by Lauren Dansey
The final installation for our two solar pool heating systems was completed last week, and we couldn’t be happier with the performance. We installed two systems, a rooftop system (the dark panels below the solar electrical panels on our roof), and an in-deck solar heating system (underneath the concrete around the pool.) The system begins to pump warm water into the pool as early as 8am, and continues until late in the afternoon. (We do have an ideal south-facing roof.) We set the desired temperature, and a separate pump operates whenever the water in the solar panels is hotter than the pool temperature. It shuts off when the desired temperature is reached. The system pumps out an amazing amount of hot water — the kids are getting exercise by positioning themselves where the water comes into the pool and swimming against the current.
The in-deck pool heating system has an added advantage, also. The concrete around the pool used to be too hot to walk on during hot afternoons, but now with the cooler water circulating underneath it, the concrete is much cooler. The heat is carried to the pool.
The goal is to not use the pool heater at all. We’re going to be careful to use a pool cover at night when the weather gets colder, and between that and the solar heating systems, we’ll see how warm we can keep the pool.
For more information about solar pool heating, call us at 805-497-9808, or fill out the contact sheet on our website.