As with all products, there is a range of options for you to consider when it comes to choosing a solar water panel to heat your swimming pool. While a solar panels are no mystery in that we know they take the power of the sun and convert it into energy, solar panels (also known as collectors) used for heating pools are slightly different.
The principles are the same though, with water pumped from the swimming pool into the panels where it is heated, then pumped back into the pool. A filter cleans the water of any debris before it enters the panel and a flow controller ensures that the water enters the panels only when the temperature dictates it’s necessary.
There are two basic types of solar water panels – flat-plate and evacuated tube – with both available in either glazed or unglazed form. Glazed refers to a panel that is encased in an insulated box with a glass front, while unglazed refers to a panel that is not encased. Your location and how often you’ll use your pool dictate the efficiency of either, but unglazed panels do cost less as they are made of heavy-duty UV treated plastic as opposed to the copper tubing, aluminium plate and glass covering ensemble that makes up a glazed panel.
Flat-plate panels are the most popular type, where pool water is pumped through a series of tubing so that the pool is heated directly. Evacuated tube panels do not heat the corrosive pool water directly. The chlorine in pool water makes it damaging to the panels and so ‘clean water’ is used along with a heat exchanger which transfers the heat from the heated water to the pool.
While glazed panels are considered more effective in colder climates, both glazed and unglazed panels should be treated to protect them from freezing, particularly when you are located in climates that are susceptible to such dramatic temperature changes.
When choosing the size of your solar array it is important to know the size of your pool. It’s generally accepted that a panel area of around 50%-60% the surface area of the swimming pool produces the best results. This is perfect for ‘swimming season’ pools but for extended periods it may be necessary to use the solar water panels in conjunction with a conventional heating system.
Finally, to get the very best results it is always wise to use a swimming pool cover, of which there are three types. Bubble (solar) covers are like the bubble-wrap in packaging but are UV treated and made of higher quality plastic. Vinyl covers are simply thin sheets of vinyl while insulated vinyl covers are two sheets of vinyl with insulation between them.
Making the choice is up to you, but there is a certainty that the cost of heating your swimming pool will be reduced significantly. After all, panels generally have a 15-20 year life-span and pay for themselves between 2 and 5 years – both good statistics from your perspective.
Solar Pool Heating Panels Video
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