Heating your pool provides you the ability to enjoy your pool all season long, even all year long in some areas. Comfortable pool temperatures from the mid 70’s to the high 80’s can easily be obtained using solar heating.

The effectiveness of a solar energy system for heating your pool depends on the kinds and the number of solar panels you have in your solar collector. Some people wonder whether a solar energy system can heat a pool during a cloudy day. The answer is yes.

There is a difference between sunlight and solar radiation. Solar radiation exists any time there is daylight. As long as solar radiation is present, solar panels can collect and make energy. Even so, with sunlight present the system will be even more efficient.

The number of panels present in your system is one of the key elements to just how effective the system will be. Each panel can only collect and process so much energy during a given time. If it seems your solar powered pool heating is not adequate you may need to add more solar panels. Another way to help improve the heating of your pool is to add a pool cover.

In a solar pool heating system, the pool filtration system pumps pool water through the solar collectors. The collected heat is transferred directly to the pool water. If the goal is to extend the swimming season into spring and fall, the solar collector should be fifty to one hundred percent of the surface area of the pool. Collectors are usually made from unglazed, low-temperature collectors made from specially formulated plastic materials.

The efficiency of your system will depend on many factors. Before you purchase and install your pool solar heating system you should evaluate your site’s solar resources. You will also want to determine the correct system size, and compare system costs. Also be sure to investigate local codes, rules, and regulations. Once you solar heating system is installed, maintenance is minimal. The only moving part on a solar pool heating system is the diverting valve. This valve controls when the water circulates through the collector loop. Water bypasses the system during cloudy times and at night. Other systems use sensors and controls to regulate the flow to the collector panels.

Using a solar heating system to heat your pool is a very cost-saving investment.