Going to try "solar" heating this year...

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dunnma

dunnma

Gold Supporter
Aug 27, 2017
97
Overland Park, KS
Pool Size
35000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Getting ready to open our pool in the next week or so. Originally I was going to do about 240' of PVC painted black with Union joints that could be taken apart each year and stored in my barn. However, I remembered that I have a hose fitting that is used to provide water to our slide and I think I am going to try that route. Roughly 200' of black "garden" hose. It won't be the same volume, but I figure with it being smaller (and slower) it will likely heat things up faster. I can then use the hose throughout the year (will put it on a 200' hose cart).

Has anyone had any experience with this? I also have a "solar blanket/cover" that I will put on as well.
 
In general, an efficient solar system will move a lot of water that is only a few degrees above the pool temp. The smaller diameter of the black hose you mention will limit the amount of heated water that will return to the pool. Sure the water returning may be hotter, but there will be much less water making it back to the pool. Also, most of the heat will be lost into the air, radiating off of that hot hose, before it even reaches the pool. When I put my hand on my solar panels while they are running, they feel not much warmer than ambient temp.

Also, for swimmer safety, you don't want scalding hot water flowing into the pool, if someone gets to close to that return, they will get burnt.

My solar system uses Sungrabber panels, and returns water about 4-5 degrees warmer than the pool and flows at about 16-20GPM. That's up to 1200 gallons of heated water every hour returning to the pool. 100' of garden hose will only flow about 6 GPM, or 360 gallons per hour. At 200' it will be even less, maybe closer to 4GPM.

You would be much better utilizing actual solar panels.

And yes, always use a solar blanket overnight to retain heat.
 
I had Solar Industries panels at my first house/pool and on a 90 degree day it would add 8 degrees to
the return water which seemed very impressive.

I'd just go with a real solar setup if you want to heat that way. Works great. Especially well
if the panels are mounted to a south facing roof.
 
domct203 said:
In general, an efficient solar system will move a lot of water that is only a few degrees above the pool temp. The smaller diameter of the black hose you mention will limit the amount of heated water that will return to the pool. Sure the water returning may be hotter, but there will be much less water making it back to the pool. Also, most of the heat will be lost into the air, radiating off of that hot hose, before it even reaches the pool. When I put my hand on my solar panels while they are running, they feel not much warmer than ambient temp.

Also, for swimmer safety, you don't want scolding hot water flowing into the pool, if someone gets to close to that return, they will get burnt.

My solar system uses Sungrabber panels, and returns water about 4-5 degrees warmer than the pool and flows at about 16-20GPM. That's up to 1200 gallons of heated water every hour returning to the pool. 100' of garden hose will only flow about 6 GPM, or 360 gallons per hour. At 200' it will be even less, maybe closer to 4GPM.

You would be much better utilizing actual solar panels.

And yes, always use a solar blanket overnight to retain heat.
Click to expand...

Well, I am assuming that we will not be swimming in the pool for several weeks as it gets cleaned up and up to temperature. So I don't plan on having whatever solution run all the time. I will look at the panel setup. I have a roof over my sunroom that I could install them on. I would just need to figure out how to alter my plumbing to have the water go up the side of the house, through that system, and then return to the system again.
 
I did my solar panel research and bought my stuff from solardirect.com. it is commonly recommended to size solar at 1 or more times the square feet of the pool. As joshii points out the hose will only be about 8 sf. We have 5 12x4 panels for a total of 240sf for a 20k gallon pool that has about 700sf of surface area. My small solar array does a lot to help heat our pool but we still have to use a solar cover and i installed a small, 50k btu, heat pump a couple of years ago to help even more. If i had room I would install 1000sf of solar panels. With solar, heat pump and cover we are able to swim in 85ish degree water from mid-March to the end of October. With 240sf of solar alone we were swimming from mid-May to mid-October.

More about my pool, solar and heat pump in my pool thread, link in sig.
 
Even with a solar cover on you will lose more heat over night than 200' of black hose will put into the water its really just not worth the effort.

I fired up my pool pump last week to start putting my solar panels to work now that it seems like winter has finally left the Northeast. Its worth every penny to get a manufactured panel. I just have the cheap ones you can get from amazon for about $200 for a 4'x20' panel. They will warm my pool by about 6-8 degrees a day right now.

Ground mounting is an option as well if you don't want to go on a roof.
 

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I was trying to avoid the extra cost this year. I found this system: https://amzn.to/2qXgKwf which includes:


  • 8- 2 ft x 20 ft Sungrabber Solar Panel
  • 1- System kit includes: 1- ball valve, 1- check valve, 1- vacuum relief valve and 1- Bell reducer 2" to 1.5
  • 24- 60" Mounting Straps with 72 mounting bases and caps
  • 14- rubber couplers and clamps
  • 1- end cap and clamps
  • 1- Instruction Manual

That doesn't include the extras needed like a 3-way valve nor probably 50' of PVC pipe. I also see nothing about how long a system like this lasts.
 
Going to try "solar" heating this year...

A real important part of efficient solar heating is a solar controller. It uses temperature probes to
automatically turn the system on and off, depending on amount of sun, ambient temp & pool water temp. It will even run at night to cool the pool if the pool temp exceeds your temp setting.

I have a Hayward GL235/GLC-2P-A kit for my 120V pump.

AquaSolar GL-235 | Solar | In Ground Pool Solar - Hayward Pool Products

I also have mine on a ground rack.

IMG_8113.jpg
 
Re: Going to try "solar" heating this year...

domct203 said:
A real important part of efficient solar heating is a solar controller. It uses temperature probes to
automatically turn the system on and off, depending on amount of sun, ambient temp & pool water temp. It will even run at night to cool the pool if the pool temp exceeds your temp setting.

I have a Hayward GL235/GLC-2P-A kit for my 120V pump.

AquaSolar GL-235 | Solar | In Ground Pool Solar - Hayward Pool Products

I also have mine on a ground rack.

View attachment 75713
Click to expand...

What does your valve and return look like? Is the return a check valve?

Here is my setup. I am assuming I would need to cut in this valve at the bottom after the SWG. I would then have a run up to my roof and then back down to the left side there. Assuming a check valve on the left?

20180426_162508.jpg

Here is the view showing from the top of the SWG to my roof. The roof dimensions are probably 21' x 21' or so.

20180426_162456.jpg
 

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Yes I have a check valve on the return, along with a bypass loop.

IMG_0364.JPG

The solar should be before the SWG, or what I should say is the SWG should be last in the system.
 
Thanks for that...that makes sense. Can I ask what the bypass loop is for? Also it appears there is a ball valve after the check valve. I am assuming that is for when the system is off (as it appears it is now).
 
Going to try "solar" heating this year...

The bypass loop is to help regulate the flow rate through the solar.

Yes, that pic is from last spring opening, and the system is still drained. During normal operation the ball valve on the return is always open, and the three way valve is controlled through the solar controller via a valve actuator.

IMG_0367.JPG
 
I was looking at things after getting everything opened and my pump says maximum of 10' lift. This would be more like 20' (with it coming back down). I am assuming this means the pump isn't powerful enough to go to my roof.
 
dunnma said:
I was looking at things after getting everything opened and my pump says maximum of 10' lift. This would be more like 20' (with it coming back down). I am assuming this means the pump isn't powerful enough to go to my roof.
Click to expand...

You only have to look at the height the water must travel up at the very highest point, coming back down is a free ride.
 
Yeah...it is probably 15-20' up. It would be two stories plus the top story is a vaulted ceiling. Will have to rethink things for next year.
 
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