Question:

Hi, I live in the Northeast and am having trouble deciding on buying or building my own panels.  Here is what I am debated. From all my testing and evaluations it seems that the most popular materials used to make solar pool panels are Polyethylene or rubber which are insulators of heat transfer.  Yes black piping does get hot on the outside but it isn’t the best conductor of heat to the water that is running through the pipes that comprise the panel.  These panels cost about 200.00 for each 4′ x 12′ collector.  Not cheap either. I was told that my 20 x 40′ pool would need 8 of these.swimming pool solar water heater parts   After all was said and done it would cost me about 1800.00 plus.  I’m concerned that the plastic units aren’t going to do what I want and that I am better building my own.  On the plastic panels each panel has about 100 small pencil sized tubes that make up the collector with an 1.5″ riser. Here is my proposal to doing it myself.  I would appreciate any feedback on how it might work in comparison to buying the 8 panels, as suggested by the guys who sell this stuff: I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors.  Each collector would measure 4′ x 12′.  Each collector would be built in a box, much like a solar hot water collector.  On the bottom of the box I would use black rolled roofing of even 12 mill black plastic.  Inside the box I would use 1.5″ copper for the top and bottom with 14 runs of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ id) copper.  So picture a solar panel with the larger tubing on top and bottom with the smaller pipes running diagonal from top to bottom.  Then I was thinking of using corrugated roofing material which is like a hard plastic.  I would seal the box so it was air tight with small weep holes.  I was even thinking of using 12 mil plastic for the top of the box too.swimming pool solar water heater parts   Copper is an excellent source of heat transfer and in this type of box I believe It could work.  Total cost is about $1,200.00.  The 1.5″ copper tubing would mostly be made up of tees with reducers for the 3/8″ piping.  Would these collectors work better than the store bought panels.   The only thing that worries me is that the store bought panels have almost 100 tubes per panel where my design only has about 70 runs per 5 panels.  However, the solar collectors I build would retain the heat better and have a better flow. Any opinions welcomed.

Response:

why not build a batch heater?swimming pool solar water heater parts   After all was said and done it would cost me about 1800.00 plus.  I’m concerned that the plastic units aren’t going to do what I want and that I am better building my own.  On the plastic panels each panel has about 100 small pencil sized tubes that make up the collector with an 1.5″ riser. Here is my proposal to doing it myself.  I would appreciate any feedback on how it might work in comparison to buying the 8 panels, as suggested by the guys who sell this stuff: I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors.  Each collector would measure 4′ x 12′.  Each collector would be built in a box, much like a solar hot water collector.  On the bottom of the box I would use black rolled roofing of even 12 mill black plastic.  Inside the box I would use 1.5″ copper for the top and bottom with 14 runs of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ id) copper.  So picture a solar panel with the larger tubing on top and bottom with the smaller pipes running diagonal from top to bottom.  Then I was thinking of using corrugated roofing material which is like a hard plastic.  I would seal the box so it was air tight with small weep holes.  I was even thinking of using 12 mil plastic for the top of the box too.  Copper is an excellent source of heat transfer and in this type of box I believe It could work.  Total cost is about $1,200.00.  The 1.5″ copper tubing would mostly be made up of tees with reducers for the 3/8″ piping.  Would these collectors work better than the store bought panels. The only thing that worries me is that the store bought panels have almost 100 tubes per panel where my design only has about 70 runs per 5 panels. However, the solar collectors I build would retain the heat better and have a better flow. Any opinions welcomed.

Response:

What is a batch heater.  There wasn’t anything like that referenced on your web site.  I have a big pool to heat-33,000 gallons.  Do you have any comments on my original post? I’ve seen your web site and read through it several times now.

swimming pool solar water heater parts.  Yes black piping does get hot on the outside but it isn’t the best conductor of heat to the water that is running through the pipes that comprise the panel.  These panels cost about 200.00 for each 4′ x 12′ collector.  Not cheap either. I was told that my 20 x 40′ pool would need 8 of these.  After all was said and done it would cost me about 1800.00 plus.  I’m concerned that the plastic units aren’t going to do what I want and that I am better building my own.  On the plastic panels each panel has about 100 small pencil sized tubes that make up the collector with an 1.5″ riser. Here is my proposal to doing it myself.  I would appreciate any feedback on how it might work in comparison to buying the 8 panels, as suggested by the guys who sell this stuff: I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors.  Each collector would measure 4′ x 12′.  Each collector would be built in a box, much like a solar hot water collector.  On the bottom of the box I would use black rolled roofing of even 12 mill black plastic.  Inside the box I would use 1.5″ copper for the top and bottom with 14 runs of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ id) copper.  So picture a solar panel with the larger tubing on top and bottom with the smaller pipes running diagonal from top to bottom.  Then I was thinking of using corrugated roofing material which is like a hard plastic.  I would seal the box so it was air tight with small weep holes.  I was even thinking of using 12 mil plastic for the top of the box too.  Copper is an excellent source of heat transfer and in this type of box I believe It could work.  Total cost is about $1,200.00.  The 1.5″ copper tubing would mostly be made up of tees with reducers for the 3/8″ piping.  Would these collectors work better than the store bought panels. The only thing that worries me is that the store bought panels have almost 100 tubes per panel where my design only has about 70 runs per 5 panels. However, the solar collectors I build would retain the heat better and have a better flow. Any opinions welcomed.

Response:

…the most popular materials used to make solar pool panels are Polyethylene or rubber which are insulators of heat transfer.

You might call them conductors, in thin layers. I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors.  Each collector would measure 4′ x 12′.  Each collector would be built in a box, much like a solar hot water collector.  On the bottom of the box I would use black rolled roofing of even 12 mill black plastic.  Inside the box I would use 1.5″ copper for the top and bottom with 14 runs of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ id) copper…

Why not just make the box bottom black, and let water flow through the box? swimming pool solar water heater parts

Response:

Build Your Own Solar Water Heateswimming pool solar water heater parts.  Here is what I am debated. From all my testing and evaluations it seems that the most popular materials used to make solar pool panels are Polyethylene or rubber which are insulators of heat transfer.  Yes black piping does get hot on the outside but it isn’t the best conductor of heat to the water that is running through the pipes that comprise the panel.  These panels cost about 200.00 for each 4′ x 12′ collector.  Not cheap either. I was told that my 20 x 40′ pool would need 8 of these.  After all was said and done it would cost me about 1800.00 plus.  I’m concerned that the plastic units aren’t going to do what I want and that I am better building my own.  On the plastic panels each panel has about 100 small pencil sized tubes that make up the collector with an 1.5″ riser. Here is my proposal to doing it myself.  I would appreciate any feedback on how it might work in comparison to buying the 8 panels, as suggested by the guys who sell this stuff: I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors.  Each collector would measure 4′ x 12′.  Each collector would be built in a box, much like a solar hot water collector.  On the bottom of the box I would use black rolled roofing of even 12 mill black plastic.  Inside the box I would use 1.5″ copper for the top and bottom with 14 runs of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ id) copper.  So picture a solar panel with the larger tubing on top and bottom with the smaller pipes running diagonal from top to bottom.  Then I was thinking of using corrugated roofing material which is like a hard plastic.  I would seal the box so it was air tight with small weep holes.  I was even thinking of using 12 mil plastic for the top of the box too.  Copper is an excellent source of heat transfer and in this type of box I believe It could work.  Total cost is about $1,200.00.  The 1.5″ copper tubing would mostly be made up of tees with reducers for the 3/8″ piping.  Would these collectors work better than the store bought panels. The only thing that worries me is that the store bought panels have almost 100 tubes per panel where my design only has about 70 runs per 5 panels. However, the solar collectors I build would retain the heat better and have a better flow. Any opinions welcomed.

Response:

I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors…

As an alternative, you might make a pool-sized rectangle from PVC pipe and attach a single layer of 10 mil UV reinforced polyethlyene film to the pipe frame with a pipe ripped in fourths and some sheet metal screws, and float this cover on top of the pool by pumping some air underneath, and let the air out to make the frame sink for swimming. With 2 layers of film and a little more plumbing, you could fill the space between the films with soap bubble foam at night, for a warmer pool. Nick

Response:

Would it be worth the added expense to cover the tubes with a selective coating such as SolKote Hi/Sorb II from swimming pool solar water heater parts,   I live in the Northeast and am having trouble deciding on buying or building my own panels.  Here is what I am debated.   From all my testing and evaluations it seems that the most popular materials used to make solar pool panels are Polyethylene or rubber which are insulators of heat transfer.  Yes black piping does get hot on the outside but it isn’t the best conductor of heat to the water that is running through the pipes that comprise the panel.  These panels cost about 200.00 for each 4′ x 12′ collector.  Not cheap either. I was told that my 20 x 40′ pool would need 8 of these.  After all was said and done it would cost me about 1800.00 plus.  I’m concerned that the plastic units aren’t going to do what I want and that I am better building my own.  On the plastic panels each panel has about 100 small pencil sized tubes that make up the collector with an 1.5″ riser.   Here is my proposal to doing it myself.  I would appreciate any feedback on how it might work in comparison to buying the 8 panels, as suggested by the guys who sell this stuff:   I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors.  Each collector would measure 4′ x 12′.  Each collector would be built in a box, much like a solar hot water collector.  On the bottom of the box I would use black rolled roofing of even 12 mill black plastic.  Inside the box I would use 1.5″ copper for the top and bottom with 14 runs of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ id) copper.  So picture a solar panel with the larger tubing on top and bottom with the smaller pipes running diagonal from top to bottom.  Then I was thinking of using corrugated roofing material which is like a hard plastic.  I would seal the box so it was air tight with small weep holes.  I was even thinking of using 12 mil plastic for the top of the box too.  Copper is an excellent source of heat transfer and in this type of box I believe It could work.  Total cost is about $1,200.00.  The 1.5″ copper tubing would mostly be made up of tees with reducers for the 3/8″ piping.  Would these collectors work better than the store bought panels.     The only thing that worries me is that the store bought panels have almost 100 tubes per panel where my design only has about 70 runs per 5 panels.  However, the solar collectors I build would retain the heat better and have a better flow.   Any opinions welcomed.

Response:

I doubt that a selective surface here would be worth the effort.  We currently heat our (10K gallon) pool with 4 uncovered 4 x 10′ copper/aluminum panels.  The panels are only 3 – 5 degrees F warmer than the pool and they are most often (in the summer at least) cooler than the ambient daytime temperature.  What that means is that extra money spent on trying to prevent radiant/convective loss would be pretty useless. We also use a transparent “bubble pack” pool cover that also allows a lot of heat to enter the pool. BTW – The heater works well.  We can pick-up as much as 10 degrees in a day and often have to turn it off when the pool approaches the high 80’s.   My dad has several hundred feet of 1/2 black plastic pipe nailed to several sheets of plywood that he covered with old tin roofing that has been painted black (plywood on the bottom, the tin, the tube on top). The pipe is in a large spiral that isn’t very uniform.  It looks pretty crude but actually works pretty well.  I think he can pick up 5 degrees or so in a day in his large above-ground pool.   Randy   Would it be worth the added expense to cover the tubes with a selective coating such as SolKote Hi/Sorb II from   swimming pool solar water heater parts,     I live in the Northeast and am having trouble deciding on buying or building my own panels.  Here is what I am debated.     From all my testing and evaluations it seems that the most popular materials used to make solar pool panels are Polyethylene or rubber which are insulators of heat transfer.  Yes black piping does get hot on the outside but it isn’t the best conductor of heat to the water that is running through the pipes that comprise the panel.  These panels cost about 200.00 for each 4′ x 12′ collector.  Not cheap either. I was told that my 20 x 40′ pool would need 8 of these.  After all was said and done it would cost me about 1800.00 plus.  I’m concerned that the plastic units aren’t going to do what I want and that I am better building my own.  On the plastic panels each panel has about 100 small pencil sized tubes that make up the collector with an 1.5″ riser.     Here is my proposal to doing it myself.  I would appreciate any feedback on how it might work in comparison to buying the 8 panels, as suggested by the guys who sell this stuff:     I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors.  Each collector would measure 4′ x 12′.  Each collector would be built in a box, much like a solar hot water collector.  On the bottom of the box I would use black rolled roofing of even 12 mill black plastic.  Inside the box I would use 1.5″ copper for the top and bottom with 14 runs of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ id) copper.  So picture a solar panel with the larger tubing on top and bottom with the smaller pipes running diagonal from top to bottom.  Then I was thinking of using corrugated roofing material which is like a hard plastic.  I would seal the box so it was air tight with small weep holes.  I was even thinking of using 12 mil plastic for the top of the box too.  Copper is an excellent source of heat transfer and in this type of box I believe It could work.  Total cost is about $1,200.00.  The 1.5″ copper tubing would mostly be made up of tees with reducers for the 3/8″ piping.  Would these collectors work better than the store bought panels.       The only thing that worries me is that the store bought panels have almost 100 tubes per panel where my design only has about 70 runs per 5 panels.  However, the solar collectors I build would retain the heat better and have a better flow.     Any opinions welcomed.

Response:

interestingswimming pool solar water heater parts  As an alternative, you might make a pool-sized rectangle from PVC pipe and attach a single layer of 10 mil UV reinforced polyethlyene film to the pipe frame with a pipe ripped in fourths and some sheet metal screws, and float this cover on top of the pool by pumping some air underneath, and let the air out to make the frame sink for swimming. With 2 layers of film and a little more plumbing, you could fill the space between the films with soap bubble foam at night, for a warmer pool.swimming pool solar water heater parts

Response:

<snip Please turn off HTML posting.  It makes your post hard to read, and it’s already big enough that most people won’t bother anyway.

Response:

Hi, I live in the Northeast and am having trouble deciding on buying or building my own panels.  Here is what I am debated. From all my testing and evaluations it seems that the most popular materials used to make solar pool panels are Polyethylene or rubber which are insulators of heat transfer.  Yes black piping does get hot on the outside but it isn’t the best conductor of heat to the water that is running through the pipes that comprise the panel.  These panels cost about 200.00 for each 4′ x 12′ collector.  Not cheap either. I was told that my 20 x 40′ pool would need 8 of these.  After all was said and done it would cost me about 1800.00 plus.  I’m concerned that the plastic units aren’t going to do what I want and that I am better building my own.  On the plastic panels each panel has about 100 small pencil sized tubes that make up the collector with an 1.5″ riser. Here is my proposal to doing it myself.  I would appreciate any feedback on how it might work in comparison to buying the 8 panels, as suggested by the guys who sell this stuff: I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors.  Each collector would measure 4′ x 12′.  Each collector would be built in a box, much like a solar hot water collector.  On the bottom of the box I would use black rolled roofing of even 12 mill black plastic.  Inside the box I would use 1.5″ copper for the top and bottom with 14 runs of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ id) copper.  So picture a solar panel with the larger tubing on top and bottom with the smaller pipes running diagonal from top to bottom.  Then I was thinking of using corrugated roofing material which is like a hard plastic.  I would seal the box so it was air tight with small weep holes.  I was even thinking of using 12 mil plastic for the top of the box too.  Copper is an excellent source of heat transfer and in this type of box I believe It could work.  Total cost is about $1,200.00.  The 1.5″ copper tubing would mostly be made up of tees with reducers for the 3/8″ piping.  Would these collectors work better than the store bought panels.   The only thing that worries me is that the store bought panels have almost 100 tubes per panel where my design only has about 70 runs per 5 panels.  However, the solar collectors I build would retain the heat better and have a better flow. Any opinions welcomed.

Response:

<snip Please turn off HTML posting.  It makes your post hard to read, and it’s already big enough that most people won’t bother anyway.

Response:

Hi, I live in the Northeast and am having trouble deciding on buying or building my own panels.  Here is what I am debated. From all my testing and evaluations it seems that the most popular materials used to make solar pool panels are Polyethylene or rubber which are insulators of heat transfer.  Yes black piping does get hot on the outside but it isn’t the best conductor of heat to the water that is running through the pipes that comprise the panel.  These panels cost about 200.00 for each 4′ x 12′ collector.  Not cheap either. I was told that my 20 x 40′ pool would need 8 of these.  After all was said and done it would cost me about 1800.00 plus.  I’m concerned that the plastic units aren’t going to do what I want and that I am better building my own.  On the plastic panels each panel has about 100 small pencil sized tubes that make up the collector with an 1.5″ riser. Here is my proposal to doing it myself.  I would appreciate any feedback on how it might work in comparison to buying the 8 panels, as suggested by the guys who sell this stuff: I was thinking of building 5 solar collectors.  Each collector would measure 4′ x 12′.  Each collector would be built in a box, much like a solar hot water collectorswimming pool solar water heater parts .  On the bottom of the box I would use black rolled roofing of even 12 mill black plastic.  Inside the box I would use 1.5″ copper for the top and bottom with 14 runs of 3/8″ OD (1/4″ id) copper.  So picture a solar panel with the larger tubing on top and bottom with the smaller pipes running diagonal from top to bottom.  Then I was thinking of using corrugated roofing material which is like a hard plastic.  I would seal the box so it was air tight with small weep holes.  I was even thinking of using 12 mil plastic for the top of the box too.  Copper is an excellent source of heat transfer and in this type of box I believe It could work.  Total cost is about $1,200.00.  The 1.5″ copper tubing would mostly be made up of tees with reducers for the 3/8″ piping.  Would these collectors work better than the store bought panels.   The only thing that worries me is that the store bought panels have almost 100 tubes per panel where my design only has about 70 runs per 5 panels.  However, the solar collectors I build would retain the heat better and have a better flow. Any opinions welcomed. swimming pool solar water heater parts

Response:

Question:

try swimming pool solar water heater parts Steve Spence  to the Renewable Energy Newsletter: http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm Renewable Energy Pages – http://www.webconx.com Palm Pilot Pages – http://www.webconx.com/palm X10 Home Automationswimming pool solar water heater parts

swimming pool solar water heater parts Line the inside of the box (bottoms & sides) with Thermax (1″ foam insulation board with foil on both sides), then cover the top with glass, or better yet, plexiglass or lexan. With the lexan, make sure it has a uv coating and that the coating goes on the outside of the box. The only thing you have to worry about now, is, if the pump stops working, the plastic might melt. I think the 1/2″ is too small. The heat will build up too high before the water gets all the way through. I think you would be better off to go to the auto wreckers, get a couple of the widest non-leaking radiators you can get, plumb them together with flexible rad hoses, then build your box to fit around them. (You might want to get a good rad flush first, and then run water through them until it is running clear, before you hook it up to your pool. You will get better heat transfer and it won’t melt. And it shouldn’t cost too much more than the 200′ of plastic hose. The biggest drawback is that the box has to be deeper than is ideal because the hoses come off the face of the rads. It might be worth a few dollars more to have someone braze the pipes onto the sides or bottom. Don’t paint the inside black. leave the foil of the thermax showing. If you don’t insulate the box then line it with a reflective material, or paint it white. You want the heat to reflect into the rad or hose, not to be absorbed into the box itself. Good luck. Keep posting – tell us how it goes. Bob Hi! I just put in an above ground pool, and want to build a solar water heater for it. My very simple plan is to use a 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood, with a box frame of 2×4s  around the outside. I am going to line the inside with black plastic, and then coil about 200′ of 1/2 inch plastic tubing in it. I have a nice, sunny roof area to mount it. I’m in Michigan, but it’s pretty sunny here during the months that I intend to use the pool. My question is do I want to cover the heater with a flat black lid or a clear lid? Of course the black lid will absorb heat, which will heat up the box inside but might keep some heat from getting to the tubing itself.The clear lid (Plexiglas possibly) will allow the sun inside, but might not allow the inside of the unit to get as hot as the black. ANY help will be GREATLY appreciated!!!! Thanks! swimming pool solar water heater parts

Response:

Are Dave and John suggesting that you can design a system so you don’t have to “mess with it” AND also works?  You mean consult a professional?  What a novel idea to save time and money? “A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with a theory” Bill roosa

-swimming pool solar water heater parts  Hi Stelter Thought I’d throw my two cents in. I design solar collectors for a living. Ya know Stelter it is possible to harvest heat from the sun with systems that cost nothing. It’s also possible to spend a life’s savings on a system that will give you nothing but grief. A commercially available pool heating material called sola roll is available for about  $2000 for a 600 sq foot pool. To make a wise investment in pool heating materials you should first know your budget and answer these questions: Where do I live? How much sunlight is available for this project? Do I have a roof nearby that faces south? What is the surface area of my roof? What is the surface area of my pool? What temperature range would be satisfactory for my pool temperature? A good rule of thumb for sola roll installations is one square foot of collector for every square foot of pool surface area.  Don’t forget you will loose most of the heat gained during the day to the cold night air. Let’s just say for the sake of argument that you have a garage near your pool that has a roof pitched at 30 degrees that faces due south and this roof receives tons and tons of sunlight. And let’s say you are on a budget and you want do something creative that won’t take too long or cost too much OK. Here is my recommendation.  Spread a coil of plastic tubing on your roof in a serpentine fashion. Fasten the tube down with pipe clamps. Tar the plastic to the roof. The tar will act as a conductive medium and take additional heat from your roof.  To increase the heat collection of the plastic tube you could lessen the heat loss from the roof by covering the entire mess with a clear plastic sheet. If the plastic is UV protected you might even get a few seasons out of it provided that you take it down in the winter. It would be a bit of a mess but than you get what you pay for. I don’t sell sola roll. I just feel it would be good for your application. I sell plans for domestic solar water heating systems. GO TO:    www.JC-SolarHomes.com/how-to.htm  for collector construction plans or GO TO:    www.JC-SolarHomes.com for general information about solar heating , the greenhouse effect and solar home designs. Best of Luck with your project John Canivan Hi! I just put in an above ground pool, and want to build a solar water heater for it. My very simple plan is to use a 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood, with a box frame of 2×4s  around the outside. I am going to line the inside with black plastic, and then coil about 200′ of 1/2 inch plastic tubing in it. I have a nice, sunny roof area to mount it. I’m in Michigan, but it’s pretty sunny here during the months that I intend to use the pool. My question is do I want to cover the heater with a flat black lid or a clear lid? Of course the black lid will absorb heat, which will heat up the box inside but might keep some heat from getting to the tubing itself.The clear lid (Plexiglas possibly) will allow the sun inside, but might not allow the inside of the unit to get as hot as the black. ANY help will be GREATLY appreciated!!!! Thanks!swimming pool solar water heater parts

Response:

-swimming pool solar water heater parts  Hi Stelter Thought I’d throw my two cents in. I design solar collectors for a living. Ya know Stelter it is possible to harvest heat from the sun with systems that cost nothing. It’s also possible to spend a life’s savings on a system that will give you nothing but grief. A commercially available pool heating material called sola roll is available for about  $2000 for a 600 sq foot pool. To make a wise investment in pool heating materials you should first know your budget and answer these questions: Where do I live? How much sunlight is available for this project? Do I have a roof nearby that faces south? What is the surface area of my roof? What is the surface area of my pool? What temperature range would be satisfactory for my pool temperature? A good rule of thumb for sola roll installations is one square foot of collector for every square foot of pool surface area.  Don’t forget you will loose most of the heat gained during the day to the cold night air. Let’s just say for the sake of argument that you have a garage near your pool that has a roof pitched at 30 degrees that faces due south and this roof receives tons and tons of sunlight. And let’s say you are on a budget and you want do something creative that won’t take too long or cost too much OK. Here is my recommendation.  Spread a coil of plastic tubing on your roof in a serpentine fashion. Fasten the tube down with pipe clamps. Tar the plastic to the roof. The tar will act as a conductive medium and take additional heat from your roof.  To increase the heat collection of the plastic tube you could lessen the heat loss from the roof by covering the entire mess with a clear plastic sheet. If the plastic is UV protected you might even get a few seasons out of it provided that you take it down in the winter. It would be a bit of a mess but than you get what you pay for. I don’t sell sola roll. I just feel it would be good for your application. I sell plans for domestic solar water heating systems. GO TO:    www.JC-SolarHomes.com/how-to.htm  for collector construction plans or GO TO:    www.JC-SolarHomes.com for general information about solar heating , the greenhouse effect and solar home designs. Best of Luck with your project John Canivan Sola-roll? We call it “Valdez” for obvious reasons.

We’ve had a bad experience with that stuff here in Florida where there were quite a few installations up to the early ’90’s. The selling points were no roof penetrations and tolerance to freezing which happens here more than one would think. First noticed was the mess involved with reroofing where chunks of shingles, flat roof membrane or tiles would come up with the stuff during that particular job. It seemed to be good at trapping moisture on flat roofs and probably accelerating roof rot. Then came the black pool symdrome usually precipatated by freezing conditions. Small particles of the rubber would be released into the pool upon thawing forming a nasty black cloudy pool and very difficult to remove. Conventional filters would clog up in a day and need constant maintenance. An upgraded version would not stick to the roof no matter how much mastic was applied and eventually soiled the water as well. I’m sure the chlorine had something to do with it. Anyway, nobody here I know is using it. Plastic panels rule. There are plenty of potential problems associated with roof mounted plastic collectors but a black grimy pool is not one of them. As I recall, the stuff was originally developed for heating soil in greenhouses which would probably be OK due to the absence of chlorine. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi! I just put in an above ground pool, and want to build a solar water heater for it. My very simple plan is to use a 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood, with a box frame of 2×4s  around the outside. I am going to line the inside with black plastic, and then coil about 200′ of 1/2 inch plastic tubing in it.swimming pool solar water heater parts  I have  a nice, sunny roof area to mount it. I’m in Michigan, but it’s pretty sunny here during the months that I  intend to use the pool. My question is do I want to cover the heater with a flat black lid or a clear lid? Of course the black lid will absorb heat, which will heat up the box  inside but might keep some heat from getting to the tubing itself.The clear lid (Plexiglas possibly) will allow the sun inside, but might not allow the inside of the unit to get as hot as the black. ANY help will be GREATLY appreciated!!!! Thanks! swimming pool solar water heater parts

Response:

You have never owned a pool have you Nick?

Not yet. I can’t imagine this setup standing up to my kids

Tough kids. It’s one of the more bulletproof schemes (which might double as a safety cover), compared to, say, a poly-film pillow filled with soap bubble foam at night. …We need a collection of foamboard rafts with counterweights and bouyancy chambers lashed together with ropes that floats at night and sinks to the bottom during the day, under a single layer of clear plastic film with a big roller to remove it for swimming. swimming pool solar water heater parts

I might try this soon, with a 16′ EZ-Set pool and a 1.5″ Styrofoam/ Wonderboard sandwich over a PVC pipe frame with a small air compressor.swimming pool solar water heater parts

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Hi Stelter Thought I’d throw my two cents in. I design solar collectors for a living. Ya know Stelter it is possible to harvest heat from the sun with systems that cost nothing. It’s also possible to spend a life’s savings on a system that will give you nothing but grief. A commercially available pool heating material called sola roll is available for about  $2000 for a 600 sq foot pool. To make a wise investment in pool heating materials you should first know your budget and answer these questions: Where do I live? How much sunlight is available for this project? Do I have a roof nearby that faces south? What is the surface area of my roof? What is the surface area of my pool? What temperature range would be satisfactory for my pool temperature? A good rule of thumb for sola roll installations is one square foot of collector for every square foot of pool surface area. swimming pool solar water heater parts  Don’t forget you will loose most of the heat gained during the day to the cold night air. Let’s just say for the sake of argument that you have a garage near your pool that has a roof pitched at 30 degrees that faces due south and this roof receives tons and tons of sunlight. And let’s say you are on a budget and you want do something creative that won’t take too long or cost too much OK. Here is my recommendation.  Spread a coil of plastic tubing on your roof in a serpentine fashion. Fasten the tube down with pipe clamps. Tar the plastic to the roof. The tar will act as a conductive medium and take additional heat from your roof.  To increase the heat collection of the plastic tube you could lessen the heat loss from the roof by covering the entire mess with a clear plastic sheet. If the plastic is UV protected you might even get a few seasons out of it provided that you take it down in the winter. It would be a bit of a mess but than you get what you pay for. I don’t sell sola roll. I just feel it would be good for your application. I sell plans for domestic solar water heating systems. GO TO:    www.JC-SolarHomes.com/how-to.htm  for collector construction plans or GO TO:    www.JC-SolarHomes.com for general information about solar heating , the greenhouse effect and solar home designs. Best of Luck with your project John Canivan

swimming pool solar water heater parts! I just put in an above ground pool, and want to build a solar water heater for it. My very simple plan is to use a 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood, with a box frame of 2×4s  around the outside. I am going to line the inside with black plastic, and then coil about 200′ of 1/2 inch plastic tubing in it. I have a nice, sunny roof area to mount it. I’m in Michigan, but it’s pretty sunny here during the months that I intend to use the pool. My question is do I want to cover the heater with a flat black lid or a clear lid? Of course the black lid will absorb heat, which will heat up the box inside but might keep some heat from getting to the tubing itself.The clear lid (Plexiglas possibly) will allow the sun inside, but might not allow the inside of the unit to get as hot as the black. ANY help will be GREATLY appreciated!!!! Thanks!swimming pool solar water heater parts

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I think that the amount of heating you’ll get out of a 4×8 box might be disappointing.  I’m by no means an expert, but 4×8 seems more suited for domestic hot water or space heating. The thermal mass of a pool is huge. What I see people doing in the southwest is putting about 10×30 feet woth of black tubing running between 2 large (3 or 4 inch) pvc “manifolds”. The larger pvc manifolds accomidate the full flow of the pool’s pumpswimming pool solar water heater parts . My neighbor has this type of setup and he drains it in the summer and uses it the other 3 seasons. They swim year round here in Tucson. Remember too that typical (cheap) black tubing is not UV resistant. I’d surf the net and see what commercially made systems are using then design my DIY around those types of systems. chow for now, swimming pool solar water heater parts

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I think that the amount of heating you’ll get out of a 4×8 box might be disappointing.  I’m by no means an expert, but 4×8 seems more suited for domestic hot water or space heating. The thermal mass of a pool is huge.

And more to the point, uninsulated. We need a collection of foamboard rafts with counterweights and bouyancy chambers lashed together with ropes that floats at night and sinks to the bottom during the day, under a single layer of clear plastic film with a big roller to remove it for swimming.swimming pool solar water heater parts

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There is no such thing as a dumb question.  4×8 does seem small but it depends on how hot you want your pool.  I perfer a cool dip to a hot tub. That’s me though, I don’t expect to ever be swiming in your pool.  Nick and Mark are right on though it is all about  keeping the heat you have and gathering more heat than you did before.  If you can cut your losses you don’t need a big collector. You have never owned a pool have you Nick?   swimming pool solar water heater partsI can’t imagine this setup standing up to my kids Bill roosa

swimming pool solar water heater parts I think that the amount of heating you’ll get out of a 4×8 box might be disappointing.  I’m by no means an expert, but 4×8 seems more suited for domestic hot water or space heating. The thermal mass of a pool is huge. And more to the point, uninsulated. We need a collection of foamboard rafts with counterweights and bouyancy chambers lashed together with ropes that floats at night and sinks to the bottom during the day, under a single layer of clear plastic film with a big roller to remove it for swimming.swimming pool solar water heater parts

Response:

Hi! I just put in an above ground pool, and want to build a solar water heater for it. My very simple plan is to use a 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood, with a box frame of 2×4s  around the outside. I am going to line the inside with black plastic, and then coil about 200′ of 1/2 inch plastic tubing in it. I have a nice, sunny roof area to mount it. I’m in Michigan, but it’s pretty sunny here during the months that I intend to use the pool. My question is do I want to cover the heater with a flat black lid or a clear lid? Of course the black lid will absorb heat, which will heat up the box inside but might keep some heat from getting to the tubing itself.The clear lid (Plexiglas possibly) will allow the sun inside, but might not allow the inside of the unit to get as hot as the black. ANY help will be GREATLY appreciated!!!! Thanks!swimming pool solar water heater parts

Response:

Line the inside of the box (bottoms & sides) with Thermax (1″ foam insulation board with foil on both sides), then cover the top with glass, or better yet, plexiglass or lexan. With the lexan, make sure it has a uv coating and that the coating goes on the outside of the box. The only thing you have to worry about now, is, if the pump stops working, the plastic might melt. I think the 1/2″ is too small. The heat will build up too high before the water gets all the way through. I think you would be better off to go to the auto wreckers, get a couple of the widest non-leaking radiators you can get, plumb them together with flexible rad hoses, then build your box to fit around them. (You might want to get a good rad flush first, and then run water through them until it is running clear, before you hook it up to your pool. You will get better heat transfer and it won’t melt. And it shouldn’t cost too much more than the 200′ of plastic hose. The biggest drawback is that the box has to be deeper than is ideal because the hoses come off the face of the rads. It might be worth a few dollars more to have someone braze the pipes onto the sides or bottom. Don’t paint the inside black. leave the foil of the thermax showing. If you don’t insulate the box then line it with a reflective material, or paint it white. You want the heat to reflect into the rad or hose, not to be absorbed into the box itself. Good luck. Keep posting – tell us how it goes. Bob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi! I just put in an above ground pool, and want to build a solar water heater for it. My very simple plan is to use a 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood, with a box frame of 2×4s  around the outside. I am going to line the inside with black plastic, and then coil about 200′ of 1/2 inch plastic tubing in it. I have a nice,swimming pool solar water heater parts  sunny roof area to mount it. I’m in Michigan, but it’s pretty sunny here during the months that I intend to use the pool. My question is do I want to cover the heater with a flat black lid or a clear lid? Of course the black lid will absorb heat, which will heat up the box inside but might keep some heat from getting to the tubing itself.The clear lid (Plexiglas possibly) will allow the sun inside, but might not allow the inside of the unit to get as hot as the black. ANY help will be GREATLY appreciated!!!! Thanksswimming pool solar water heater parts!

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Question:

Solar heater in     Solar out(return)

While I don’t have 1/2 pipe or above ground the hook up should be the same.solar swimming pool solar water heater  T off of the return line after the filter and before any chlorine feeder if it is plumbed. Then tee off the same return line down stream for the return line of the solar heater.

Solar heater in     Solar out(return)

Put a valve between the two T’s on the return line to switch to solar. When the valve is shut the solar is on. Good luck, I live in south Florida and have to shut mine off when pool gets over 96*, too hot.

Solar heater in     Solar out(return)

It got up to 102* a few weeks ago just to see how high it would go. That was with it running from 10am to 4pm, I now run it 2pm to 7pm to keep the cycle time up but not as much sun.