Solar heaters for pools ... any ideas on how to make one?
Question:I have an in ground 13,000 gallon pool that I use a solar cover on to retain heat, but I would like to swim earlier and later in the year and I was thinking of building my own solar heater. Your suggestions are welcome please! I had thought of a 6' X 3' X 6" deep box that would have densely packed piping going back and forth to the other side where the water would be returned to the pool. The class topped box would concentrate the heat and warm the water passively I believe. Any other suggestions or suggestions on what materials to use? I can draw the water from the filter without having to add a seperate pump.
Answers:
It sounds to me like the set up you envision will work in a limited fashion to heat the water enough to raise the temp 5-8 degrees. If you want this to be a relatively inexpensive project to simply expand the swim season I believe you are on the right track. Good luck!
Buy a solar pool heater.
They don't cost much. Should be a lot cheaper than your box with piping in it.
I hooked one up for two sibling sisters (old maids), that live together. Trust me. There is reasons no man would want them. Anyway, it took me about 3 hrs to run the piping to it.
It's a pretty good size panel, and they said it had the pool at their desired temp in two days.
It's about a 20ftx 5ft somewhat flexible panel they have leaned up against their fence.
A large sheet of black plastic with piping run underneath it is how one pool I administered was run. Of course the standard applies in that it needs to have as much sun as possible and you must have the room for it, but it was sufficient to heat the pool to 80ยบ+
my neighbor ran a line off the pool supply line from the pump and ran it up to the roof of his pool house.. he put galvanized metal on the roof and ran the pipe up one side and ran smaller pipes accross the roof to another main pipe that ran back down to the pool... he put a valve on the end of it so he could turn it off so he could control the temp better in the hotter months... he also painted it black to get more heat from the sun.. similar versions of this are used all over florida for heating pools... they arent too difficult to build.. just take some creative thinking...
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