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swifters

I have been looking into a solar heater for a pool in the UK, approx. 12 metres long by 4 metres wide. 1.4 meters deep on average. I have been given a fairly high price for a flat panel system with a heat exchanger etc. and even then the supplier stated it may require a fair amount of topping up with a conventional heater.

I have seen these;

Amazon.com : Poolmaster 59010 Above Ground Pool Solar Heating Panels : Solar Pool Heater : Patio, Lawn & Garden
One 4x8 PANEL SOLAR POOL HEATER HEATING KIT 2" HEADER NEW | eBay

and they seem ok but not sure how well they will work. Anyone had any expereince with them?

I know some people state that the chlorine in the pool can damage conventional flat plate/evacuated tubes but is that really the case? Surely someone is manufacturing a panel that is chlorine resistant? I'd have thought that by the time you factor in the heat exchanger efficiency that a more direct method of heating would be more cost effective?

Thanks
 
Are you in the UK. Iv got a few customers with pools and iv never been able to justify solar thermal on them. Heat pumps on the other hand work work very well.
 
Calorex have made pool heat pumps for years and don't seem to have too many problems.

[DLMURL="http://www.calorex.com/pool-heating/swimming-pool-heat-pumps.htm"]Swimming Pool Heat Pumps | Pool Heating | Calorex UK[/DLMURL]
 
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Air source. As above calorex make the best one for pools. Although i haven't had chance to fit one yet, really keen too though. Air source are good for pools as they operate at a much lower more efficient temperature, and they operate often at periods with warm ambient temperatures.

They have built in titanium heat exchangers, so all you need to do is run the pool pipes into them.
 
Back on topic, have a couple of customers that have those black plastic solar collectors, they are huge, and not the most attractive but apparently work, though you would need to put them some where out of sight imho
 
Solar for pools isn't that expensive, depends how much it needs, if outdoors and uncovered forget it!
 
The pool by my calculation is 67,200 litres which I think is fairly large. I imagine those air source heat pumps aren't cheap? Don't suppose they qualify for RHI? Pool outdoors but apparently has a cover (haven't seen the cover though)
 
No RHI on domestic heat pumps currently. But they should pay for themselves if comparing against oil or electric. Think the 22kw calorex with soft start (a must have) comes in at around ÂŁ5500inc vat. Fitting is simple, may need a new sub main though
 
I don't suppose they would include RHI for an outdoor pool anyway? 22kw output, do you think that would be enough? What sort of kw input do you think it would require? Yes, Oil heater at minute. But if he's paying ÂŁ1000 a year to heat at the moment, coupled with the installation costs and running costs of say ÂŁ500 a year for a new heat pump, it would take ages for him to break even let alone make a saving?
 
We have a few customers with ST installs for their indoor pools. They work very well when specified correctly; like all renewable technology it needs to be sized right. Too big it doesn't work, too small it doesn't work.
 
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Is he only paying ÂŁ1000 a year? The last place I worked at that had a HE oil boiler got through ÂŁ800 of oil in the first month (This was incuding the house but the house boiler didnt work for a couple of weeks) but the pool was cold when they got the house.

But if he has got a pool that size I dont think there going to be too worried about running costs and how long the payback will be too much.
 
ÂŁ1000 a year seems like nothing! He must barely heat it for that. I would of thought it would be more like 3-4k/year if heated properly
 
ÂŁ1000 a year seems like nothing! He must barely heat it for that. I would of thought it would be more like 3-4k/year if heated properly

i was guessing 1000 pounds. he stated he went through 3 tanks last summer. not sure how much they cost to fill on average?
 
Hi there, I have some experience with solar thermal in UK and got involved with solar thermal for pool in Portugal.
Not sure how well it works in UK, but it is possible to use flat plate pannels in swimming pools installations. You can use something like worcester ones that are non metalic frame and use a tungsteen plate heat exchanger.
 
Anybody that has a pool and is worried about the costs to heat it, then drain it and leave it. imho
 
my old man heated his pool using just coiled black garden hose, worked a treat. Ive one customer who has a soalr panel system for his pool working in conjunction with a thermal store in the house, for his hw and heating. To date he doesnt have to use his boiler at all in the summer and he is happy as larry with the setup. Cant see the point of going to heat pumps etc when the sun seems to do the job fine from my experience of solar panels, his are tubed version and not flat panels.
 
How many tubes? That's the most loaded question ever, you need to know size and volume of pool, if its indoors/outdoors, covered/not covered etc, you can't just chuck stuff in, this is what really winds me up with renewables, too many people jumping in with no training or knowledge.
 
How many tubes? That's the most loaded question ever, you need to know size and volume of pool, if its indoors/outdoors, covered/not covered etc, you can't just chuck stuff in, this is what really winds me up with renewables, too many people jumping in with no training or knowledge.

Not sure if that was aimed at me... Incase it was, the question was aimed to lame plumber, curious to how many tubes were required to meet that massive output on the job he explained. I'm well experienced in sizing solar and pool heating
 
Not sure if that was aimed at me... Incase it was, the question was aimed to lame plumber, curious to how many tubes were required to meet that massive output on the job he explained. I'm well experienced in sizing solar and pool heating

from memory there were 4 tubes banks, south facing roof with no shadowing from trees etc
 
Wasn't directly no but god I'm tired of hearing idiots story's of how systems don't work when they have 40 tubes and 150l cylinder.
 
Solar Thermal!
i did a pool with worcester bosch panels about 5 years ago. i had a heat exchanger made specially for the job and it saves this particular customer a fortune in oil. it was bloody expensive though. I may have gone with a heat pump if the lekky supply on his remote farm was more reliable.
 
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