Nov 14
For those pool owners who are in the habit of regularly using their pool covers hats off to you for your energy-saving and planet-serving ways. For the not-so-dedicated, now is the time for you to bring out and use your solar pool cover if it is tucked away in the garden shed or rolled upon its reel languishing idly by the side of the pool. And if you don’t have solar cover as yet, may I be so bold as encourage you to invest in one soon.

If you live in the northern hemisphere, your solar pool heating system needs all the help it can get during the cold winter months just to keep in the heat; to prevent all its hard work coming to naught as the warmth of the water escapes into the surrounding cold air. A solar cover is essential as it reduces temperature difference by preventing the heat from escaping from your heated pool. It will not only prevent warmth from escaping, but it is also designed to absorb and grab hold of all the heat from the sun that it can manage even when the winter sun’s rays are weak. This heat is then transferred into the pool water and, let’s face it, in winter every bit warmth in the pool counts!


If you live in the southern hemisphere, then pool covers will prevent water loss through evaporation during the hot summer months. Evaporation is by nature a cooling process and plays havoc with the warmth of your pool. The ideal temperature for swimming is about 25 – 26 degrees C (77 – 79 degrees F) and in sub-tropical areas this ideal temperature is difficult to maintain without some additional help.

Heat is lost through evaporation and the constant topping up of pool water levels as well as through natural  night-time cooling off. If you don’t want to add more heat to the pool water, then a regular non-solar pool cover will be adequate. If, however, you do want to increase the temperature, then a pool solar cover will do the trick nicely and raise the water temperature by a  few degrees. Solar cover temperature difference needs to be experienced to be enjoyed!

Incidentally, should you decide to buy a pool cover from one of the links on my blog, I will be paid a small commission – not even enough for a small coffee!

Technorati Tags: pool solar covers, solar cover temperature difference, solar pool cover, solar pool covers

Dec 9

  Solar Sun Rings are another interesting innovation in the range of solar pool accessories available these days. They are easy manage and work reasonably well in the absence of a full solar pool cover. They are fun and add an air of playfulness to the ambiance of the whole pool area.

Informational video on item 5633 Solar Sun Rings swimming pool heating rings    offered through Doheny’s Water Warehouse. Distributed by Tubemogul.

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Technorati Tags: solar pool covers, solar sun rings

Aug 16

Swimming pool solar heating uses the sun to heat the pool water. Natural gas and electricity have traditionally been the main sources of power for heating swimming pools. Of course, gas and electricity  are expensive and the price for using them is steep with high monthly utility bills acting as a constant reminder. Not so with solar pool heat. You pay the initial outlay and installation costs to begin with and that’s it – no monthly pool heating costs to have to worry about.

Professionally installed swimming pool solar heating systems range in price from $3000 to $8000 give or take. The cost will depend on the size of the pool you want to heat. Even those pools that only require solar heating in the cooler months – mid-fall through winter to mid-spring ot there abouts – will pay for themselves in a few short years. Naturally, if you heat your pool throughout the year, that break-even time will much shorter.

The Basics of How Swimming Pool Solar Heating Systems Work

A solar pool heat system works on a very simple principle.

  • The pool water is heated in special solar water collectors. These solar water collectors must be strategically positioned in an area that receives a lot of direct sunlight daily.
  • The swimming pool water pump is used to pump the water from the pool into the solar water collector,where it is warmed, and then brings the now warmed water back into the pool again. This cycle continues all day long or until your pool has reached the desired temperature.
  • A solar water collector is a solar panel that gets hot when exposed to the sun. The water running through the collector is warmed by the heat that  the collector has absorbed from the sun.


Of course, anything that is powered by solar energy is dependent on sunlight for it to be able to work.  With swimming pool solar heating systems, it is no different. They need direct sunlight to work effectively. That being said, innovations in solar energy technology have changed this equation slightly because systems are being developed that can concentrate the weakest of sunrays into usable solar power.  Of course, in places that get a lot of  sunny weather throughout the year, solar pool heat will do extremely well in all seasons. In places where rainy or snowy weather predominates in winter, they will benefit mostly from an extended swimming season into spring and fall.

There are several different swimming pool solar accessories on the market these days that can be used in combination with the solar heating systems. Solar pool covers, for example, are useful because they help the pool retain its warmth. Uncovered swimming pools lose heat during the cool nights. A solar pool cover helps to trap the heat in the pool. During the cool hours of the night or on rainy days it will prevent heat dissipation. If you keep the cover on during the day when the pool is not in use, the solar cover also increases the water temperature. Solar pool covers attract the sun, get hot, and transfer the heat to the pool water.

Incidentally, should you decide to purchase something from any of the links on my site, I will be paid a small commission for having promoted the product on my site.

Technorati Tags: pool solar panel, solar pool accessories, solar pool cover, solar pool covers, solar pool heat, swimming pool solar covers, swimming pool solar heating

 


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