Solar powered water heaters can have an array of benefits and the implementation of this green technology for your swimming pool makes perfect sense if you live in a sunny climate.
While it is true that a significant investment is required up front, you will:
- Find your pool water heated by the free energy of the sun
- Enjoy greatly reduced utility bills
- Be helping the environment
Why Conventional Water Heaters Are Not So Great
According to the Solar Energy Laboratory in the University of Wisconsin, the typical four-person household with a normal electric water heater needs 6,400KW of electricity a year which also means that 8 tons of CO2 is produced annually.
This is twice as much as the carbon emissions of a normal family car and doesn’t even take into account families that have swimming pools!
How Solar Powered Water Heaters Work For Your Pool
A system of this nature will have the following components:
- Solar collector – The pool water goes through the solar collector and is heated by the sun
- Filter – Debris are removed before the water gets pumped through the solar collector
- Pump – Water gets put through the collector and filter before being sent to the pool
- Flow control valve – This can be manual or automatic and its purpose is to divert the water through the collector
Selecting a Heater
The average solar pool heating system costs in the $3,000-$4,000 range and for this price you should receive installation by a professional company.
Another major advantage of a solar powered water heater is that it tends to last much longer than its gas or heat pump counterparts.
While gas or electric heaters could cost as little as $150, you still have to contend with greatly increased electricity bills.
Solar heaters could last up to 40 years and once you have passed the payback period, you will benefit from zero energy cost so in other words, heating your pool will be free!
Important Notes
When installing a solar powered water heater for your swimming pool, you will have to contend with local zoning and building codes.
This means you must hire a company that is familiar with local laws or else you could be asked to take down your heater.
It is estimated that there are a total of 1.5 million solar water heaters in the United States but most of them are for domestic water usage and don’t relate to swimming pool owners.
This is surprising because heating a swimming pool is a costly business and if you install a solar powered water heater, the savings could be phenomenal in the long term.
Featured images:
License: Royalty Free or iStock
source: http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-14587453-happy-family-of-four-having-fun-in-swimming-pool.php
My name is Marc and I enjoy sharing pool-related information with readers, such as the steps involved in building an above ground pool,
how to treat murky green water, and where to locate quality pool maintenance in Mesa, AZ.