Solar pool heating

For anything to do with the garden and pool
e-richard
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Location: Algarve, Portugal
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Post by e-richard »

Sorry, I don't have any links to the pool cover monstrosity.
Yes, it is indeed intrusive and ugly, and frankly we don't have the space either, but it is appreciated for what it simply does.
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
Tom Hart
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Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:21 am
Location: Central Portugal
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Post by Tom Hart »

Hello Richard,
A couple of questions if I may. After another season, are you still happy with the installation? What temperature do you set the system to operate at? Have you installed half of the pool area? The reason for the last question is that I have limited space and would only be able to install around a third of the pool area.
Thanks in anticipation.
e-richard
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Post by e-richard »

Hi Tom,
Since the temperature is purely reliant on sunshine, I wish there was a switch to adjust the temperature of the sun :wink:

So far, we have had great experiences in the shoulder seasons (mid May - end June and Sept/Oct) when we've been able to swim much more comfortably than without the heating. From 1st July - 31st August we hide away the pool cover and still leave the heating on, but if the daytime temperature gets above 32C, then we just turn the valve off to the solar panels. It varies.

We did have one set of guests who complained that it was insufficient. This was mid March when there had been cloud cover for 3 consecutive days, and at that time of year it does take another 3 days of bright sunshine to bring the pool back up to a reasonable temperature of say 22-24C. So, now I am very careful to set client's expectations.

I did install the full 50% cover, and sometimes wish I'd had a bit more (we do have the space). Frankly, I don't know how effective it would be with less. I'm sure it would make some difference, but I wonder if it would be enough to warrant the installation costs ?
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
Tom Hart
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Location: Central Portugal
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Post by Tom Hart »

Many thanks Richard, that helps a lot.
Entirelyidentifiable
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Post by Entirelyidentifiable »

Tom did you end up going with solar?

I am now contemplating the same issue. We are buying a property with an unheated pool and want to add heating for ourselves and rental guests. Like the idea of solar...want to boost shoulder season bookings and rememberan unheated pool being unusable even in May half term which was actually just into June on one of our trips out.

How much did your system cost e-richard or Tom?

The pool is 8x4.
e-richard
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Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:33 am
Location: Algarve, Portugal
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Post by e-richard »

From memory, my system cost about £1200 in the UK. DHL shipped it within a week direct from manufacturer.

Then installation was about €1500 because I had to dig a trench the full length of the pool and relay paving. All depends on where you lay the mats.
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
Tom Hart
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Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:21 am
Location: Central Portugal
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Post by Tom Hart »

Hi, I did install the solar heating. I have to say that the installation was not done as well as I would have liked. However we have now had it for a few years here in Central Portugal. We usually open the pool in May and close it early October, it is 12m x 6m. We also installed a thermal summer cover on roller, cumbersome, but effective. It both keeps the heat in over night, and raises the temperature before it is rolled back each day. A friend of mine has found that the installation of the cover alone, was enough to get his (smaller) pool to over 30 degrees regularly.
Entirelyidentifiable
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Post by Entirelyidentifiable »

Tom, how much was yours?

We are/ will be in Central Algarve so if you could PM me the supplier, I can then avoid them if they were not good!!

Shame as I was hoping to get it warm enough for Oct half term but think that would be optimistic.
That's just for us though - for guests I think anything that pushes pool use into late May to end of Sept would be great.

I have used pools in August out there and found some chilly so the cover sounds a good move at the very least.
Tom Hart
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Post by Tom Hart »

Can´t remember the exact cost. I bought, and had shipped out from Paramount Pools in the U.K. You´ll find their website easily. The installation was done by locals here, and could have been a lot better. I am having to have some of the pipework re-attached at the moment. As far as time of year, we get a lot of wind early in the year and have a real problem with pollen, so leave it until May. Early October for us is full of grape related jobs, so it´s just easier to close it. I would definitely recommend the system and found Paramount very helpful. However I would try the cover first, it might save you some money.
Entirelyidentifiable
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Post by Entirelyidentifiable »

Thanks Tom. I will look them up and solar covers too.
Gettingthere
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Post by Gettingthere »

I can't comment on solar heating as it's not a great help in the UK (for a pool anyway) but we continued to use our new pool at a fair bit cooler than 30. More like 26 or 27, and didn't close it down until the end of October last year. And that's in the UK!

I guess over here your expectation is lower than in Portugal! But much like the sea the first time you dip your toe in it may feel a little cool, but once you take the plunge and are swimming it's perfectly fine!
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teapot
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Post by teapot »

Entirelyidentifiable wrote:Thanks Tom. I will look them up and solar covers too.
Currently the best solar cover is Geobubble. It has a different shaped bubble to most bubble covers that suffer weakness in the corners of the molding where the material is thinner and that means an earlier failure. Another plus is the shape is much easier to clean having no corners the dirt doesn't get trapped so easily so almost self cleaning.

600 micron is now available and will help with heat retention and the solar gain through a nearly clear cover is the highest. Solguard+ is the material for the highest UV resistance (the reason for most plastic failures).
Passivpool Energy "A" rated Swimming Pools, the most efficient, lowest running cost pools in the world
ianthy
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Location: Bologna, Italy

Post by ianthy »

We are also looking at solar for the pool for next year, so this info is really helpful. I think it will need to be a combination of a solar pool cover and maybe some sort of tubing.

I think we will need to manage guest expectations regarding what can be achieved especially if they don't use the solar pool cover as advised. Does anyone have a form of words that they use in their booking form maybe regarding the pool solar heating etc?

thks
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