Help with Solar Heating

[dhoop44]

March into April, the weather in my area can be 70 degrees with full sun one day and snowing the next. So I’m really looking for any detailed information on solar pool heating and if possible, can I build one (right now we don’t have the budget to spend $1000’s for professional installation). There are so many videos out there that seem like good ideas but a majority of the data seems to be about raising the temp of the water very high, coming in at a slow rate. Correct me if I’m wrong but wouldn’t a faster flow with temps just a little bit higher better so the entire pool temps can be increased?

So my #1 priority is to get the pool back up and swimming as soon as reasonable possible using a DIY solar pool heater. I normally swim in the afternoon/evening and again, hoping to put pool up early. I haven’t had a chance to look through the forum much for thoughts and/or suggestions so I will continue to look (I found one that I will list in my questions below). So here is a list of questions that I have and any advice is greatly appreciated (sorry for the long, first post-please let me know if I need to include more information or any advice on making a better post.

1. Since there is a chance of a freeze throughout March and early April (no way to predict weather), is this even possible with a solar heater? I have seen videos of natural gas tankless water heater that is over 3GPM sold on eBay (I think there is a post on this site about it but it was an experiment). Would that even be a consideration at all especially in cooler/colder weather?) Reminder, I normally only swim in afternoon/evening. I think I’ve read the best DIY heaters work best when they use their own pump and not the pool pump. If that’s true, what pump would be best that could handle chlorine without corroding?

2. Anyone have success with a DIY pool heater that would warm the water where we can swim on some afternoons early in the season? I understand with a gas/heat pump, etc. it would be possible but not sure about solar. Plus, would it be more work than it’s worth knowing it could still freeze. if so, doesn’t that mean I would have to drain it every time a freeze was forecasted (unless it was glazed if I understand correctly).

3. Lastly, what about a heater that I could use in late March/early April to be able to swim a few afternoons and then switch to a solar heater at a later date? I don’t know if this would be a factor or not but wanted to ask people that know a lot more about this subject. There is a lot of good information out there but I can’t seem to find anything about opening a pool early, when freezing is still possible and what heater(s) have they used for success.

I am an amateur when it comes to heating a pool and all the pages/videos can make it very confusing. I could type for hours with a number of questions but there are so many different scenarios there is no way to cover all of them. I’m trying to learn as much about DIY pool heating and admit I have a long way to go.
I am very excited to be a member and no matter what, I know I’m in the right place with experts about pools and also pool heating.
Thank you all in advance for taking the time to help and I look forward to getting the pool up and running in the next couple of months.

 

[wireform]

Hi, firstly welcome and secondly without a completed signature we won't know where to begin to help you sort the options out.Create Your Signature - Further Reading

 

[setsailsoon]

Correct me if I’m wrong but wouldn’t a faster flow with temps just a little bit higher better so the entire pool temps can be increased?

d,

Welcome to TFP!

I have almost no DIY solar heater experience but I do have one of the high-priced (not likely to ever have a good payout even in sunny Florida) solar system. I also did some heat exchanger design work about 40 years ago. So I can only provide limited response to your very broad questions. Yes, generally higher velocity gives the best overall heat transfer rate for the panels (U in engineering terms). Optimal design will definitely be an outlet temperature much lower than maximum temperature. From a practical perspective there are diminishing returns once you reach turbulent flow since pump power, operating pressure, and erosional flow drive up costs. No idea what size tubes you may be thinking about but this generally starts to occur at or above about 10 ft/sec velocity in liquid systems. Normal design practice is to design for 7 ft/sec.

The only thing I can offer on your other questions is the devil's in the details from a design perspective. You have to select from what you want to design for. If you design for average there will be normal variation and late winter storms that will keep if from working... probably OK but you'll just need to make sure you have heater backup to prevent freezing or do a thorough pipe and equipment drain. All this said, my wild guess is it's unlikely that you'll ever get a pool close to normal swimming conditions (at least high 70's) for your location in March/April from practical solar heating at your location 'till we get a few more decades of global warming.

Wish I could be of more help and please to keep us posted. I'd love it if you prove my best guess to be dead wrong.

Chris

 

[wireform]

There's one member did an experiment using an "on demand hot water system" and feeding the pool water directly through the heat exchanger knowing that there's a chance for corrosion but as I said it's an experiment. Seemed to be holding up pretty well and also getting the pool water temps up a bit. You can take that idea a notch further and use a shell tube heat exchanger as the source to exchange the temps for the water thereby keeping the heater from degrading from pool water. Those on demand heaters are about 96% efficient.

 

[mas985]

Correct me if I’m wrong but wouldn’t a faster flow with temps just a little bit higher better so the entire pool temps can be increased?

This is exactly correct and one of the biggest mistakes DIYers make. Slowing down the flow rate increases the exit temperature proportionally but it also increases the heat loss so you are much better off with high flow rates and low exit temperatures.

Another mistake that is often made is a panel that is too small. Heat gain is all about square footage. The larger the panel, to more of the sun's energy that can be captured.

The next mistake that is made is that DIYers will often use very long runs of tubing. This increases head loss, reduces flow rate and increases heat loss. A better design is one where the tubes are short (< 20') but there are many in parallel (>100).

1. Since there is a chance of a freeze throughout March and early April (no way to predict weather), is this even possible with a solar heater? I have seen videos of natural gas tankless water heater that is over 3GPM sold on eBay (I think there is a post on this site about it but it was an experiment). Would that even be a consideration at all especially in cooler/colder weather?) Reminder, I normally only swim in afternoon/evening. I think I’ve read the best DIY heaters work best when they use their own pump and not the pool pump. If that’s true, what pump would be best that could handle chlorine without corroding?

The colder the weather, the more heat that will be lost from the panels. At some point there is no real gain. For very cold weather, using glass enclosed panels can help but efficiency is lost during the hotter parts of the year. However, if designed properly and the panels drain properly when the pump shuts off, then freezing weather should not be a problem for the panels. However, you would still need to protect the rest of the equipment.

2. Anyone have success with a DIY pool heater that would warm the water where we can swim on some afternoons early in the season? I understand with a gas/heat pump, etc. it would be possible but not sure about solar. Plus, would it be more work than it’s worth knowing it could still freeze. if so, doesn’t that mean I would have to drain it every time a freeze was forecasted (unless it was glazed if I understand correctly).

Most DIYers will fail. The reason is one of economics. Because of the size of panel that you need, the cost of obtaining the materials to build it will generally be more than what it costs to purchase a commercial panel. The DIYers that manage a cost effective panel are those that can get materials (i.e tubing) for cheap or free.

3. Lastly, what about a heater that I could use in late March/early April to be able to swim a few afternoons and then switch to a solar heater at a later date? I don’t know if this would be a factor or not but wanted to ask people that know a lot more about this subject. There is a lot of good information out there but I can’t seem to find anything about opening a pool early, when freezing is still possible and what heater(s) have they used for success.

This approach is more likely to succeed. However, it will cost quite a bit to run a heater and you would definitely require a pool cover to pull this off. Otherwise, you will be losing all the heat you just paid to put into the pool. There have been a few people on the forum that have managed to keep their pools open all year around but it requires covers/blankets to do so.

But before getting too far down a costly path, you should figure out how much a panel would cost to build vs purchasing it. You will be surprised at the cost/sq-ft of a DIY panel compared to a commercial panel.

How many square ft is the pool?

What is the coldest air temperature that you would swim?

 

[YonnyPiscinas]

Hi there,

Not sure if my thread will be of any help to you - hope so.
DIY glazing on top of black solar collectors. 110% coverage of pool surface area. On a windy coastal road.
Would be good to try the same season without the glazing and compare max temperatures.
Averages about 35c (max 37c.)

21c air temp now - as soon as the sun comes out the temp under the glazing shoots up to between 40-60c. The water passing through this pick up the heat nicely without losing much to the wind/outside environment. Normal flow with my single speed pump - probably about 7-9000 litres an hour.

Solar collectors - DIY glazing and temp control

Hi guys, A couple of months ago I installed 12m2 of solar collectors on our pergola next to the pool. After a week of testing the panels were not collecting much heat. They are of an open tube kind (gaps between the small black tubes). With more than 100% coverage the temp difference between...

www.troublefreepool.com

Ask any questions.

 

[dhoop44]

Thank you all for your responses in such a short amount of time. I have finished my signature and hope I included everything that is needed to make future posts easier.
The previous 2 summers I spent learning how to own and maintain a pool and it still amazes me that I've barely scratched the surface. This is why I wanted to start with Intex and one of these years will upgrade to a better above ground pool or in-ground pool (I know that in-ground is different and will have to adjust, lol).
Again, swimming helps my condition but maintaining has been a lot of fun and I think that is why I wanted to join & ask all of these questions very early.
I still have maybe a month to try to figure out what to do and everyone's responses are very helpful. After reading them I feel that at the very least, I should be able to open in maybe mid-April which would add about 3 more months of being in the pool this year (unless it rains 80% of April and May, knock on wood that doesn't happen)

I almost forgot that I had one question and in the future I will keep my posts shorter. I'm still a little nervous being "the rookie among veterans" and I tend to ramble when I'm nervous.

Has anyone scaled ideas down, meaning make everything smaller, to see what would happen if you tried "____?" I probably should have worded that better. For example, using a large bucket/tank, maybe two panels with less tubing connected in parallel & using a small pump? Since I have materials to create a "model" so to speak except for tubing, could this be a good way just to see how solar heating works? Maybe do it in different conditions and keep a document/spreadsheet of what the weather was and then the results? Or if anyone can share if you did tests not waiting to open the pool so you're not wasting a fortune on something that didn't work?
I do have a friend that had a greenhouse for years and knows quite a bit about solar. Do you think picking his brain would be a good idea or is heating a greenhouse completely different than heating a pool?

Thanks again for your time and assistance.

P.S. I didn't answer the question about how cold the air temp would be for me to swim. I would probably be okay with 50-60F (10-15C). However, if I'm able to work it out where I can swim early spring, that could go down b/c I'm thinking about heating our shed which is 15 feet away to dry off & change (would also use that to change into swimming trunks). Sorry but just had this pop in my head. Has anyone had any experience with Thermal Swimming suits? Just curious and not a priority at this point unless someone would say otherwise lol. Thanks again for your all your responses.

 

[setsailsoon]

Thank you all for your responses in such a short amount of time. I have finished my signature and hope I included everything that is needed to make future posts easier.
The previous 2 summers I spent learning how to own and maintain a pool and it still amazes me that I've barely scratched the surface. This is why I wanted to start with Intex and one of these years will upgrade to a better above ground pool or in-ground pool (I know that in-ground is different and will have to adjust, lol).
Again, swimming helps my condition but maintaining has been a lot of fun and I think that is why I wanted to join & ask all of these questions very early.
I still have maybe a month to try to figure out what to do and everyone's responses are very helpful. After reading them I feel that at the very least, I should be able to open in maybe mid-April which would add about 3 more months of being in the pool this year (unless it rains 80% of April and May, knock on wood that doesn't happen)

I almost forgot that I had one question and in the future I will keep my posts shorter. I'm still a little nervous being "the rookie among veterans" and I tend to ramble when I'm nervous.

Has anyone scaled ideas down, meaning make everything smaller, to see what would happen if you tried "____?" I probably should have worded that better. For example, using a large bucket/tank, maybe two panels with less tubing connected in parallel & using a small pump? Since I have materials to create a "model" so to speak except for tubing, could this be a good way just to see how solar heating works? Maybe do it in different conditions and keep a document/spreadsheet of what the weather was and then the results? Or if anyone can share if you did tests not waiting to open the pool so you're not wasting a fortune on something that didn't work?
I do have a friend that had a greenhouse for years and knows quite a bit about solar. Do you think picking his brain would be a good idea or is heating a greenhouse completely different than heating a pool?

Thanks again for your time and assistance.

P.S. I didn't answer the question about how cold the air temp would be for me to swim. I would probably be okay with 50-60F (10-15C). However, if I'm able to work it out where I can swim early spring, that could go down b/c I'm thinking about heating our shed which is 15 feet away to dry off & change (would also use that to change into swimming trunks). Sorry but just had this pop in my head. Has anyone had any experience with Thermal Swimming suits? Just curious and not a priority at this point unless someone would say otherwise lol. Thanks again for your all your responses.

Wow! Those are cold temps for this Florida cold weather wimp. I'd look at a 3 mill wet suit. Should give you good comfort and maybe a rash guard under to make it easier to get on and off. If you have the heated building close you can always fill up on the inside with warm water to get started. I used to use this trick in cold water to do sub surface boat work when the wife and I were sailing.

Chris

 

[mas985]

A scaled version probably won't have the same results as a large pool because of the differences in surface area, water volume and heat loss in other parts of the pool. However, If you did run experiments, you would need a side by side test with one body of water with solar and one without.

An alternative would be to use a heat transfer model (see link in my signature). It does require quite a few inputs to model accurately and is a little complicated to run. But it can give you an idea of what to expect for various panel sizes. However, I don't suspect that the panels will add that much heat at 50F unless they are huge.

 

[jseyfert3]

Most DIYers will fail. The reason is one of economics. Because of the size of panel that you need, the cost of obtaining the materials to build it will generally be more than what it costs to purchase a commercial panel. The DIYers that manage a cost effective panel are those that can get materials (i.e tubing) for cheap or free.

This exactly. I haven't looked into it too much but the little I had showed that the best price per unit area for collectors was buying commercial collectors. You can't buy parts for the cost of a pre-build unit.

@dhoop44 the thing about any solar installation is size. You need LOTS of surface area to do anything, and for that you need lots of material. Unless you have a collection of black hose or pipe somewhere, you're better off buying a commercial system. To have much meaningful difference, the rule of thumb is you need at least 50% of the pool surface area in solar panels. Closer to 100% is preferred. For what you're talking about doing...well, it's probably not feasible, at least in any sort of economical way. You'd be better off buying a gas heater and insulating your pool.

Sorry but just had this pop in my head. Has anyone had any experience with Thermal Swimming suits?

This is called a wetsuit (as was mentioned as I was typing my post). They are used for scuba diving, surfing, and other cold water events. They are lots cheaper than pool heaters. I had a custom full body 3 mm wetsuit made for me for a few hundred from a small place out in California. My body dimensions don't let me use off the shelf wetsuits. Wetsuits are certainly a lot cheaper than any form of pool heating, though I'm not sure how much swimming I'd like to do in one.

Since swimming helps your back, have you considered getting a swim spa? You can easily and somewhat reasonably heat to any temp (even more reasonably if only ever heated to swimming temps) keep them hot in the winter, use as a hot tub, and of course with the built-in pumps you can swim for however long you like without hitting any walls. Or is the pool for other reasons (like kids) in addition to your swimming?

 

[dhoop44]

Thank you for the information about the wet suits because if I'm not able to get the water up to the 78-80 degree mark, it's going to be difficult to get any benefit on my back. Also, when I have some more time I will go through and read all responses again just in case I missed anything.

Can I please ask for clarification about DIYers vs purchased panels/collectors so we're on the same page. When I think of some that makes their own solar pool heater, they make it from scratch using materials purchased from a Home Supply store. However, what about the ones that are purchased on Amazon or a pool supply store and installed by the consumer? Would you consider that different?

One that I have heard my eye was the SunHeater 2' x 20' Panels on Amazon (see attachment for picture of website. Didn't see this was against the rules but if it is, please let me know). Would you consider this different than a DIYer since it's already been made and the only thing I have to do is install? Again, as an example, what kind of feedback would you give for this? (I know the professional installations are the way to go but to me, not for an Intex pool). It got decent reviews but I would trust TFP member reviews over any seller website.

Can I please let me know if this next part sound logical about these panels since you all are helping me to understand better? Let's assume you all say "good quality" for the price, the fact that they are not glazed means they wouldn't be good to use when the weather is colder. However, if I used 4-6 of them (meaning 2'x20') them mid-way through spring (average high is 70F) with a pool cover, I could make a rack facing south since my roof is no ideal, could I theoretically get pretty good results?

Still on the topic that DIY is completely homemade, has anyone had experience with these? I keep getting mixed results online and like I said, trust members here than anywhere else.

-Solarpro Curved Glazed if I strung a few together?
-Game or Kokido Round glazed domes 3-4 strung together

Any other recommendations from members?
- If you have any glazed suggestions that may work in a month when it could freeze, what recommendation and how many?
-If not glazed, I'm okay waiting until mid to late April and I'd be happy with 2-3 extra months of swimming counting both spring an fall.

**Sorry but one last question but I think it's VERY important. What do you think is the best solar cover? Brand? Clear vs blue? (or other) What Mil? I now have a cover reel and weight is not as much as a factor but this is probably the most important purchase I make to keep my pool warm, agree?

Thank you for your feedback and I do look forward to having time to go through the forum and learning as much as I can about pool heaters.

 

[mas985]

When I say DIYer, I mean someone who actually manufactures the panels themselves. Someone who buys panels pre-manufactured and installs them, is just a self-installer. For most, the self-installer will be the cheapest route to go.

Can I please let me know if this next part sound logical about these panels since you all are helping me to understand better? Let's assume you all say "good quality" for the price, the fact that they are not glazed means they wouldn't be good to use when the weather is colder. However, if I used 4-6 of them (meaning 2'x20') them mid-way through spring (average high is 70F) with a pool cover, I could make a rack facing south since my roof is no ideal, could I theoretically get pretty good results?

Yes, that is reasonable. 6 panels would be close to 100% coverage so you would get a pretty good season extension. IMHO, ground mounted panels should be a bit more efficient than roof panels because there is more shielding for wind and for sky radiation loss.

**Sorry but one last question but I think it's VERY important. What do you think is the best solar cover? Brand? Clear vs blue? (or other) What Mil? I now have a cover reel and weight is not as much as a factor but this is probably the most important purchase I make to keep my pool warm, agree?

Really doesn't matter. They all perform about same. In fact, a sheet of plastic works just as well (but doesn't float). Point is to stop evaporation and anything covering the water does that. Forum consensus is find the cheapest one you can and just plan on replacing it every couple of years. Thick ones don't last any longer (UV degradation is the same) but you are less likely to use it since it weighs so much more.

 

[setsailsoon]

Thank you for the information about the wet suits because if I'm not able to get the water up to the 78-80 degree mark, it's going to be difficult to get any benefit on my back. Also, when I have some more time I will go through and read all responses again just in case I missed anything.

Can I please ask for clarification about DIYers vs purchased panels/collectors so we're on the same page. When I think of some that makes their own solar pool heater, they make it from scratch using materials purchased from a Home Supply store. However, what about the ones that are purchased on Amazon or a pool supply store and installed by the consumer? Would you consider that different?

One that I have heard my eye was the SunHeater 2' x 20' Panels on Amazon (see attachment for picture of website. Didn't see this was against the rules but if it is, please let me know). Would you consider this different than a DIYer since it's already been made and the only thing I have to do is install? Again, as an example, what kind of feedback would you give for this? (I know the professional installations are the way to go but to me, not for an Intex pool). It got decent reviews but I would trust TFP member reviews over any seller website.

Can I please let me know if this next part sound logical about these panels since you all are helping me to understand better? Let's assume you all say "good quality" for the price, the fact that they are not glazed means they wouldn't be good to use when the weather is colder. However, if I used 4-6 of them (meaning 2'x20') them mid-way through spring (average high is 70F) with a pool cover, I could make a rack facing south since my roof is no ideal, could I theoretically get pretty good results?

Still on the topic that DIY is completely homemade, has anyone had experience with these? I keep getting mixed results online and like I said, trust members here than anywhere else.

-Solarpro Curved Glazed if I strung a few together?
-Game or Kokido Round glazed domes 3-4 strung together

Any other recommendations from members?
- If you have any glazed suggestions that may work in a month when it could freeze, what recommendation and how many?
-If not glazed, I'm okay waiting until mid to late April and I'd be happy with 2-3 extra months of swimming counting both spring an fall.

**Sorry but one last question but I think it's VERY important. What do you think is the best solar cover? Brand? Clear vs blue? (or other) What Mil? I now have a cover reel and weight is not as much as a factor but this is probably the most important purchase I make to keep my pool warm, agree?

Thank you for your feedback and I do look forward to having time to go through the forum and learning as much as I can about pool heaters.

d,

My system uses Aquatherm panels. They've been in place for 5 years and are holding up nicely with a couple close calls to hurricanes where we experienced 24 hrs of sustained 90 mph. I use the pool filter pump to provide the lift. The original 2-speed Jandy pump would only flow through the roof mounted panels on high speed. Recently I replaced the 2 speed motor with a1.65 hp V-Green electric motor and I went up one impeller size to more fully use the power. I use the signal provided by the controller to open the bypass valve to signal high speed on the VS pump. Rest of the time it runs on slow speed... way better on the power bill. I have nine 4X12 and one 2x12 panels which is over 90% of the pool surface area. My system is over-sized for summer when the system is bypassed a lot to prevent overheating the pool. Right now I supplement with gas heat. Solar is doing good to gain 5 degrees above ambient on mostly sunny days. The panels are installed similar to the following flow diagram from my Aquatherm installation manual (I have a lot more panels than shown):


Used to be controlled by a separate Goldline solar control but I changed that to use my Pentair Intellicenter automation. The Intellicenter is much more sophisticated and gives me much better control.

Hope this is helpful.

Chris

 

[dhoop44]

SINCE I'M NO LONGER DOING A DIY BUILD, I'M GOING TO MOVE THIS TO A NEW THREAD AND WON'T BE AS LONG. I have an idea that I wanted to run by the members for feedback/advice. But first I want to thank you all for talking me out of the DIY solar heater. I wish I would have come here months ago and asked about it because I can’t believe how much time I spent researching and watching all those videos. I would have ended up being disappointed especially thinking about all the time it would have taken to build it and with chronic back pain at that! (just my opinion about me and mean no disrespect to anyone that has built one that turned out great).

Real quick, since I'm no longer doing a DIY heater (subject of this thread), should I have created a new thread? Want to make sure I'm doing this the right way.

Anyway, b/c of where I live, I’ve thought it would be best to focus on a heater for mid to late April when we see highs in the 70’s and low in the 50’s on average. Once I get this worked out since my goal is to extend the season at this point, then I may look into the cooler weather (if not I’ll set that as a goal for when the temps drop in the fall?). Hope that makes sense.

I think I’d like to go with 2ft x 20ft Solar Panels installed on a rack in my backyard where I know I can get a full day of sun (my pool is on the north side of my house so the roof is probably not ideal). However, there are 2 different brands I’m looking at if you could please share experiences/feedback with me?
SunQuest with Couplers and Mounting Kit
SunHeater (model #S240U)

Can you please let me know which one you think I should go with (or if you have any other suggestions below the $400 mark, that would be great? If I read correctly the SunHeater would need a mounting kit for each 2-foot collector. I think 6 would be ideal unless you think I should start with 4. Before I ask about the ground rack, it will be about 15 feet away from the pool.

I think most people use their existing pumps but would what about a second pump exclusively for the heater? My particular pool has 2 drain valves at the bottom on opposite sides. Since the bottom is where the colder water is, would it make any difference to pump from one and then sending it back to the other one since heat rises? I attached a picture (not the best quality but gives you an idea) to show what they look like. If you think I should the main pump, would 0.5 hp work or should I upgrade?

Finally, what do you think is the best material for a rack holding 4-6 of these? Would strong, treated wood be okay? It’s not consistently windy here but we usually have some severe weather with winds that can gust to 60 mph

I know I’m only asking about a few things, but I thought getting feedback on the panels, the pump and the rack would be a good place to start. Then if I have questions about pressure, how to connect, etc. I can do that later. I also just purchased the e-book and I look forward to reading that to get to where I can help others. Thanks again for all your advice and I look forward to sharing pictures (getting responses about what I’m doing wrong, lol) and telling the community how well it works?

Thank you everyone

 

[mas985]

If you have room for 6 panels, go with 6 panels.

As for a second pump, I would just see if it works fine with the pump you have. You can always upgrade the pump later it if is an issue.

 

[dhoop44]

I’m no longer interested in a DIY pool heater and I appreciate all your feedback on that issue. Now I need to figure out my best options and would greatly appreciate your feedback and advice. I’m going to focus more on later in the spring and once I’ve finalized what I’m going to do, I can discuss early spring/late fall heaters. Would rather get 2 extra months of swimming then no months.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think my best option is going with 6 of the 2ft x 20ft Solar Panels installed on a rack where I know I can get a full day of sun (my pool is on the north side, so roof isn’t a good option). There are 2 different ones I’m looking at if you could please share experiences/feedback with me?

1. SunQuest

2. SunHeater
(Links are in the attachment)

After I decide on which what to go with what about the ground rack? I’ve seen pics made of different materials (wood, PVC, etc.) and wanted to know what you recommend? Please feel free to share any other information that would be helpful.

If this doesn't seem like it would be a good option due to the unpredictable weather here in Missouri, are there any other suggestions that wouldn't cost over $1000 to install? In mid to late April our average high is close to 70 degrees and low around 50 degrees (FYI: A solar cover will be used if that helps in anyone's suggestions)

 

[ajw22]

@mas985 any thoughts on this?

 

[mas985]

I had given him feedback here: Help with DIY Solar Heating