[bdrybob]

Originally Posted by PJ_Smiley

Solar to generate electric (solar panels) and solar to heat pools are totally different systems. The solar pool heater is in effect a water pipe and bag system that lays on the roof and water moves across the roof to absorb the heat from the sun. The system is black since black absorbs most of the sun's rays. There is no electrical generation with solar pool heater and no electrical storage. As the pool water is pumped and filtered, the water is heated on the roof and pumped back into the pool.

Thank You PJ, that's exactly right. The problem is, we are only here in the winter and found out that solar pool heaters don't work good in the winter, which is the only time we are here. We are now getting a gas heater to supplement the solar. $$$$

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by bdrybob

They are not electric

You can an electric heatpump for your pool.

[Just jimmy]

Originally Posted by PoolBrews

As an engineer, if you do the research and see how effective these systems are, you quickly realize they are a waste of money. They work great when you don't need them (summer), a little in early fall/late spring, and can't heat adequately when you really need them (about 4 months at end of year/beginning of year).

If you install a solar heater, you still need a supplemental heat source (electric is most cost effective here in FL due to the price of gas vs electric). Calculating the costs, you'll never recover the $5k for the solar over the life of the system. You're better off just going with an electric or gas heater. I keep my pool at 88 all winter. No issues.

In addition, when you need any work done on your roof, you'll need to pay someone to remove the solar system, do the repair, then pay again to have it installed again. And each time you open more holes in the roof, and hope your system doesn't leak or cause a leak.

We have a solar only pool heater. Our pool is 80 degrees now. We usually have 80 degrees except for a few weeks a year. I have no complaints. Of course it was from t and d.

[Graspher]

The house we purchased 3 years ago had a rooftop solar heat system for the pool.

During our 2 years of research prior to purchasing in TV I had come across a preponderance of reviews/insights from solar heat owners who hated them. Many had removed them or when the failed - didn’t replace.

That left me skeptical about their value.

Once here and after learning-experiencing the system that came with the house - 100% LOVE IT!

Beginning in March - the solar system has no issue keeping pool temp at 87 - a perfect temp for my wife and I.

As time passes and we get into those months when it’s hot all day long - and now the pool temp is exceeding 87 via ambient temperatures (solar off) - we then use the solar system to cool the pool temp back down to 87.

That’s done by shifting the filter cycle/turnover period from daytime to nighttime.

Even during the hottest days - nights are always cool. The hot pool water cycles across the roof during the night that then cools it back down to our desired temp.

Doing that gets us through the hot muggy summer and into sept where we then flip the filter/turnover cycle back to daytime to maintain 87 degrees.

That gets us somewhere around end of November early December.

That’s it. Rooftop solar - for maintaining pool temp - is useless until end of feb-March.

Yes - 3 months with no pool access. That’s not a problem for us as the house also came with a hot tub. We fire that up from nov thru feb then shut it down when the pool is back in play.

For us - solar pool heating is the only way to go. Previous owner had an electric pool heater in place - but we’ve never used it. By now it’s probably rusted out.

The one other benefit from the solar system is when we get temps below freezing for more then a few hours.

Instead of “winterizing” the solar system I just cycle the pool water thru the solar system to keep any of the components from freezing/breaking.

I installed a variable speed pool pump a year ago after I converted the pool from a tablet system to salt. It only costs me a few cents to run the pool water thru the solar heater during freeze cycles.

To go off topic for a smidge - variable speed pool pumps are the only way to go. We went from single stage to variable and it’s a night/day difference in terms of efficiency/control and cost.

And so it goes….

[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by midiwiz

much like the engineer said.... but with additional Florida input. Solar works easily to keep a pool at 92 year round DEPENDING ON LOCATION. For this area I really wouldn't lean on solar on the coast yes but not "up north" here. Also what it does to your roof... yeesh.

Propane heaters work the quickest. Electric for the average Florida pool can take over a day to get it up to temp meaning recovery from a 33 degree night will take a long while. We have considered electric heaters a waste of money since once a pool goes in the electric bill goes up, electric heater (the one time we tried it) added another $200 to the already high electric bill.

Just some food for thought.

There is zero chance that a solar heater will keep a pool at 92 during the 4-5 cooler months here in The Villages. It may work down by Miami or Key West (although I would have to run the numbers there as well), but not here, and that is what the OP is discussing.

With regards to an electric heater raising your bill by $200 - not sure where you got your numbers, but my pool is always 88-89 during winter, and it adds between $30-$40/month to my bill. I knew that before I ever installed it based on the cost of electricity, the size of my pool, and the BTU of the heat pump (with electric get the biggest heat pump you can get - currently 144K BTU - a bigger heat pump only costs a few hundred $$ more, but will last longer, heat the pool faster, and is more efficient). During the summer, of course, it adds $0 to my bill.

Natural gas/propane will heat faster, but both cost quite a bit more than electric for the same amount of heat. Expect to spend anywhere from $200-$850 a month with a propane pool heater or $100-$400 a month with natural gas.

If you have a pool with a built in hot tub, you probably want a gas heater to ensure you can use the hot tub when you want it. Ideally, I would have a small gas heater dedicated to the hot tub, and an electric heater for the pool. Automation can coordinate two heaters easily.

I went with a standalone hot tub - more comfortable, and far less costly to run. It's usually at 100-102, and costs $8/month on my electricity bill.

[Chi-Town]

I have a gas heater and run it when necessary for the pool and spa. Solar heat from way above in the summer months.

[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by Graspher

Even during the hottest days - nights are always cool. The hot pool water cycles across the roof during the night that then cools it back down to our desired temp.

That gets us somewhere around end of November early December.

That’s it. Rooftop solar - for maintaining pool temp - is useless until end of feb-March.

Yes - 3 months with no pool access. That’s not a problem for us as the house also came with a hot tub. We fire that up from nov thru feb then shut it down when the pool is back in play.

The OP has issues with no heat during the exact time you mention above. It's great that you don't use your pool during that time, but if the OP is a snowbird, he is not able to use his pool for the majority of his time down here.

Everything you described is exactly what I would expect - works great when you don't need it, sort of OK when you start needing it, and not at all when you really do.

The cooling part is a nice feature, but with a cage over my pool, it's never gotten above 90 in the summer... and water at 90 feels very cool when it's 100 out.

With regards to a variable speed pump - if a pool builder doesn't include one as standard equipment they are not worth hiring. This is basic 101 for a pool now a days. I can run my pump at 25% speed for the majority of the day - only ramping up when the heater needs to run (generally 1-1.5 hours/day).

If I run my pump for 10 hours/day, at 25% it costs me $1.91 for a month. At 100% it costs me $35.21. Quite a difference!

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by PoolBrews

As an engineer, if you do the research and see how effective these systems are, you quickly realize they are a waste of money. They work great when you don't need them (summer), a little in early fall/late spring, and can't heat adequately when you really need them (about 4 months at end of year/beginning of year).

If you install a solar heater, you still need a supplemental heat source (electric is most cost effective here in FL due to the price of gas vs electric). Calculating the costs, you'll never recover the $5k for the solar over the life of the system. You're better off just going with an electric or gas heater. I keep my pool at 88 all winter. No issues.

In addition, when you need any work done on your roof, you'll need to pay someone to remove the solar system, do the repair, then pay again to have it installed again. And each time you open more holes in the roof, and hope your system doesn't leak or cause a leak.

You are right. A solar heater doesn’t heat a pool enough in the two months when the Original Poster is here to swim in comfort (92° is my preferred temp). A bubble wrap pool cover helps a huge amount in keeping in heat that would be lost to the cooler air all winter and costs only a few hundred. Combined with solar heat, that adds a couple months of comfortable pool use, but still not when the Original Poster is here. When I bought my house, I had a heat pump for the pool added to the solar and also added a pool cover. Combined, I can have the pool at 92°, and the heat pump isn’t too expensive to run. It would be much more expensive without a pool cover, though. However, that heat pump cost me $6,000 installed.

[Oneiric]

bdrybob: The product Solar Trek of Ocala uses is Heliocol solar panels, which are SUPPOSEDLY engineered to specifically mount to the trusses on your roof. The pictures you include look like they didn't even try to mount this properly? Jack's Solar uses a different product.

[mirish54@gmail.com]

After living in SW Florida for 15 years I can confirm that Solar Heating doesn’t work during the Winter months. Electric heat pumps aren’t much better. We had a heat pump in Fort Myers and if you wanted to heat the pool during Winter months, you’d have to run it for days. Natural gas is the best option, especially for Snowbirds. Unfortunately, Natural gas was not available in SW Florida. Winters are significantly colder here compared to Fort Myers…so if you want to enjoy your pool during Winter months…go natural gas!

[dsnrbec]

Originally Posted by PoolBrews

There is zero chance that a solar heater will keep a pool at 92 during the 4-5 cooler months here in The Villages. It may work down by Miami or Key West (although I would have to run the numbers there as well), but not here, and that is what the OP is discussing.

With regards to an electric heater raising your bill by $200 - not sure where you got your numbers, but my pool is always 88-89 during winter, and it adds between $30-$40/month to my bill. I knew that before I ever installed it based on the cost of electricity, the size of my pool, and the BTU of the heat pump (with electric get the biggest heat pump you can get - currently 144K BTU - a bigger heat pump only costs a few hundred $$ more, but will last longer, heat the pool faster, and is more efficient). During the summer, of course, it adds $0 to my bill.

Natural gas/propane will heat faster, but both cost quite a bit more than electric for the same amount of heat. Expect to spend anywhere from $200-$850 a month with a propane pool heater or $100-$400 a month with natural gas.

If you have a pool with a built in hot tub, you probably want a gas heater to ensure you can use the hot tub when you want it. Ideally, I would have a small gas heater dedicated to the hot tub, and an electric heater for the pool. Automation can coordinate two heaters easily.

I went with a standalone hot tub - more comfortable, and far less costly to run. It's usually at 100-102, and costs $8/month on my electricity bill.

Found your post very interesting. I have two questions. Do you cover it in the colder months and what is the size of your pool? We just installed one this past summer and are avoiding turning the heater on for fear our electric bill will be astronomical. Thanks!

[Graspher]

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