The swimming fun in our pool is unfortunately often clouded by our changeable weather. Ungern you want to wait in the summer for days until the pool water heats up sufficiently by the sun or the heat loss in the night is balanced again. Here is a pool heating remedy and allows swimming in the pool over the entire season away. There are different types of pool heaters available, and a comparison is always worthwhile: There are some significant differences, especially about the energy supply and the associated operating costs, so that solar pool heating is almost always the best solution.
How does a solar pool heater work?
Similar to solar fountains or solar showers, the energy of the sun is used to heat the pool water. Individual solar collectors or space-saving solar domes are integrated into the filter circuit of the pool and placed in the garden. The pool water flows through the specially sheathed hoses or pipes and is heated. The water pumping takes over the circulation pump, which is already present in every filter system. Solar pool heating uses this energy to heat the water in an environmentally friendly way and without any additional electricity costs. Also, solar absorbers can be mounted on the house or garage roof and are barely visible.
Optionally they can count on optimizing equipment, with temperature sensors in both the panels and in the water and an automatic valve, so that when the panels have the right temperature, the valve sends the flow to be heated, on the other hand, In case the panels are cold, the water is sent directly to the pool to avoid losing temperature.
Usually, non-encapsulated panels are used, made of plastics that are resistant to the attack of the chemicals used to maintain the pool, and with inhibitors for the effects of UV rays.
They are usually installed on the rooftops, either in a single group or several depending on the number of panels. In case the groups are divided, they should preferably be of the same number of units among themselves to have better efficiency.
Preferably, they should be oriented to the south and use isolated pipe in case the distance between the pump and the heater is considerable.
This type of heaters can be combined with other heating systems such as gas heaters or heat pumps so that the water passes first through the solar heater to take advantage of solar energy. In case of not reaching the desired temperature, the secondary system only contributes to the missing power.
Advantages of a solar pool heating
- Cheap in purchase
- No ongoing operating costs
- Low maintenance technology
- environmentally friendly
How much does a solar pool heater cost?
The price of a solar pool heater depends on the quality and size of the solar panels. So there are already cheap solar mats, which are a few square meters in size and for smaller pools, z. B. Quick-Up Pools are suitable up to large solar panels for several hundred euros. These need 
sufficient space, but they heat large pools reliably.
Alternatives to solar pool heaters
To be able to heat the pool independently of the sunlight, we have listed two further variants of a pool heater below.
heat pump
Here, the method of thermodynamics is used to heat the pool water. An integrated heat exchanger converts the ambient air into heat in combination with electrical energy and forwards this energy into the pool water. This pool heater is, therefore, independent of the sunlight and also very power efficient, as it can heat a large amount of water in the pool. However, the heat pumps are much more expensive to buy than solar pool heaters.
Heater
On the other hand, electric water heaters, which heat the water relatively quickly, are cheaper to buy. Also, they are straightforward to install and require no extensive maintenance. However, electric instantaneous water heaters are more expensive than a solar pool heater or a heat pump regarding operating costs, making it more worthwhile for smaller to medium size swimming pools, or if you have low backup power and warm the pool overnight.
What should you consider when buying a pool heater?
In principle, care should be taken in all types of pool heaters – both solar pool heaters and electrically operated pool heaters – that they are tailored to the size of the pool. Otherwise, it may happen that the healing power of the pool heater is not enough to heat the entire pool. Also, it should be paid to the purchase of high quality, if the pool and the pool heating over the years to be used. The intensity of care and maintenance of a pool heater should also be considered when purchasing. Solar pool heaters, for example, are less maintenance-intensive than pool heating with a heat pump.
Solar film as a supplement to the solar pool heating
A solar foil in the form of cloth for the pool is particularly convenient because it has multiple benefits. On the one hand, it absorbs solar energy during the day and forwards the bundled heat directly to the pool water. Depending on the sun’s rays, the water can warm up in this way by 3-6 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, a solar film prevents the cooling of the pool water overnight, so that the solar pool heating is relieved the next day. Also, the solar film protects the pool from contamination by external influences such as leaves or insects.
Conclusion
There are many ways to “heat” the pool water during the bathing season. All in all, solar pool heaters offer the most advantages, as they heat up quickly and climate-friendly, are low-maintenance, and inexpensive to buy. When planning and purchasing solar pool heating, the right ratio of heated pool water and the solar area should always be taken into account. There are, for example, small solar mats up to large solar collectors, which can be mounted on the house or garage roof. To supplement the heating of the pool water also solar films are advisable, which heat the water during the day and prevent cooling off the water at night.
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