Swimming Pool Solar Panels Can Help You Heat Your Pool For Free

Even though most people think of solar power as a great way to generate free electricity from sunshine, there are others ways the sun can help you save money on your energy costs. Swimming pool solar panels have been released in recent years that can help you heat your pool for free by harvesting the sun's warming rays. Solar pool panels are easy to install, last for decades and can heat your pool to a very comfortable temperature with nothing more than sunlight.

Heat Your Pool By Concentrating the Sun's Heat
These solar panels are a very specialized device that concentrates the heat from the sun in a series of weatherproof panels. Inside these panels is a webbing of very thin pipes that are exposed to the sunlight. The water from the pool is circulated through the panels and when it travels through the webbing of pipes it is heated by the sun and returned to the pool as slightly warmer water. This process continues until the pool is at the desired temperature and then the water is diverted away the panels and circulated normally.

A Simple System Means a Simple Install
The appealing thing about these solar pool heat systems to most homeowners is its simplicity.  A typical system consists of a number of these swimming pool solar panels that are mounted on a roof near the pool. These panels made specifically to heat pool water are connected together with a single pipe and then tied into the circulating pump on your pool. Once this connection is made you can start to use the system to warm your pool water immediately. The system is simple enough to install on a typical pool in a few hours. There are also very few moving parts and this helps ensure that you'll have years of service from your swimming pool solar panels without the worry of repairs.

Directing Flow to Control Pool Temperature
In addition to the specialized solar panels for pools used in the system, there is also a thermostat and a valve assembly that work together to direct the flow of water. This water flow will either be through the system when heat is needed or around the system when the pool is has warmed up to the desired temperature. Even though these swimming pool solar panels can operate as an independent system, they can also be tied into a modern pool control system just like a conventional heater. This allows you to control the heating of the water through your pool system to regulate its temperature.

Calculating Your Heating Needs
To figure out how many swimming pool solar panels you'll need to adequately heat your pool you'll need to know the approximate surface area of the pool. To completely heat a typical pool, you'll want to install enough swimming pool solar panels to represent about 50% of the pools total surface area in panels. For larger pools this can mean quite a few panels, but they are not that expensive and will cost you far less than a conventional heater over time.

Prices May Vary
The cost of one of these solar pool heat systems can vary based on the size of your pool, but can typically be installed for a few thousand dollars on most pools. This is a very reasonable cost when you consider that the only fuel it will ever need to heat your pool is sunlight. These solar pool heat systems can be used on any pool and will need to be drained when the pool is closed for the winter in colder climates. This is to prevent the water that is circulated through the swimming pool solar panels from freezing during the winter months.