1 1/2" ABS pipe for a pool heater

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BigJohnny

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Jun 30, 2018
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Fernie
Hello,
I am just wondering if any one has ever tried to build a solar heater out of 1 1/2" ABS pipe. My thought was to use the 12 foot length and stack a few of them 3 feet high on a fence. I would run maybe 1 to 2 gallons per minute through this. My hope is that once the pipe is hot I would see a faster/higher return temperature when the sun is at its peak.
Has anyone tried this sort of thing?
 
Welcome to TFP.

Its been tried many times. Result is generally the same. The poly pipe ends up costing just as much as a low end solar panel and doesn't work anywhere near as well. Then you are left with hundreds of feet of pipe that you need to get rid of.

The trick with solar water heating is surface area exposure to the sun. The larger pipe has significantly less surface area in direct sunlight when compared to a traditional flat panel made of many small diameter tubes.

The next thing solar needs is high flow rates. You don't want the panel or water to feel warm wen it's going thru the solar heater. A solar heater in direct sun that feels like the same temp as the pool means you are transferring all the heat collected by the panel into the water.
 
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Thanks for the reply. Defiantly something to think about. I see the point on a sun contact/high flow rate, my hope was to make the pipe into the fence design. Getting the black poly or a premade one is going to be hard to mount vertically and still make it look good.
Thanks for the help
 
You can always do a ground mount rack for the pre made panels. Keeps everything meet and clean. With a little landscaping you can make it look nice. Mine could use a bit of a scrub and wash down after the winter and spring pollen.
 

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That looks great. My issue is a live on a large hill the pool is built into it a portion of it. I had to install a fence as silly as it sounds 4 feet above the pool to meet our building code in my town. So that's why I'm looking at an install on the fence that is around the pool. The 14 foot long fence panel is in the sun all day so its the perfect spot just need it to look good asmy neighbors are very picky and complain at all most anything I put up. I tried putting some coils of pipe on the grass last year but that caused quite the rukus in the niebor hood. My other option is on the roof of my house but that option has become costly with the price increase of pipe materials.
Thanks for the input
 
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