New solar pool heating panel installation

[seturam]

I have 25000 gallon L-shaped pool, 38 feet x 14 at the narrow end and 20 feet wide at the broad end. I am in the process of getting solar heating panels installed over my tile roof. I already have solar electric panels. There seems to be enough room for additional thermal panels.

I contacted 3 vendors from the area. I got quote for $8000-$9000 for about 450 aq. feet of panels. Panels were FAFCO and Heliocol. I saw the reviews ad warranties of the vendors. Most of them were good except some negative ones.

I wonder if anyone in our area had experience with solar pool heating installers and heating panels from different companies. If there are any recommendations.

Appreciate any feed back ​

 

[jblizzle]

I had Heliocol installed at previous house (tile) and found some used that I installed on current house (flat).

The big manufacturers are pretty similar in terms of quality. I like the way the heliocol panels connect to each other and their mounting which requires less roof presentations (individual tubes allow wind to pass through, although that may lower the efficiency some).

Price sounds a little higher than I expected, but could be due to install difficulties or just price increase since I had the first ones installed 12ish years ago.

 

[Dirk]

I like my Heliocols. Though I didn't research much. They are a respected brand, and I got 'em dirt cheap. I installed 400 sq' of them myself, for about $3K. My vendor would be in driving distance of you (long distance) and might still be offering the kit they sold me: great price, included everything I needed to DIY. Literally everything, down to screws and glue and paint and rags. Crazy deal. If DIY is an option, I can set you up with my guy... I've sent others from here to him, but haven't heard back from them if it worked out, but maybe worth a try...

The installed price they quoted was around 10K, but I think that also included a VS pump and solar controller. So comparable price... which is why I did it myself. (And I didn't even fall off the roof!!)

 

[seturam]

Thanks for the helpful information,

 

[seturam]

Thanks for the information. I think I will go with Heliocol.
My skill level and time factor may not good enough to DIY project.
However I do know people like roof contractors who may be able to do it.
I would need about 450 aq.feet of Heliocol panels. If it is possible to get price from your vendor for the panels, I will try to get labor cost estimate. This will help in deciding whether I should take this approach.
I really appreciate your offer. If you can get your vendor to contact me or if you provide his contact information, that will be very helpful.

Thanks again

 

[ppierce2nm]

How well do the solar heaters work? We live in southern New Mexico and have year round sun so are considering it. I want to keep our future pool around 90 degrees so I can exercise in it.

 

[Dirk]

How well do the solar heaters work? We live in southern New Mexico and have year round sun so are considering it. I want to keep our future pool around 90 degrees so I can exercise in it.

You'll need someone from your area to give you a useful answer. In Central CA, I get maybe a few weeks of extra swim days, at the beginning and the end of the season. The heater gives me an extra month or two of "more comfortable" temperature within my regular swim season, and in mid-swim season I get a "more comfortable" temp sooner in the day than I would have without the heater.

For me, it is not a miracle solution. It generally makes swimming more comfortable for me, but I still only get about a 6-month swim season, counting the first and last few weeks where I have to pretend a bit that I am enjoying my swim!! I can crank my pool to 90° perhaps only 2 or 3 months a year.

If you're looking for year-round, or near-year-round 90° temps, I doubt a solar heater can do that, even where you live (but, again, only someone from your area, with a system, could say for sure). So maybe a gas (NG) heater is in your future.

That's not to say you have to choose only one solution. My automation controller can decide on the fly which of my heaters to use. On a sunny day, it'll choose the solar heater. On a cloudy day, it'll select the NG heater. It can perform this stunt multiple times a day, if need be. So maybe NG in the morning, then solar takes over in the afternoon, then NG again when it cools off in the evening. Or if there's a decent solar day, with some clouds, it'll fire up the gas heater when a cloud passes over! Point being: for the hours that solar is available, you could save on gas costs. Enough, I'm sure, to justify the cost of the addition of a secondary solar heating system. Just something to consider, especially if you're determined to crank your pool to 90° on a daily basis.

 

[jblizzle]

How well do the solar heaters work? We live in southern New Mexico and have year round sun so are considering it. I want to keep our future pool around 90 degrees so I can exercise in it.

My pool is over 90 and I have not been running the solar for over a month. It helps a bunch in the shoulder seasons, but without a cover, no way it will get up to 90 outside of the summer.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

In my central CA location, my covered pool wants to stay 90F in summer, too warm for my preference. Running the solar at night quickly cools the pool back down to 85, and could probably go lower if I set it on my EasyTouch.

This turns out to be a bigger benefit than heating, because the season I need cooling is longer than the season shoulders when I need heating. This was a surprise, but really adds value for solar in my case.

This obviously depends on climate. It cools off here at night in summer.

 

[jblizzle]

Last weekend I was considering running mine at night too. Wish the Hayward actually allowed it in the ProLogic.

 

[Dirk]

Running the solar at night quickly cools the pool back down to 85, and could probably go lower if I set it on my EasyTouch..

Is the EasyTouch capable of controlling solar panels for cooling at night? Or are you doing something manually? If ET controlled, can you tell us how to do that?

 

[Pool_Medic]

Can’t you turn off the solar controller and manually turn the actuated valve by hand?

 

[jblizzle]

Can’t you turn off the solar controller and manually turn the actuated valve by hand?

You asking me? Turning the actuated valve by hand is not easy. But easy to just manually flip the toggle switch to turn it on. It just does not have automated cooling control.

 

[Pool_Medic]

I find it very easy, loosen off the screw and push in while turning.

 

[jblizzle]

I find it very easy, loosen off the screw and push in while turning.

That is only true for some brands of actuators.

 

[pooldv]

Is the EasyTouch capable of controlling solar panels for cooling at night? Or are you doing something manually? If ET controlled, can you tell us how to do that?

Yes Easytouch, Suntouch and Solartouch have a solar cooling mode. Enable solar cooling and set the temp you want, just the opposite of solar heating. It works great!

 

[seturam]

I am looking for solar pool heating panel installer on tile roof. I can buy the Heliocol products directly through the vendor but dont have an installer. All the installer in the area want to sell the panels they install.
I am in Fairfield, in northern California.
Appreciate if any one is aware of installer.

 

[Dirk]

Yes Easytouch, Suntouch and Solartouch have a solar cooling mode. Enable solar cooling and set the temp you want, just the opposite of solar heating. It works great!

I don't see how to "Enable solar cooling" in the ET, not in the ScreenLogic or Configure ScreenLogic. I see a check box option for "Has cooling," but enabling that also turns on "Solar is a heat pump" and "UltraTemp or ThermalFlo" options.

Do you just turn down the temperature at night? Or maybe the ET doesn't have this option...

 

[pooldv]

I'm not familiar with the Easytouch menus. On the Solartouch there is a menu for "solar heat" and "solar cool". Under each menu is enable/disable, set temp, temp differential, etc. So, you can set a target for heat temp and a cool temp.

I don't remember if I'm assuming that Easytouch has the same or if I've seen threads discussing solar heat and cool for Easytouch. Too many TFP threads in my head!

Edit:
Did a little looking around and found this
EasyTouch Nightime Cooling

That takes the easy out of Easytouch!

I think I'd just call Pentair to see what they say about it.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

It appears that solar cooling can only be enabled on EasyTouch outdoor controllers running firmware 2.16 or later. That's my experience, anyway.

My wired indoor controller is running 2.15 and can't enable it. My wireless controller claims to be running 2.16 but can't enable it.

I did get it working by programming it from the outdoor controller. I don't have ScreenLogic to try that.

See my thread here for some screen shots.