Hi! New Pool Owner Very Frustrated...

[msamber0910]

So we bought a 24 foot round pool. Have the pump and 2 solar domes. We had the pool company install pool and pump, but was told to get tubing to hook up the solar domes. We asked installer what kind and brand and bought 2 hoses. 1 1/2 inch by 35 feet ( that is how far away our domes are from pump) First we got vacuum hoses because he told us to and we knew no different. Well 4 busted hoses later, we have not run our pump or solar domes. Pool store and installer are out of ideas. SO.....


Any ideas of what to run to hook our pump to our solar domes and not burst? Or should we get rid of solar domes? And get what? We live in Wisconsin so its not warm but a few months out of the year and really need some sort of heat.


Thanks

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Run rigid or flex schedule 40 PVC.

Realize that solar heating is all about surface area exposed to the sun. Those little domes may not add as much heat as you are hoping.
The larger flat mats likely add more heat.

 

[msamber0910]

The larger flat mats can you hook up from hose to mat to pump? Or will there be a hose hanging over the side of pool? Our neighbors have a hose over the side of their pool with that, and we didnt want that so thought the 2 solar domes would solve that. Thanks for the info!

 

[jblizzle]

Usually the mats are plumbed in after the filter and then back to the normal return jet. Sounds like you neighbor must be using a separate pump for the solar heat.

Since you have the domes (and likely can not return them) You may as well hook them up and see if they meet your needs.

I hope you are using a cover on the pool at night or you are losing a LOT of heat that way.

 

[msamber0910]

Oh I will be returning them, I told the pool store we bought from today if I cant figure out tonight we will be back to return in morning. Bought pool in May, had installed in June, added water in July ( had to trench for electric before we added water) so have used about 2 weeks.

Have solar cover on pool, seems to keep heat in. Water is 82 degrees today, with no pump/solar domes for 3 days, and air temp is 79 today! So think solar cover is working well.

Thanks for the info again!

 

[msamber0910]

Here is a picture about 7 at night, so solar domes are not in sun. Do you think that back fence would be a good spot for the mat?

 

[n240sxguy]

If you want to keep flexible tubing, you can get reinforced PVC tubing at pretty much any hardware store. I know the smaller tubing I have used for other projects is rated for 70 psi. If the fence gets sun most of the day, that would probably be a fine place to build a rack to put the solar mat. Are you manually valving the solar in/out, or do you have some kind of automation in mind?