Which solar water heater?

[bioguy]

The second season I had my above ground pool, I built a diy solar water heater. I have a few dollars to spend on an upgrade, and I'd like to get a commercially produced version such as one by SunQuest since these are sure to be more efficient than mine. There are a lot of different manufacturers, and I don't know which one would be best to get. Do any of you have products you would or wouldn't recommend?

 

[ajw22]

Where do you plan to mount your panels?

@Dirk has shopped solar panels.

 

[bioguy]

I will mount them on top of the garage which has a south-facing roof. The diy system I built is up there, so it shouldn't be too hard to swap the panels for the tubing that is up there.

 

[Dirk]

I actually didn't shop too much. I did a little research and ended up with Heliocol, reinforced by the fact that my local vendor sold me a DIY kit of panels and gear at way too good a price to pass up. I can highly recommend Heliocol, based on how well they are engineered and constructed, and how well and easily the installation went. If I had to do it again, I'd buy Heliocol again.

I had the choice of using north- or south-facing roof for my pool solar heater panels. I decided to use north and save south for my PV solar panels (electricity). That was a good decision, as it's way more important for PV solar to face south than pool heater panels. If PV is a possibility for you, save the south-facing roof for that...

North-facing roof at our latitude is fine for pool panels during swim season. They would suffer when the sun is lower in the winter, but that is off season and wouldn't be in use for the pool anyway. That's why PV solar must face south, for the winter months more so than the summer time.

 

[Bigfellor]

I actually didn't shop too much. I did a little research and ended up with Heliocol, reinforced by the fact that my local vendor sold me a DIY kit of panels and gear at way too good a price to pass up. I can highly recommend Heliocol, based on how well they are engineered and constructed, and how well and easily the installation went. If I had to do it again, I'd buy Heliocol again.

I had the choice of using north- or south-facing roof for my pool solar heater panels. I decided to use north and save south for my PV solar panels (electricity). That was a good decision, as it's way more important for PV solar to face south than pool heater panels. If PV is a possibility for you, save the south-facing roof for that...

North-facing roof at our latitude is fine for pool panels during swim season. They would suffer when the sun is lower in the winter, but that is off season and wouldn't be in use for the pool anyway. That's why PV solar must face south, for the winter months more so than the summer time.

What is PV?

 

[bioguy]

PV = photovoltaic

 

[Dirk]

PV = The kind of solar panels that generate electricity for your home.

 

[Steverino]

11 years ago I installed two Fafco Solar Bear panels on the ground near our pool. Panels are 4' x 20' and I used a Goldline controller to route water to them when appropriate.
Overall the setup has worked well. One or two years I opened the pool to find a leak or two in the panels, but you can buy a repair kit that lets you selectively plug a defective "tube", and that worked fine.

This year I have multiple leaks and need to assess whether repair is feasible or whether UV has finally won the fight and I need to replace them. I was rather surprised that in the intervening 11 years, the price has gone from $190 per panel to about $280 (not done researching that though).

 

[markayash]

I have and still am considering solar panels to use and only use gas heater for the spa.
Read about one that mounts in your attic years ago that seems smart. Was a giant radiator with a fan that claimed to help heat pool and cool attic at the same time. My concerned was water leak.
I also read here about a system that uses your AC to heat water. I have 3 units but all about 40’ away

 

[Pool_Medic]

I too love the attic idea....until I thought about leaks lol