# PITA solar pool heater



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

This is going to be fun :blink:


----------



## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Cool.

Take some photos of the install -- I'd really like to see those.

Thanks


----------



## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Are you standing on your truck or something to get that high for the picture? Are you doing all that by yourself?


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

yes. no why, you need something to do this weekend :laughing:?



house plumber said:


> Are you standing on your truck or something to get that high for the picture? Are you doing all that by yourself?


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

work area


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

4 panels go in the left red area in a line, 4 panels go in the right area with 2 stacked on top of 2.

How would you plumb it? Let's see some drawings.


----------



## ckoch407 (Sep 30, 2009)

What's it pay? LOL


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I already have drawings. I just thought it would be interesting to see how many people on here could actually design a solar pool system, and if they could do it correctly.



ckoch407 said:


> What's it pay? LOL


----------



## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Protech said:


> I already have drawings. I just thought it would be interesting to see how many people on here could actually design a solar pool system, and if they could do it correctly.



Not me. I've never even seen one before.


----------



## ckoch407 (Sep 30, 2009)

Protech said:


> I already have drawings. I just thought it would be interesting to see how many people on here could actually design a solar pool system, and if they could do it correctly.


I figured that. I was answering for House Plumber regarding install help for this weekend. If I had a working scanner I'd take a shot at the drawings. Looks like fun.


----------



## ckoch407 (Sep 30, 2009)

Protech said:


> I already have drawings. I just thought it would be interesting to see how many people on here could actually design a solar pool system, and if they could do it correctly.



PS: I would guess based on previous discussions that if anyone gets it right, they will be from FL, CA, or Hawaii.


----------



## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Protech said:


> yes. no why, you need something to do this weekend :laughing:?


:laughing:, maybe. better than laying in bed like I did all last weekend.


----------



## shakeyglenn68 (Dec 29, 2010)

How soon you need those drawings? in what scale? Do you have the weight capacity of the roof? Are you planning on putting the pool pump lines on the outside of the house or on the inside? Are you planning on using storage tanks for the un-used water or are you going to loop the system to constantly flow?


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

See *bold.*



shakeyglenn68 said:


> *How soon you need those drawings? I don't NEED the drawings at all. I just think it would be neat to see how different people would plumb it.* in what scale? *What ever scale you think would show the best detail* Do you have the weight capacity of the roof? *You do not need to figure in the weight capacity as it will be no where near what the roof's max is..........unless you were going to plumbing it all in lead* :laughing:.Are you planning on putting the pool pump lines on the outside of the house or on the inside? *Outside, there is now where to put them as the house was just built and they didn't make any provisions for pool solar.* Are you planning on using storage tanks for the un-used water or are you going to loop the system to constantly flow? *There are no storage tanks other than the pool it self. This will be a polymer drainback system tied into the pool's filtration loop and will utilize the pools pump to circulate the solar loop (as 98% of residential Florida pools are done).*


*
Now, let's see what ya got*


----------



## ZL700 (Dec 8, 2009)

Your going with those ugly cheap looking polmer blanket panels?

I used the new panels from Roth on my house. They are more attractive, ridgid and less piping. The solar panel control works ok for me from Hayward including cooling mode at night during mid summer.

They will let you put panels on the front visible from the street?


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I'd put an active direct system with the photovotaic panel. A PV (photovoltaic panel converts sunlight to DC power). The DC power then powers a re-circ pump.


Don't ask me about tilt angle of panels, I refer to the code book on that, (Solar Water and Pool Heating Manual). It says a tilt angle of 25 degrees for year-round use in South Florida or a tilt angle of 30 degrees in North Florida for year-round use.

Of course the system needs the following on the roof: 1) an air vent, 2)vacuum breaker 3)pressure relief valve and 4) a freeze prevention valve.

I would sub-contract the actual mounting of the panel hardware on the roof to a licensed roofing contractor. I won't drill the roof membrane.





www.fsec.ucf.edu


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> I'd put an active direct system with the photovotaic panel. A PV (photovoltaic panel converts sunlight to DC power). The DC power then powers a re-circ pump.
> 
> 
> Don't ask me about tilt angle of panels, I refer to the code book on that, (Solar Water and Pool Heating Manual). It says a tilt angle of 25 degrees for year-round use in South Florida or a tilt angle of 30 degrees in North Florida for year-round use.
> ...










are you talking about? We are talking about a solar pool system here and you are describing a DHW system.


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

My bad, I'm tired.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

4 gallons in a little 27sqft collector of polyethylene that is only rated to 14.5PSI? No thanks, I'm good. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I'll go with what is cost effective and time proven to produce heat and not leak.



ZL700 said:


> Your going with those ugly cheap looking polmer blanket panels?
> 
> I used the new panels from Roth on my house. They are more attractive, ridgid and less piping. The solar panel control works ok for me from Hayward including cooling mode at night during mid summer.
> 
> They will let you put panels on the front visible from the street?


----------



## shakeyglenn68 (Dec 29, 2010)

Protech said:


> See*This will be a polymer drainback system tied into the pool's filtration loop and will utilize the pools pump to circulate the solar loop (as 98% of residential Florida pools are done).* *bold.*
> 
> 
> *
> Now, let's see what ya got*


Out of my ball park, here we use glass/copper solar panels, everything ran with insulated copper. Use a 80 gal HT as a back up storage due to the winter months. Pipe from pool pump (line going to pool off the filter, instal a 'T' then ball valve on run leading to roof 4" there after instal a drain pipe with ball valve to drain system if shutting system off) , branch off to each panel then branch back into 1 line to storage tank then from tank to pool. 

If the lines are running on the outside of the house wrap with vynel storm drain to hide from eye sight. (Here if its copper and visible its gone the next day). Former boss had a rule for certain neighborhoods when it came to setting the condensing units for HVAC, the house had to be sold and resident moved in before he would set the unit. Most of the homes in these neighborhoods we would sleeve the foundations with 2" PVC then use electrician mice and twine to pull ropes through the sleeves to pull soft copper for water lines. Copper here grows legs and walk away on its own in less than 6 hours.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

You are running pool water through copper collectors? That pool is gonna turn green the first time the ph is allowed to crash. If they don't stay on top of it all the time, the collectors are shot. If you are gonna run glazed collectors you should be using a heat exchanger.



shakeyglenn68 said:


> Out of my ball park, here we use glass/copper solar panels, everything ran with insulated copper. Use a 80 gal HT as a back up storage due to the winter months. Pipe from pool pump (line going to pool off the filter, instal a 'T' then ball valve on run leading to roof 4" there after instal a drain pipe with ball valve to drain system if shutting system off) , branch off to each panel then branch back into 1 line to storage tank then from tank to pool.
> 
> If the lines are running on the outside of the house wrap with vynel storm drain to hide from eye sight. (Here if its copper and visible its gone the next day). Former boss had a rule for certain neighborhoods when it came to setting the condensing units for HVAC, the house had to be sold and resident moved in before he would set the unit. Most of the homes in these neighborhoods we would sleeve the foundations with 2" PVC then use electrician mice and twine to pull ropes through the sleeves to pull soft copper for water lines. Copper here grows legs and walk away on its own in less than 6 hours.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Loading er up.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

The only way to set solar collectors.........at night.


----------



## ZL700 (Dec 8, 2009)

Protech said:


> 4 gallons in a little 27sqft collector of polyethylene that is only rated to 14.5PSI? No thanks, I'm good. Thanks for the suggestion though.
> 
> I'll go with what is cost effective and time proven to produce heat and not leak.


Not really that volume is the issue but the operating pressure allowance is worthless. I saw them at a show and liked them but not thier specs. I'm in agreement on that one, too much to set up and worry about with that bypass operation.


----------



## ZL700 (Dec 8, 2009)

FYI

There is a phone app called solar checker that reads expected solar yield (kwh) based on location, direction and inclination. Not the same but can help decide best location for panels. 

The phone face is the simulated reader


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I use a solar path finder, but that is a neat idea.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Downloading pics of the finished product......


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Well, I can't find the darn pictures so here is a video.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

looks like I never got the finished product uploaded...

Here we go:


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Still doing its thing


----------

