Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Should You Build Your Own Solar Pool Heater?
Building your own solar pool heater is a great do-it-yourself project if you want to add solar to
your home. You will not need to buy a lot of expensive equipment or tools. And you will not need
highly specialized skills. Here is a basic explanation of the process and benefits so you can
decide if you want to tackle it.
The project payback time can be as short as 2 years in terms of energy savings. This is because you
will be saving the cost of gas to heat your pool. And the cost of materials for building a solar
pool heater is lower than with most other solar projects. You will also be saving the cost of
installation if you decide to go ahead and do that yourself.
You will need to purchase only a few simple components: solar collectors, piping, a controller and
a diverter valve. You will not need to build or buy a storage tank, since your pool already stores
the water. And you won't need to buy, build or install a circulating pump, since your solar pool
heater will use your pool's circulating pump.
Here's a simple explanation of how the system works. The water from the pool gets pumped into the
solar collector, gets heated by the sun and gets pumped back into the pool. This is called an open
loop design. The controller allows you to select the warmest temperature you want the pool to
reach. And the diverter valve either sends water back to the pool if it is already warm enough, or
over to the collector to be heated as needed.
The solar collector is a simple system of black polypropylene UV-resistant tubing. The choice of
materials is important so that the tubing doesn't break down from exposure to the sun or from
exposure from the chlorine in the pool. The proper materials will last up to 20 years.
Although it is tempting to think of doing it all yourself, including making the solar collector, it
is really easier and more cost effective to buy ready made collectors for your project. The reason
is that adhesives will not stick to polypropylene, and the equipment you would need to thermal weld
it would cost more than buying the ready-made collectors. Also, experts advise against using a less
expensive rubber or plastic tubing that will break down too quickly because of exposure to the sun
and chlorine.
If you decide that you really want to install your solar pool heating system yourself, the easiest
method is to buy a kit. You will still need to design measure and install your system. And you will
be able to enjoy the fruits of your efforts for years afterwards.
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