What Color Is Your Swimming Pool? by Alan Sanderfoot

Author:Alan Sanderfoot
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: pool maintance; pool cleaning; pool building
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 2019-12-17T18:10:21+00:00

Heat pumps transfer heat from ambient air to the pool water, which is why they work best in warm-weather regions.

Solar Heaters

The solar pool-heating industry has been a veritable hotbed of activity over the past few years. Several factors have prompted this renewed interest in solar heating. The main reason is the rising cost of fossil fuels, especially natural gas. Also fueling interest is the United States’ growing alarm regarding our dependence on oil from the Middle East and the reluctance of many Americans to start drilling for domestic oil in some of the nation’s most pristine regions.

The science behind solar pool heaters couldn’t be simpler. After it runs through the pool’s pump and filter, water is diverted to solar collectors. The collectors, made from black polypropylene, are merely panels of tubing through which the water flows. The black polypropylene absorbs the heat of the sun, much like black asphalt in parking lots. As water passes through the collectors, it absorbs heat from the panels before it’s returned to the pool.

The water coming into the pool will be a couple of degrees warmer than the pool water, and the entire pool will gradually warm as the water is turned over and over again. Sometimes a separate pump is needed to send the water through the collectors so that the pool’s main pump isn’t overworked.

Historically, solar heating systems have been a tough sell because they cost more than gas heaters. Whereas a gas heater might go for $2,000, a comparable solar system could cost as much as $3,000 (less in highly competitive markets, such as Florida). However, the rising cost of fossil fuels means that a solar system can more quickly make up that price difference through lower energy bills. Whereas it used to take about five years to start seeing a return on a solar heating system, the rising cost of fossil fuels has shortened that window to just two to three years.

In addition, the solar pool-heating industry has matured and the product has become more reliable. Ten- to 12-year warranties are not uncommon. Plus, the UV inhibitors and stabilizers used in the collectors today are very strong, enabling the solar panels to withstand the brutal sunbaked conditions they’re subjected to.

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