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SIZING A SOLAR POOL HEATER

 

 

Please fill in this form. It gives us all the basic information we need in order to discuss your situation.

Please note: If for some reason this form doesn't work for you, you can simply e-mail the info to kenw@simplyweb.net.

. TOP SURFACE AREA OF POOL (SPECIFY SQ FT OR SQ M) OR DIMENSIONS

Estimate the amount of shade on the pool surface over the middle six hours of the day in the first month of the year you want to heat the pool...% That's shade percent NOT sun percent.

. Do you or will you use (IN THE "FRINGE HEATING MONTHS") A :

solar "BUBBLE" type pool cover?

OR AN:

other than solar type night cover?

OR DEFINITELY

NO COVER, I hate them. They are unsafe. They look terrible. NO WAY I CAN CONSIDER A COVER! Please realize that 70% of the heat lost from a pool that is at an elevated temperature (heated) is in evaporation off the top surface of the pool. With solar the heat is free so you can afford to waste it. Solar is the best way to minimize the hassle and need for a cover but if you won't use a cover that's OK. We'll size solar higher and you can see on the charts under sizing that solar can still be the only heater you need.

YOUR GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION -PLEASE INCLUDE CITY AND STATE

Tell us about the roof pitch, direction the roof faces and the type of roof we're dealing with. Example: south facing asphalt shingle roof with a normal pitch Roof type is very important. ie: tar and gravel, roll roofing, membrane, cedar shake, tile, asphalt shingle. North facing roofs at normal pitches don't see much sun in the US. In the sun and facing the sun are very different.

Think about getting 2) 1-1/2" or 2" PVC pipes from the pump/filter to the bottom corner of the above roof. Use comments space below if necessary

Consider the wind losses from the solar panels. If you can see the ocean from the collectors and the wind is coming at the panels then this is going to be a factor in sizing the system if the air is colder than the pool during the day. If you stand on the roof and face the direction the wind is coming from and you can see for miles horizontally then wind will be a factor. Flat roofs don't see much wind loss. Roofs facing the direction away from the direction the prevailing wind is coming are relatively wind sheltered. Tell us about the wind factor. Wind loss on the pool itself is also a big factor.

Solar can extend the season significantly especially if you help with a cover. Are you interested in maximizing the pool season or do you just want the typical pool season as if you had a gas heater?

This isn't required for general sizing and pricing but it is required to design the system. Sometimes solar isn't feasible in a standard configuration and sometimes pool pumps have to be changed to accomodate a solar heater and sometimes solar has to go on a separate pump and sometimes these changes aren't even possible. What is the:

Pool pump HP?

Pressure gauge reading on the filter after backwash (or cartridge cleaning)?

Height of panels (elevation difference between roof and pool)? Specify feet or m or number of storeys.

Size of the PVC pipe coming out of your filter (1-1/2" or 2" usually. 1-1/2" measures 1.900" outside diameter and 2" is almost 2.5" OD?

Is the filter a cartridge type or a sand filter or diatomaceous earth?

Do you have a specific collector type in mind? Powerpro or Powerstrip? The main page shows both types. If undecided leave blank.

VERY IMPORTANT Your e-mail address What you type in here is the only place we have your e-mail address.

Please provide the e-mail address again in this box.

Your name makes it easier for us to identify you if you call or pursue this further. We're not passing this info on to anyone. If you provide an address we can look at it using google earth and tell you more. No mailing list, no e-mail solicitations.

What are the dimensions of the roof? We can measure using google earth if we have your address. If we choose Powerstrip then we'll make it to fit the space. If it is a tile roof tell us how many rows of tiles and what the side to side measurements available are.

If there is a spa built into the pool does it have its own pump for powering the spa jets or is it all done with one pump? Leave blank if there's no spa.

COMMENTS/Other questions:

Thank you for the inquiry. We'll be in touch shortly by e-mail. If you don't hear from us within 2 days, your form didn't get thru or more likely your spam filter caught our reply. If you can't wait then call 858 627 9007 but please measure the pool and roof first. There is no rough price based on averages. We prefer that you fill in the form as the first step. Note the section of our web site on sizing is really powerful and impressive stuff. Please study that if you're interested in quantification.

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