How To Heat Pool Water

A backyard pool can be a lot of fun for the whole family, and perfect for summer activities, including birthday parties, pool parties, and block parties. But, when the climiate cools, the normal response is to pack the pool away for another season. A good alternative is to heat the pool, which will keep the fun going and extend the season a bit longer.

The cheapest, and most energy-efficient method of heating your pool is to use solar heat panels. These can be added to your pool area at a relatively low cost and do not require extensive construction skills to complete the project.

What you will need:

Flat-head screwdriver of 5/16 inch nut driver, knife or utility scissors, power drill, silicone sealant, 1/8 drill bit, Phillips head drill bit, 1 1/2 inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe, PVC primer and glue, PVC fittings, collector mounting kit

Installing the collector mountings:

1. Position the collector mountings. These collect the solar energy from the sun. It is best to position them facing south.


2. Connect the individual panels by connecting the headers together. Slip the couplings over the header's endings and ataching them by using stainless steel clamps. 


3. Attach the collector mounting clips to the collectors on the structure of the roof. 


4. Install the tie downs and cross straps. These cross over the collectors to secure them in place.

Laying the piping:

1. Install the pipes leading from the solar collectors to the water pump. This is done by laying piping runs to anchor the pipes.


2. It is important that the feed lines (the lines going to the pool pump) and the return lines (the lines coming back) are the same length, because the water levels need to be the same going through collectors. 


3. Install the collector and return lines. Black piping gathers the most heat, and it is good to use black piping on the roof.


4. The line should be connected to the pool pump.

Connecting the sensors:

1. Preset the on and off temperaturs of the controller. This will allow the controller to operate automatically. When heat is available at the collectors, the controller kicks in to send water to solar collectors.


2. Install the low temperature sensor, which will monitor the pool water temperature.


3. Mount the high temperature sensor along the control panel.


4. Run the senor's wiring along the distance from the controller to the sensor.

The pool valves:

1. Install the system valves in the collector loop feed and return lines.


2. Install the freeze prevention valve and the vacuum breaker valve in the collector array.

The last step is to cut and add the pool cover. This is an important step, a pool cover helps the pool to retain heat.