Solar Pool Heating Systems

A swimming pool is a nice luxury for a home to have. But let’s face it, if you live in the north, the season you are able to use your pool is only three, possibly four months long. A solar pool heater may be just the thing you need to extend the season a month or more. Solar heating can be economical for heating swimming pools because the heat source is basically free. The cost of the solar heating system can vary due to the type of heating system you choose.

The most economical and simple solar heating system for your pool is the solar pool blanket. These blankets help warm your pool in thee important ways. Water molecules, when they evaporate into the atmosphere, take heat with them. So the first thing the pool blanket does is keep water from evaporating, thus cutting heat loss. The solar blanket also helps hold heat in by cutting down on simple radiation loss. The blankets are transparent, so the third thing they do is allow the suns rays to penetrate into the water, carrying its he at with it warming the water. The solar swimming pool covers also usually have "bubbles" in them which perform two services for the blanket. First, they direct more sunlight into the interior of the pool and they also give more insulation value to the blanket.

The better quality solar pool covers consist of a good UV resistant plastic which is also resistant to the harsh chemicals used in the pool. The solar blankets may be cut with a utility knife or shears to custom fit your pool. They are available for both above ground and below ground pools. The covers may be folded for storage, or you can purchase a reel which rolls the solar blanket for easy, neat storage.

The other common system for heating pools is the solar collector. This system circulates the pool water through a solar collector, where it is heated, and then returns it to the pool. These systems are quite effective pool heaters. The solar collector is usually mounted on the home or another building close to the pool. The water is usual ly diverted away from the filter system, fed through the solar heat collector and then returned to the pool.

If you choose to go this route, make sure you choose a reputable professional installer for your system. Solar collectors can be quite heavy and they expand and contract in changing outdoor temperatures. Because of this, if not properly installed, they can cause structural problems with the building it is located on, and can also ruin the roof of the dwelling.

Solar heating for a swimming pool can be economical and efficient. Whether you choose the simple to install and use solar blanket or the more complex solar collector, you will be using free solar radiation and doing your part for the environment.