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Summer is here and the pools are open, if not a little bit chilly. Many folks and municipalities with swimming pools extend the swimming season by heating their pools. Most use some sort of propane or natural gas system to heat the pool water, I have even seen a few heat pumps. That sounds expensive. Solar pool heating has been around for a long time and it relatively easy and inexpensive and simple to implement.
I was driving down the road this morning on my way back from an appointment and I saw this:
Enersol unglazed swimming pool heating solar collectors
Just out of the picture to the right is the swimming pool that these collectors service.
Enersol pool heating system
I had to stop and take a few pictures. According to the sign, this pool is owned and maintained by the Home Owner’s Association (HOA) for the housing development just down the street.
These look like Enersol S-1000 collectors. They are made of plastic and come in a roll. To increase the side of the collector system, simply add more collector rolls on the end of the string. The existing pool pump circulates pool water through them by use of a temperature controlled diverter valve. I lifted this diagram from their site. Looks pretty efficient and likely gathers a lot of heat on a sunny day.
The wood frame mounting rack that this installation uses looks first rate, my only comment on it is I think I would put a little more tilt to the south to gather more heat during the spring and fall seasons. Then again, this is in the middle of the Catskill Mountains, altitude around 2,000 feet AMSL. When it is raining almost everywhere else, it snows here. Perhaps there is no spring or fall swimming season, only summer.
In any case, they are likely saving a good deal of money heating the pool this way. The only other comment I have is there are no state or federal subsides for solar pool or jacuzzi heating.
Here are a few more pictures of this installation:
Enersol pool heating collectors on a wood framed rack
Solar heated pool
