heating my indoor pool with solar

[Matchless]

I have discussed installing the six flat plate solar hot water panels in the past but never quite get around to it, had them (new) for years, now thinking of a far easier way than a sealed system with heat exchanger extra pump, control systemand expansion vessel etc.
How about connecting them into the actual pool pump pipework with some extra valves and pumping pool water directly through them when the sun shines, when it is not sunny leave them sitting empty so they cannot freeze, would need a couple of temp sensors to make sure there is enough sun to actually raise the water temp, and I may need to fit a valve at the top of the system to let air in so they drain down easily, I am assuming that a hot water solar panel can sit empty without being damaged bythe sun,

 

[drjim]

I've been heating my outdoor above ground pool/spa with 100m of dark green hosepipe on the shed roof fed by a 15 quid eBay pump. Can get the 700 or so litres in the IBC hot tub from 20ish up to 37 plus in an afternoon, so I reckon that will work OK.

 

[gaz1]

your pool chlorine will rot them

thats why i suggested a tank to heat up first get it to high temps

its far better to heat an enclosed tank to high temps then let that water into a bigger system

Solar Thermal Install

You will need some kind of mains power backup for summer to run all these pumps sensors etc. I have a large solar array (8m2) with these panels and a 1000L tank with multiple coils in it. In summer if you loose the power for 45 minutes in summer its enough to take the 1000L tank to boiling...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

Solar Thermal Install

it's not really financially worth it to try and store heat from one season to the next, you'll spend way more on the tank, getting it in position, plumbing it in and then super insulating it than you'll save on heating you can super insulate your house for less cost and see more benefit by my...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[frank horton]

the cheaper solar units have basiclly a 10mm plastic micro bore pipe.....better ones being copper sheet.....
as Gaz says if urs are copper they will rot very quickly.....
I just use a central heating pump to stir things up.....
our pool has a seperate cistern, the water get's pumped from it to the solar unit then returns to there.....
the main pool pump then pushes the warm water into the pool.....this pool pump runs for about an hour every hour during the summer....
in summer the pool water gets to 29-30 deg just from the sun....11mx4.5mx2mD....
we only want the solar units to increase the season length....
u will need some kinda sealed system to seperate the water.....
our's just drains down so no freezing prob, if ever it freezes...
I used black garden hose in Africa for my hot water, useing the thermo syphon system/no pump....cheap as chips and for u no rot probs other than the sun's UV if u go with plastic hose on the roof....
if the units are new u can sell em easy..........

 

[8ob]

A mate of mine spent rather a large sum of money littering his roof with solar, its not even capable of heating his hot water cylinder. Dont think a few panels will make a discernible difference to a mass of water like a pool.

Bob

 

[minimutly]

the cheaper solar units have basiclly a 10mm plastic micro bore pipe.....better ones being copper sheet.....
as Gaz says if urs are copper they will rot very quickly.....
I just use a central heating pump to stir things up.....
our pool has a seperate cistern, the water get's pumped from it to the solar unit then returns to there.....
the main pool pump then pushes the warm water into the pool.....this pool pump runs for about an hour every hour during the summer....
in summer the pool water gets to 29-30 deg just from the sun....11mx4.5mx2mD....
we only want the solar units to increase the season length....
u will need some kinda sealed system to seperate the water.....
our's just drains down so no freezing prob, if ever it freezes...
I used black garden hose in Africa for my hot water, useing the thermo syphon system/no pump....cheap as chips and for u no rot probs other than the sun's UV if u go with plastic hose on the roof....
if the units are new u can sell em easy..........

In Crete.....

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I'd say fit the solar panels as intended as a sealed system. Obviously more work but at least you'd know that it would work

 

[Matchless]

I'd say fit the solar panels as intended as a sealed system. Obviously more work but at least you'd know that it would work

At the back of my mind is that on a very hot long summers day when the pool does not need any heat and the solar system is at max temperature what will happen?

A mate of mine spent rather a large sum of money littering his roof with solar, its not even capable of heating his hot water cylinder. Dont think a few panels will make a discernible difference to a mass of water like a pool.

Bob

My panels are German made Wolf? flat plate so should be very good quality, I have six and they are something like 2mtr x 1.2mtr each,

 

[gaz1]

@Matchless i know you have named the best the sun location but can you name again how your setup would be

is it facing north and south or is it east and west or is it off set for the best location of the solar panels

have you got the space
where are you thinking is best for your solar
can you fit a storage tank or are willing to fit one
would you be willing to make one up

as i explaned on the last post a double coil within one tank will heat faster than a single coil but not all tanks are made this way expensive solar ones are but you can use 3 systems with that one
2 coils and also use an electric 12v/24v emersion heater all powered by solar

 

[gaz1]

A mate of mine spent rather a large sum of money littering his roof with solar, its not even capable of heating his hot water cylinder. Dont think a few panels will make a discernible difference to a mass of water like a pool.

Bob

theres plenty of details missing from that

his roof position
how much sun they get
is the solar panel run in series or parraell
are the panels run as one or in dual configuration dual config you get twice the heat output compared to single
the size of the tank thats been heated

 

[CompoSimmonite]

At the back of my mind is that on a very hot long summers day when the pool does not need any heat and the solar system is at max temperature what will happen?

Surely there is scope to add a thermostat to avoid pool getting too warm ?

 

[gaz1]

its better to use a thermal dump system

where rads or another tank can be used to put the excess heat into as a dump load than overheat the tank and cause damage to it

 

[cr500dom]

A friend did it to heat his pool in France 100m of black alpathene water pipe coiled round in a frame under glass.
Started first year with 50m
2nd year added another 50m, worked incredibly well

 

[gaz1]

A friend did it to heat his pool in France 100m of black alpathene water pipe coiled round in a frame under glass.
Started first year with 50m
2nd year added another 50m, worked incredibly well

a coil dosnt drain down and therefore can freeze that would mean your using glycol in the water

 

[cr500dom]

a coil dosnt drain down and therefore can freeze that would mean your using glycol in the water

That’s how he did it Gaz, pool water pumped through the coil then running back into the pool

 

[gaz1]

That’s how he did it Gaz, pool water pumped through the coil then running back into the pool

the only way to drain it is have it on a cone build

 

[gaz1]

in the summer time the solar panels get really hot fast due to more sun and less clounds around

but in the winter you dont produce enough heat however connecting them into a dual system they can produce twice the amount of heat and that can be controlled by a divertor valve which is the fail point on them

in the summer you can run them as single heat store and in the winter they can be dualed up

so in matchless case he would run 6 units seperatly and in winter this would change to 3 units to gain more heat

water storage

whilst 6 ( lets say ) emersion heater cylinder tank can be used in summer all with there own coils fed from the solar panels in winter this would change to 3 emersion heater tanks as they would gain more heat

the issue with this size of tank is they would gain alot of heat in winter and then would be over powered in summer and you would need to get rid of alot of heat in this time period

 

[gaz1]

as goes for the cylinder tanks there rather easy to make its the protection of them thats not

stainless steel type

large storage tanks well one can make one or buy one thats down to matchless but his issue is installing the 6 coils into the tank

heres a large tank being installed

at this point matchless needs to decide does he make a seperate solar storage unit for the panels to sit on it and also a tank storage shed not forgetting that an enclosed area then also becomes warm and those tanks do keep the heat in much better compared to external tanks

the other advantage to this he can also use a wood boiler and have a close wood store to top it up when needed

 

[gaz1]

if you want a cheap water tank go downwards

the tech has changed enough over the years that you can use a mix of materials

but if you do use rubber or polymir beaware of this danish heat storage 80-90 degrees stored from summer to be used in winter

i wouldnt advise galvanised tanks as the heat can affect them