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The heat of summer is still upon us, but fall has arrived and solar pool heating season is right around the corner! October 15th traditionally starts the solar pool heating season, but it seems to be getting earlier and earlier every year. The phone starts ringing off the hook as seasonal residents flock back to Southwest Florida and year-round residents find pool temperatures dropping. People like their warm pools — getting and keeping them warm is what we do! Shorter days and cooler nights result in significantly lower pool temperatures, especially for uncovered pools that lose lots of heat to the evening sky. Warm daytime temperatures andRead More →

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Some in the industry call a solar pool heating system with a heat pump or gas heater a Hybrid Solar Pool Heater. I prefer to call it a solar pool heater with auxiliary or backup heater. The word ‘hybrid’ is a bit overused in the industry, and can be misleading. Nonetheless, pairing an auxiliary heat source with a solar pool heater can be an ideal solution for some people, especially those who demand particular pool temperatures year-round. If you want your pool a particular temperature all the time, and operating cost is a secondary concern (cost is rarely a complete non-issue), you might consider installing aRead More →

Solar Pool Heating Panels last a long time!

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Professionally installed Solar Pool Heating panels are an investment, and most people want to know how long Solar Pool Heating panels last. That’s a great question! Most major manufacturers provide a 10-12 year collector (panel) warranty that covers manufacturer defects. That shows you how confident the manufacturers are in the quality and longevity of a typical solar pool heating panel. Considering that over 100 million gallons of water can pass through a typical solar pool heating system in its lifetime, it truly is amazing how well solar panels stand up to the rigors of pressure, chemicals, sunlight, wind, and all of the other elements thatRead More →

Terrible Solar Pool Heating Manifold

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My company does service for all brands of solar pool heating systems, so naturally we get to see some things that are funny, dangerous, wrong, and downright terrible. Yesterday I was sent a picture of a solar pool heating manifold (system of valves) that was pretty funny, if not a little dangerous (left, below). One thing is certain – it’s absolutely hideous! The strange thing is that this was installed by one of our major competitors, not an inexperienced dealer or fly-by-night handyman. They do a lot of business, routinely beating our price (surprise, surprise). A neat and tidy solar pool heating bypass and isolationRead More →

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With so many people in Southwest Florida preparing to head north for the summer, We are getting lots of calls from people with solar panels. How do you get your solar pool heater ready for summer? If you are not planning to use your solar pool heater in the summer, the most important thing you can do to protect your system is to drain and isolate it completely. Most of the systems installed by professionals have isolation valves that allow you to stop the flow of water into and out of the solar panels and roof plumbing. Just closing the 3-way solar bypass valve isRead More →

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What is the ideal pool temperature in Southwest Florida? We ask people all the time, “what’s your desired pool temperature?” We get all kinds of answers, but usually it’s a number in degrees. I’d like to point out that it’s all relative! An unheated pool today in Fort Myers was around 74°F. The outdoor temperature reached 84°F in clear sunny skies today. Getting into a 74°F pool might as well get you an honorary membership to the Polar Bear Club. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but a pool that is ten degrees cooler than the ambient temperature sure feels cold, especially at first. Even ifRead More →

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It’s amazing how solar spreads in neighborhoods. The common call is, “My neighbor purchased a solar pool heater from you, and I would like to get a quotation for a system.” What could be better from the dealer perspective?! Just looking at Google Earth around Southwest Florida will show you that neighborhood solar is incredibly common. It is not unusual to spot four or more homes in a row with solar heated pools. Why does this happen? Simply put – people LOVE their solar heated pools! The picture above shows several different panel configurations. Customers often ask why we need to come out to takeRead More →

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Courtesy Solar Hydronics Corp. See this video on Facebook A solar pool heating system uses your existing pool filtration pump to send cool pool water to solar panels that heat the water. The heated water then returns to your pool. A diverter valve is installed to bypass your solar pool heater when your pool is warm enough, or when the climactic conditions do not permit the solar heater to work effectively. An optional electronic control panel can automate the operation of your diverter valve. If you have an existing pool automation system, the solar pool heating system will work with it!  

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NOTE: Your system may look different than pictured below, and may have a check valve on the return line rather than an isolation valve, especially if installed in 2014 or later. Please call if you are unsure. Pool plumbing can be confusing. Solar pool heating valves can add to that confusion. If you want to learn how to turn off and isolate your solar pool heating system with manual valves, you’ve come to the right place. The images and videos below show you how to turn the valves correctly to change the flow of water in your system. What’s pictured below is what we callRead More →

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It’s that time of year. People start calling to get solar pool heating systems installed as pool temperatures drop. New system owners get to experience the luxury of a warm pool at no operational cost for the first time. Existing system owners are faced with a few common issues. “My pool level is going down. There must be a leak.” “My solar pool heating won’t turn on. “My pool is ‘only’ 80°. Just last week it was 85°.” (Also, “My pool is ‘only’ 80 degrees, but I have the controller set at 85°.”) Each of these issues can be resolved without a service call inRead More →

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I realized that I have not been posting many pictures of solar energy installations around Southwest Florida. I’ll get back into that habit. This is about as basic a solar pool heating panel installation as you will see. These are FAFCO Sunsaver panels on a shingle roof, strapped to meet 160 mph design wind speeds required by the Florida Building Code in this particular area of Fort Myers. Notice how we get around vents in the roof.    

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With new building codes in effect in Florida, I’ve been asked quite a lot about variable speed vs. variable flow pumps, especially with solar pool heating systems. The answer turns out to be a bit complex. The simple answer is that a variable speed pump will give you better trouble-free performance while still resulting in significant energy savings. The whole story is more complex. At first glance, the features of a Variable Flow pump like the Pentair Intelliflo VF seem perfectly suited for a solar pool heating system. The pump would operate at a constant flow rate that is optimal for solar pool heating, adjustingRead More →

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The variable speed pump is a perfect match for solar pool heating systems, especially when an automatic controller is used. Without a controller the pump can be scheduled to run at optimum solar circulation speed when solar energy is most likely to be available. Adding a controller adds the capability of changing the pump speed based on the availability and demand for solar heating. With or without solar energy, the variable speed pump will pay for itself with energy savings. You can cut pumping costs up to 90% with this great technology while getting a far quieter and longer lasting pool pump.