Last year I installed a solar pool heater that I made myself. I just T’d the 2inch pipe coming out from the pump and the T side was 1 inch. Thus, the T slips off some of the circulating water and runs it through a set of 1/2 inch black tubing. There are two headers at each end and then the water comes out onto the slide and back into the pool.
The pool temp on this day started out at 68 degrees in the morning. Granted it was a nice sunny day and the outside temp was about 74. The pool water was up to 73 degrees during the shooting of this video and the water coming out of the solar heater was almost 79 degress. It had been 80 degress coming out most of the day even though the air temperature was 74 for most of the day. This was a relatively cheap way to achieve solar heating for your pool. Now each pool is different so I am not sure of your set up but this was a pretty easy way to set up the solar heater. I might add additional tubing and another header at each end this year in order to increase the pool temp even more. NOTHING LIKE FREE ENERGY FROM THE SUN TO HEAT THE POOL!!! The pump still runs off of the grid and isn’t solar. Maybe someday I will upgrade the pump to solar.
Duration : 0:5:15
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
The same amount of …
The same amount of water is pumped through the system and no extra pressure according to the Pressure gauge so IMO it will work fine with my current pump. Can’t speak for all makes and models but I have used this for two full seasons so far and my pump is still working fine.
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
that will kill …
that will kill your pump right?
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Now that is climate …
Now that is climate control!!!
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
In Ga my pool would …
In Ga my pool would get up to 96 deg. in August. At that point I will have another bypass to run the water to a set of pipes burried along side the shady side of the house to cool it off.
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
I have headers at …
I have headers at each end and a valve at each end so I can vary the “flow” out of the unit. The wider pipe is a good idea. Let me know how it works. I was going on the shoestring budget and seems to work well. I problem I had this year was that it would get up to 80 degrees and then it would rain for three days and drop the temp back down to 75 and then it would work back up. Strange Summer…so much for Global Warming. I was looking forward to swimming in the pool in November!
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Hey, nice set up. …
Hey, nice set up. I’m going with a little more volume. Tapping off my 2 inch pipe, after the pump, filter, chlorine generator, right before it goes back to the pool. All clean water will get bypassed to the heater. I’m using larger pipe for more surface area to gather heat, plus the more diameter the pipe, the less speed. Smaller pipe will shoot the water thru it fast, which we don’t want. The pipe wil remain 2 inches until it goes to the manifold. The manifold will distribute to 1in pipe.
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
As of today I had a …
As of today I had a chance to check the pool. 81 degrees and it has been 61 degrees at night. Kids are in the pool almost everyday….most of the day!!!!!
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Copper might be a …
Copper might be a good idea but it would be WAY more expensive to do it that way. Remember that you want enough water “sitting” in the tubes to keep the water temperature getting hotter. Shorter piping would limit that somewhat. Copper tubing was never in my mind as the cost would push it up to buying a Propane heater I think. Could be wrong but never really priced it out. The tubing is cheap and works.
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Nice job and nice …
Nice job and nice pool. Was thinking of doing something along the same line but not as long as your setup. Do you think that metal piping (galvanized, copper etc.) would get hotter if it were painted black? I would think so. May be more costly of course. What’s your take on that? Thanks for the video and info!
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Glad you liked it. …
Glad you liked it. Its been raining for two days so the pool temp went back down. Can’t keep it hot without the SUN!!! Bring it back!!!!
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Nice!!
Nice!!