[scociny]

We considered a solar system when we moved in but talked to our neighbor who has one and he didn't recommend it. He put his in after he moved in and said it was the biggest mistake. I don't know who installed his, but he has had three leaks in 6 years and just said it wasn't worth the money because they didn't work as good as he thought they would.

[Packrat1]

Has anyone heard of a Swimming pool company renting heaters/propane for say a weekend in some kind of portable situation maybe off the BBQ stub out?

I know there is a Rental service where they bring out hot tubs for a weekend but those are probably 110volt units self contained.

[Trash Can]

Originally Posted by airics

get a gas heater.. cheaper and better in the long run... but what do i know? solar will get you to October... I was swimming on New Years...

We have a gas heater now, which we run when we use the spa. The problem with our pool is that it sits in the shade for a good portion of the afternoon. My neighbor's pool is consistently 7-8 degrees warmer than mine without heating because it sits in direct sun most of the day. I know a pool cover will help solve heat loss, which we have, but it's such a pain in the arse to put on and remove. Someone here once likened it to wrestling an alligator. We use the pool almost every day in the summer. I wouldn't mind warming the pool with gas every once in a while, but don't want to run it on a daily basis.

Originally Posted by scociny

We considered a solar system when we moved in but talked to our neighbor who has one and he didn't recommend it. He put his in after he moved in and said it was the biggest mistake. I don't know who installed his, but he has had three leaks in 6 years and just said it wasn't worth the money because they didn't work as good as he thought they would.

I guess it depends on who you talk to. The people who I talked to swear by it, as it extends their swimming season by at least a month on either side of summer. They have had no or minimal problems.

I've read that you generally need enough panels to cover approx 80% of the surface area of your pool. Maybe your neighbor didn't get enough coverage for the system to be effective?

Like anything else, a lot of it probably depends on the contractor. I've heard good things about Suntrek and like their product, but they seem expensive. I don't mind shelling out a few extra bucks for a quality system - pay now or pay later. On the other hand, I don't want to overpay when another company could install a quality system for less.

[Packrat1]

I really don't mind paying the price for gas to heat say for a weekend which on my first house amounted to about $75 for the weekend not much more than going out to dinner. Unfortunately my pool equipment is on the Northeast corner of the back of the house and the gas meter in on the Southwest front of the home. Just to lay the gas line was about $3,000 and I got a couple of bids. I live in Seven Hills so I pretty much have to do it to code. I know I can get a good price on the heater just getting gas to it reasonably would be the problem. I did have one pool contractor speak towards using the BBQ gas stub on the back deck. Apparently the pipe size on the bbq stub is not large enough for a full sized pool heater but might run a smaller btu one. I suspect that it wouldn't really heat the pool but rather "take the edge" off the cold water. I suspect that in the long run I wouldn't be happy with that set up. I was also told that I could run the gas line through the garage and up into the attic and down the other side to the pool equipment to shorten the gas line distance needed but I am kind of leery about that.

[007 license to sell]

we have a solar heated pool and it 's been great we get to get ito use the pool earlier and later in the year and the cost is minimal, in fact our solar works so good that once it's heated we have to back off the solar or it can get to hot . The main thing is you want to make sure to get a reputable solar pool company. Solar pools should always use the black tubing to store the water , instead of a up right solar panel. Our solar tubing is 6 yrs old and works as good as the day it was installed.

[gvc8]

we bought a house that had solar heating , and I thought it would extend our swimming time much longer than it actually does. its great in the summer when the sun is directly overhead, but doesnt really warm the water enough in the spring & fall for my liking. but , we have a 36k gallon pool and almost two thirds of the panels are installed on the west facing roof which I think is part of the problem.

[Vegas111]

We've had Sealed Air panels for just over 10 years, installed by Celestial Solar Systems, and would do it all over again. The first year after the pool construction, we didn't have them yet, and the 25,000 gallon pool was a little chilly all summer. While they have extended the season a few weeks to a month on either end, the best part is the ability to comfortably swim all season, setting the temperature to whatever we want. As far as companies go, definitely look into Celestial (791-5899) if you go the solar route - the only real issue was a panel started to leak after 9 years, and they quickly came out and replaced it under warranty still! After 10 years, the panels have more than paid for themselves in energy savings, and they're probably good for another 10. Gas prices will only continue to go up, but solar won't!

[SportyandMisty]

With panels or coils on the roof your pump will work harder. Some modern efficient pumps work by pumping slower but longer, and that type of pump might not have enough horsepower to be compatible with pumping water to the roof.

[mary54mi]

Our solar panel system is FAFCO is all crap. Leaks all the time, can drain your pool fast and create a problem with burn out pump if you loose too much water!
The way the panels connect to one another with hose clamps and rubbber hoses, leak all the time. Hubby goes on roof to tighten. They are NOT freeze proof even though our FAFCO warrenty says it is. We live in Tampa, FL.
Ask neighors, go to pool stores and do your research before you commit. We also bought an electric heater that we use each Christmas for a wonderful time, worth every penny

[Exaday]

The solar system might seem cheaper but your pump has to work harder to get all the water up to the roof. This will shorten the life of your pump. Buy a gas heater. I say buy used with so many foreclosure. Probably find a slightly used one cheaply.

Solar is a mistake.