Do It Yourself Solar Pool Heater

December 7, 2021

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Can I Use Regular Pvc For Pool Plumbing

Make a Pool Heater – $25 Solar Pool Heater

PVC – Rigid PVC pipe is a standard for swimming pool piping, as well as many other plumbing jobs It’s light gray in color and is more expensive than regular PVC pipe. However, many pool plumbers do use CPVC for the inlet and outlet ports of pool heaters to prevent pipes from melting or shrinking.

Determine Location And Position

South facing is best!

the best

Tilt at 45 degrees or less!

We designed our Enersol Pool Heaters to be installed at 45 degrees or less. This allows strapping the panels to the roof/rack correctly and it optimizes its performance.

We dont recommend to install the Enersol Pool Heaters at 90 degrees or on a wall because the strapping is not designed to support total weight of the system. Performance will also .

How Well Do Diy Solar Heaters Work

In short, as well, if not better than many off-the-shelf systems. DIY solar pool heaters rely on precisely the same principles as most commercial systems. And they offer the additional benefit of you being able to specifically tailored them to your needs. To top it all, homemade solar pool heaters are cheaper to install and cost nothing to run.

What kinds of DIY solar pool heaters are there?

DIY solar pool heaters generally fall into two broad categories, each with two sub-categories. They are:

Coiled tube pool heaters – open or glazed
Vertical riser collector pool heaters – open or glazed

Fig 1 below illustrates an open coiled tube solar pool heater. Fig 2 depicts a glazed vertical riser solar pool heater.

To clarify, These types of DIY pool heaters are mounted in wooden boxes. Open variants have no covering, and the collectors are exposed. Glazed heaters have a sheet of clear acrylic or glass covering the box. This improves insulation and increases the efficiency of the solar heater.

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Different Ways To Make A Diy Pool Heater

Heating water with the sun isnt rocket science. We all know that water will naturally absorb some of the energy from sunlight, and any pool will eventually get warmer as the outside temperature rises and we start to get more sunny days.

The problem is that your pool has a LOT of water in it, and the sun only warms the surface water of the pool. What we need is a way to take some of the water out of the pool, heat it up, and then dump it back in so that the entire pool starts to get a little warmer. We also want to do this as cheaply and efficiently as possible.

Please note that, in regards to speed and convenience, none of these methods can replace a dedicated heater powered by fossil fuels. However, if given a little more time you should be able to enjoy similar results at a tiny fraction of the cost and carbon footprint. Lets figure out what will work best for you!

Build A 44 Passive Solar Pool Heater

Next time when youre having a pool party at your home, make sure your friends have immense fun without catching a cold. Arrange supplies to install a pool heater! The items youd need are PVC pipes and tubing, wooden dowel, tie wrap, bolts and nuts, and plywood sheet.

Whats better than taking a sound and peaceful bath in winters? The DIY solar pool heaters are cost-effective and can bring luxury to your life. You can make them yourself and enjoy the winters as never before. Get hold of the material and start working on this DIY project this season. Your life is going to be so much better.

Read Also: Building My Own Inground Pool

Green Diy Solar Pool Heater

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Its easier to understand how a solar pool heater works and how to build it if you break the project into smaller steps. Thats just what this tutorial from instructables does. The first part of the project is making the solar collector. To capture the heat you can use a couple of simple and accessible materials, in this case a 4×4 piece of plywood and a vinyl irrigation hose. Paint the plywood black so it attracts heat, then take the hose and coil it tightly on the plywood, securing it with UV-resistant zip-ties. Youll need to drill a bunch of holes into the board as well.

To take that heat into the pool you then need to assemble a series of valves and Y adapters. This particular system also has 1/2 ball valves that allow the water to shut off when the heater is no longer necessary. A timer was also installed which gives the water enough time to heat up before it gets sent to the pool. Without it this heater wouldnt really work.

Water To The Solar Heater:

The top is a smooth 1 1/2″ “Y” adapter with a 1 1/2 to 1/2″ threaded adapter in one side with a 1/2″ male to male threaded nipple to a 1/2″ ball valve and a 1/2″ threaded to ribbed adapter that the vinyl hose slides on. I used two hose clamps on each hose fitting to avoid leaks. Sand all smooth surfaces prior to gluing to assure a good seal. IMPORTANT: Do NOT glue any threaded parts. The glue will set long before you get the threads tight. Use Plumbers Grease or Pipe Dope to seal the threads. Even Teflon tape may leak due to the high pressure.

Drilling The Hose Exits

A 4′ x 4′ box of this type will typically take around 220 feet of ½ inch tube. The exit holes can be drilled once the box is almost filled . Again, use Fig 1 to calculate the approximate position of the holes.

Zip tie the inner end of the tube across the roll as indicated. Then turn the roll over so it is at the bottom of the registration. This will make bracing the roll more accessible. The outer end of the roll can then be gently bent to lie parallel to the inner end. Measure off around 6 inches beyond the box on both hose ends and cut the excess off.

Solar Pool Heater A Weekend Project

DIY Pool Heater – $50 Solar Heater

If youre looking for a weekend project and also want to find a way to heat your pool, heres a great DIY idea for you. This process is also perfect for someone on a budget. Normal heating pumps and gas heaters can cost upwards of $3000 but this one is just a fraction of that price.

This DIYer explains how he made a large enough heater to accommodate his inground pool that holds 22000 gallons of water.

Also Check: Does Costco Carry Pool Supplies

Measure Roof/rack Area Available

Maximize your roof/rack area!

The Enersol Pool Heaters must be positioned vertically from eave to peak with at least 6 inches to 12 inches space around the panels for plumbing.

When the panels are installed, they measure 12.5 inches from clip to clip approximately. This measurement is important to maximize your roof/rack area.

For example: if your roof measures 26 feet wide and 10 feet high , you can only fit 24 Enersol Pool Heaters. The maximum panels length you can use in this case is 9 feet.

Optimizing On Your Pool Heating

Whichever heating system you choose, there are several ways to boost their efficiency and further lower operating costs.

Pool covers

A pool cover prevents pool heat from radiating out of your pool water. These simple, low-tech devices can play a major role in helping your heating system stay ahead of the game.

Solar pool rings

A lot of folks frown on pool rings as a supplemental source of pool heating. The truth is they actually work. In addition, if you use enough of them they will also reduce water loss through evaporation.

Floating solar panel heaters

These are essentially mini roof-top solar pool heating panels. They are expensive but are one of the more effective ways to supplement conventional pool heating efforts.

Also Check: Where To Buy Sustain Pool Chemicals

Diy Solar Pool Heater

Last year my Wife and I bought an above ground pool for exercise and recreation. We discovered that my Home shadows the pool in the afternoon, and that drives the water temperature down several degrees in the Spring and Fall. Since we usually don’t get into the pool on Weekdays until after work, this made for some pretty chilly swims, even when the air temperature was in the 80’s. I decided that a Solar heater that I could mount outside the shadow of the house would be just the thing to bring the water temperature up to more bearable levels.

How To Mount A Solar Pool Heater On A Roof

Mounting a solar pool heater on a roof is an ideal place for this without it getting in the way. Any sloped roof that has good south or southwestern exposure is a good place to mount one. Before you opt for this, you need to take some simple measurements and check out the site.

Step 1 – Determine the Exposure

Placing a solar heater on a roof that doesn’t have adequate southern exposure won’t do a lot of good. You also want to check to ensure that you don’t have anything like shade trees or other items blocking out sunlight. Southern to southeastern exposure is ideal, but you can place the heater anywhere that gets a good amount of sunlight.

It’s also a good idea to keep in mind how far away the heater will be from the pool. Covered patios work well when it comes to installing solar pool heaters. You want to use an area that is as close as possible to the actual pool. This will prevent you from having to install a large amount of piping and ending up with an unsightly mess on the pool side of your home.

Step 2 – Measurements

Once you have scouted your roof for the best placement, you can start to take the measurements. Before you order your solar heater you need to know how large the pool is and how much water needs to be heated. This is important because getting a solar heater that is too small for the pool won’t provide enough heat. On the same note, a solar heater that is too large will also not be as efficient, not to mention a waste of money.

Step 5 – Run the Pipe

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Building A Solar Pool Heater The Overview

The concept of a solar heater is very simple. All we have to do is expose as much water to the sun as possible, thereby collecting and storing the suns heat. In order to achieve this, we simply pump the pool water directly through a solar collector, let the sun heat up the water in that collector, and pump the heated water back into the pool.

Thats all. The whole process consists of pumping your pool water through one or more collectors exposed to the sun, letting the water heat up, and exchanging the water in the collector with more water to heat up.

By the way: Because water is such an excellent solar heat absorber and since we do not waste energy by converting the suns power into electricity first , so we save a lot of money over time. This way is so much more efficient than using solar panels for using the suns energy. In a way we use your pool as the storage tank for the solar heat. Bathing is just the fun side effect

One warning: The less sunshine you get where you live, the less efficient the system becomes. Yes, you can even heat water in Norway with solar collectors and if you set up enough collectors you might even built a hot water pool in Antarctica, but the installation costs go up . But still in Antarctica and Norway, in the winter months without any sunshine, the pool will only be useful if you love ice-skating. More on that and what you can do later on.

Diy Lily Pad Solar Pool Heaters

Want to heat your pool and make it look decorative at the same time? This article shows you how to do just that and all for under $100. All you need are some differently colored hula hoops, black plastic and tape. Your guests can jump enjoy being in the pool and you dont have to remove any bulky wires or hosing for them to enjoy themselves.

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Whatever Heater You Need Its Here

So, in this article, we put together every type of DIY solar pool heater we could find. Whether you need a floating pool heater for easy removal, fun projects to do with the kids, something more complicated to test your skills, a roll-up pool cover, or, well, anything else, its here.

So, just look through the supply lists on each tutorial, do some pricing, and then decide which option is best for you. You might discover that something unexpected is perfect for your needs. Just remember to make sure its something youve got the budget and skill level for.

Can You Use Pvc Pipe Sealant On A Pool

Solar Pool Heater with Garden Hoses – Do It Yourself Easy Installation

There are a host of different products used in the plumbing industry as thread sealants however many of these are not suitable for pool equipment since most pool equipment is made of plastic . Any petroleum based thread sealants, such as pipe dope, are not acceptable for use on pool equipment.

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Making Your Diy Solar Pool Heater

Building a DIY solar heater is more simple than it seems. The materials are easily found at a hardware store. Youre going to need wood to build a frame, an irrigation hose, a transparent hard plastic cover, and a pool pump. You should also keep a thermometer handy to check the temperature of the water.

How To Make Your Own Diy Pool Storage

Here’s how to get organized and put together your own Simple DIY Pallet Pool Storage! Start by sanding down the pallet to remove rough spots. How long will depend on the condition of your pallet. It doesn’t need to be perfect. (Tip: Use a tack cloth to remove dust from sanding so it doesn’t settle into the pores.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Best Inground Pool Alarm

Installing The Flow Control Valve

After the solar collectors, the next step to install solar pool heaters is installing the flow control valve that sets the right water flow going through your collectors to ensure the best heat production. Here you will learn how to install this valve.

a. Choose the best place for the flow control valve

First, you have to pick the right place for your flow control valve. Ideally, you can place the flow control valve somewhere in the direct route from the pool pump to the collectors, this way when installing the pipes you will ensure the shortest route.

b. Determine what type of flow control valve you want

The best option is to install two types of valves. The first one is a solar valve manifold or industry-standard T-valve that goes before the collectors, this determines how much water goes from the pump into the collectors and how much goes back to the pool. You can additionally add a check valve ensuring the water flows from the collectors into the pool and not the other way around.

c. Install the flow control valve

After determining the type of valves and their location, it is time to put them in place. The installation should be relatively easy and give you enough free space to install the plumbing. To be practical , you might want to install the check valve at the same time as plumbing.

Heat Pump Vs Solar Pool Heating

Benefits of a Solar Pool Heater â Free Energy and Much ...

Swimming pool heating is big news. Pools are typically one of the biggest single investments homeowners make in their homes. Consequently, getting the most value out of them is a no-brainer, especially in cooler climates.

So, this brings us back to the big news. If you can raise the temperature of your pool water by 10° you can realistically add months to your swimming season. Needless to say, this is enormous added value on your investment, not to mention your familys entertainment and general lifestyle quality.

As attractive as this may sound it does pose one thorny question. How do you heat the pool in an efficient and cost-effective way that doesnt cause more headaches than balmy swimming sessions?

Also Check: How To Remove Algae Stains From Pool Walls

Lots Of Inspiring And Cheap Ideas

As this list shows, there are a lot of different options when it comes to creating a DIY Solar Pool Heater. We hope this article helped you whether you have a small budget, or a larger one, whether you are looking for a 5-minute idea or need a new weekend project.

Bottom line, just because the weather starts getting a little colder doesnt mean that you have to stop enjoying your pool. Use one of these 15 ideas and make yourself a homemade solar pool heater to extend the pool time for yourself and your family.

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