is put out by retailers or partners of the companies that make the panels, and all of their points seem valid enough. I’ve had 2 companies come and give estimates, and their prices are pretty comparable. I will have a 3rd company come out this coming week. For me, other than price, the most important factors are, 1. maintaining the integrity of the roof, 2. longevity (prior panels from 2 owners ago eventually leaked), 3. efficiency. Obviously, I want the water to warm up, but one of my big concerns is having to repair the roof or the panels soon.
The 3 main categories of panels seem to be welded tubes, basically a bunch of tube weldged together in sequence, tube and fin, with a short segment separating the tubes, and separated tubes, where the individual tubes aren’t touching. I read that separated tubes are the least efficient because wind running between the tubes can cool down temps, which make sense. But since I have a rack, I’m worried that in a solid panel without gaps, the air under and over the panels on a windy day will cause enough lift (like a parachute) to stress the points where the rack is attached on the roof.
