By: Jason Calvert
Submitted: 2010-07-14 18:01:42 | Word Count: 501
A great way to go solar with your home is by building a do it yourself solar power pool heater. You do no need to obtain a lot of costly equipment or tools. And you will not need highly specialized skills. Here is a easy explanation of the steps and benefits so you can decide if you want to give it a try.
It will take about 2 years for this project to pay for itself in energy savings. This is because you will be saving the price of gas to heat your pool. And the price of materials for making a solar pool heater is lower than with many other solar do it yourself projects. You will also be saving the price of installation if you want to go ahead and do that yourself.
You will need to purchase only a few simple components: solar collectors, piping, a controller and a diverter valve. You will not need to build or buy a storage tank, since your pool already stores the water. And you won't need to pruchase, build or install a circulating pump, since your solar pool heater will use your pool's circulating pump.
Here is a simple explanation of how the system works. As the water moves from the pool it gets heated by the solar collectors before getting pumped back into the pool.. This is called an open loop design. The controller allows you to select the warmest temperature you want the pool to reach. And the diverter valve either sends water back to the pool if it is already warm enough, or over to the collector to be heated as needed.
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The solar collector is a simple system of black polypropylene UV-resistant tubing. The choice of materials is important so that the tubing doesn't break down from exposure to the sun or from exposure from the chlorine in the pool. Done correctly the material could last up to 20 years.
It may be easier to purchase a ready make solar collectors rather than making them yourself. The reason is that adhesives will not stick to polypropylene, and the equipment you would need to thermal weld it would cost more than buying the ready-made collectors. Also, experts reccomend against using a less expensive rubber or plastic tubing that will break down too quickly because of exposure to the sun and chlorine.
If you decide that you really want to install your solar pool heating system yourself, the easiest method is to buy a kit. You will still need to design, measure and install your system. And you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your work for years to come.
Author Resource:-
Jason Calvert is a solar energy enthusiast and computer science teacher. You can easily make a solar panel or a wind generator to power your house, garage, cabin or well...just about anything. Check out Go Earth Energy for diy energy reviews, products, projects and information.
A great way to go solar with your home is by building a do it yourself solar power pool heater. You do no need to obtain a lot of costly equipment or tools. And you will not need highly specialized skills. Here is a easy explanation of the steps and benefits so you can decide if you want to give it a try.