Swimming pool heating with solar panels: the principle of operation and their types

Dacha. Summer. Heat. Pool. For a feeling of complete comfort, you need very little - to plunge into cool water.

This is where the problem sometimes arises. Pool water is often too cold. Especially for children. Cool, really refreshing water in the pool has a temperature of at least + 22ᵒ C. To achieve this indicator, it is necessary to periodically warm it up. For this, various heaters are used.

• 2 Electrical
• 3 Fuel
• 4 Gas
• 5 Solar
• 6 Thermal

Electrical

They are the most common. Small in size, nice design, they look amazing next to the pool.
Each of them has a pump with a filter. In this way, the water in the pool is not only heated, but also purified at the same time.

Intex water heaters are very popular. One of the demanded models is the Electric Pool Heater Intex 28684/56684. This is a low-power heater designed for heating water in small pools (up to 17 m³).

It is convenient for them to use in summer cottages, where inflatable pools for children are installed.... It is absolutely safe to use. Easy to install. Water heating is controlled by a thermostat, which is very convenient. But manual control brings some inconvenience. Supply voltage 220 V, power 3 kW.
Water heaters of the Bestway 58259 brand are in no less demand. The same applies to low-power water heaters. Operates from a 220 V network. Increases the water temperature in the pool from 0.5 to 1.5 ᵒ C / hour.
Water heating can be accelerated by using a special covering awning. The operating mode of the heater is in the range of 16-35ᵒ С. Just like the Electric Pool Heater, it is convenient when heating small volumes (up to 17000 l). In this case, the pool diameter should not exceed 4.5 meters.

The Bestway water heater does not have a thermostat, so the temperature of the pool water must be checked by touch or with a thermometer. But some models are equipped with a thermostat. This question must be clarified with the seller when buying a water heater. On sale, the Bestway 58259 water heater is equipped with hoses and a hinged awning. You need to pay special attention to this, because sometimes unscrupulous sellers sell these accessories separately.

Instantaneous electric heaters of the Swedish company PAHLEN are very popular. The power of these heaters varies from 3 to 18 kW. Accordingly, the voltage in the 220 V network will supply only low-power 3 kW devices. For the rest, the voltage in the network should be 380 V.

PAHLEN electric heaters are equipped with thermostats and relays that protect the water from overheating. In addition, they have a number of security elements. Powerful heating elements (heating elements) are installed inside the metal case, which heat the water. Low-power heaters are made of heat-resistant plastic.

The heaters of this line have small-sized bodies, but at the same time they pass a sufficiently large amount of water through themselves, which is heated, if necessary, up to 40 ° C.

How to heat the water in the pool - a couple of reliable ways and 5 more in stock

Plastic pools for 3 - 15 cubic meters of water invite us to swim in summer and autumn ... But it wasn’t there - before you get in, you usually need to decide how to heat the water in the pool, and preferably faster without hassle and extra costs. At first glance, heating the pool in the country is not difficult, but in practice, due to problems, the most radical actions arise, up to dragging a wheelbarrow into the pool and kindling a large fire in it. The thermal blanket helps a little, especially when the water is from a well or a cold water conduit. Folk craftsmen, after reflecting on the problem of heating water in a swimming pool, have proposed several technical solutions for a penny, which we will discuss below and consider other possible methods….

What is the easiest way to heat the water in the pool - suitable for small containers

We need +25 degrees in the pool, and for children +28 degrees, but + 15 - +18 degrees are available, what to do ... The first thing that usually comes to mind when there is a problem of how to heat the water in the pool is to lower the boiler there. Maybe 2 pcs at once. But it soon turns out that for several tons of water, no sense is noticeable, and the blinking electric meter calls for the receipt to be paid.

The next idea is to heat water in buckets on a gas stove and pour 5-6 boiling water into the buckets of buckets. Better than with an electric heater, but all day being on duty at the stove and carrying hot water from the stove to the pool is an ineffective and boring pastime. I immediately want to be relieved of my duties.

So, two methods of heating the pool water - electric heating and carrying hot water in buckets of practical value for large containers. But for a small pool for children - this is a common thing, the main thing is that this is the easiest thing to do. Let's consider further how to deal with a large pool - from 3 tons.

A cheap way to heat pool water is to use (make) a solar collector

The pumping buzzing pump included in the pool kit can take water from the pool, pump it through the heating element and return it back already heated. You need to take advantage of this, and purchase or make a solar collector - a tube attached to the plates heated by the sun.

You can make a collector for a pool like this. Drill a black sheet of metal in many places and pull to it a flexible pipe with a diameter of 16 - 20 mm, and a length of 30 m, preferably 50 m, twisted in a spiral. Also cover the sheet on the reverse side with insulation.

All this is closed in a wooden frame with glass and exposed to the sun. Estimated power - 3 - 5 kW and more. A similar device called a "snail" can be bought, but usually of small capacity.

Make a solid fuel pool heater

A solid fuel pool water heater can develop a power of 10 - 40 kW, which will reduce the heating of water in the pool to several hours. The second advantage - independence from the sun, weather - you can always heat up and at the same time extremely cheap. But the disadvantage is troublesome maintenance, you need to be on duty during warming up and you need a supply of firewood. You can do this on your own in a few hours.

You will need a 3/4 inch steel pipe 8 meters long. It can be bent into a spiral with a diameter of up to 40 cm.To do this, you need to take a pipe bender - a piece of pipe with a diameter of 30 mm and a length of up to 5 cm with a welded lever up to 1.5 m. The bends of the clamped pipe are made evenly along its length - at the output, a spiral with a diameter of up to 40 cm and a height closer to 0.5 meters.

It is wrapped in a metal sheet up to 1 meter high, with a net attached at the bottom to stop firewood, and put on bricks. A fire made in this container with a spiral will turn out to be a powerful water heater for the pool. Of course, if you connect the hoses with the pump….

Heating pool water with home heating

An uncomplicated and economical way to heat pool water is to use energy from home heating. The simplest thing is that a radiator connected by flexible PEX pipes (pipes for underfloor heating ...) is placed on the bottom of the pool and gives off heat to the water perfectly. But for this, in addition to the old radiator and the required length of the high-pressure pipeline, you will also need a small alteration of the heating - the ability to turn on only one circuit from the boiler with a heat exchanger for the pool - not to heat up the whole house .... There are also many options for heat exchangers, this time using a pump to run the liquid from the pool back and forth ...

How to make the pool warm both in autumn and winter ...

Sheets of extruded polystyrene foam (20 mm) can be placed under the pool, which will slightly reduce the escape of heat into the cooling soil along the edges of the tank. The sides can be wrapped in foamed polyethylene or foam rubber. You can also cover the pool with a blanket made of glued strips of foamed polyethylene foam. Thus, you can save on the energy spent on heating the water, which will be beneficial if you use the pool frequently.

Fuel

It is advisable to install fuel water heaters for stationary pools with a large volume.

Water is heated by burning some type of fuel. This can be gas, coal, wood, or fuel oil.

Fuel heaters have two important nuances that must be met. Firstly, a circulation pump must be included in their system. Secondly, when using this type of heater, it is necessary to take measures to comply with and comply with fire safety requirements.

The simplest of the fuel heaters will be a wood-fired water heater. It is easy to do it yourself. A coil must be made from a metal pipe of a suitable diameter. It is imperative to ensure that the ends of the coil are long. In this case, the hoses put on them will not burn.

It remains to lay firewood inside the coil, set fire to them and wait for the water in the pool to heat up.

The pump will pump cold water from the pool through an impromptu heater, where it will be heated, and pumped already warm water into the pool.

When using a wood-fired water heater, it is necessary to strictly observe fire safety measures.

For those who do not want to bend the pipe on their own, there are ready-made ovens with a coil produced by TERMOPOOL. By the way, these ovens are made of stainless steel, which significantly increases their service life and they have a high power up to 55 kW. The presence of a screen and a cover excludes open fire. Unlike electric or gas heaters, these stoves are very economical to use, and in the presence of a forest and, accordingly, free firewood, the cost of operation is reduced to zero.

By the way, free firewood can be picked up at numerous companies selling wooden pallets. They have a lot of scrap and broken pallets, which they gladly give away for free!

Heating by fuel heaters

Making a spiral is not so easy as it might seem from the outside. Desire and tools alone are not enough to get a high-quality and reliable heater for the pool. Termopool has a large manufacturing base that includes sophisticated high-precision hydraulic, laser and bending machines.
The manufacturing process of woodburning pool heaters in general includes a large number of manufacturing processes such as: argon arc welding, laser cutting, bending, crimping, painting, drying, testing assembly and packaging of heaters. Due to the manufacture of the spiral on a powerful hydraulic machine, its coils fit tightly and without displacement to each other. As a result, the firebox turns out to be dense, which allows the most efficient extraction of heat energy and maintain the maximum temperatures in the firebox.

TERMOPOOL does not manufacture spirals with gaps between turns and heaters in one-piece casing.

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The following indicators of water temperature are established by sanitary standards:

• children under 7 years of age 30-32 degrees;
• children over 7 years old 29-30 degrees,
• adults 24-28 degrees.

In the conditions of central Russia, this method is not effective. To achieve a comfortable water temperature, it is necessary to use a water heating device

Craftsmen have already invented and implemented many simple and original solutions to this problem. Here are some examples.

You can make a wood-fired heater yourself using what you will probably find at hand.

The lack of heating from logs is a complete lack of automation. Requires constant monitoring of the wood, the speed of their burning. Cannot set a specific temperature.

There are other heating methods - from a diesel or gas boiler. During their work, you need to follow the rules of fire safety, and before installing a gas boiler in your country house, you need to visit the appropriate authority and obtain a special permit.

Alternatively, a wood-burning heater - you can install a stove with a boiler for water, heat it with wood with the addition of coal, and manually or pump hot water into a partially filled pool, gradually bringing the water to the desired temperature. Among the disadvantages are a great need for fuel and manual labor.

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This method is notable for its simplicity and availability.

The advantages of this method:

• - heating speed (for small pools);
• - the ability to regulate the temperature of the water;
• - automated control system.

Among the disadvantages are:

• - low power (not suitable for large pools);
• - high cost of consumed electricity.

Gas

Gas heaters in the range of water heaters for swimming pools take their rightful place. According to the operating conditions, they are the most economical.
High power (115 kW) allows heating large stationary pools. Natural gas or propane is used for combustion. Allows for rapid heating of the pool water and easily maintains a constant temperature.

Gas heaters, in comparison with wood-burning ones, practically do not require special maintenance. This is understandable - the gas, when burned, leaves no ash, no ash, or soot behind. But when using a gas water heater, problems of a different order arise.

Installing a gas boiler requires not only special skills, but also the permission of the gas service. Therefore, the issues of gas supply, gas pipeline and installation of gas equipment require the intervention of professional specialists..

Principle of operation The gas heater is simple - the gas, burning in the combustion chamber, releases heat, which heats the water. With proper installation and timely maintenance, gas water heaters can operate without interruption for about six years.

How to choose?

When choosing a wood-burning stove for heating water in a frame tank, you need to take into account many factors, on which not only the result depends, but also the safety of people. You need to consider:

• the volume and size of the equipment;
• material from which the structure is made;
• the power of the pump to be connected to the boiler;
• the volume of water that will need to be heated by the device;
• cost;
• manufacturer.

Experts recommend buying solid fuel boilers of well-known brands, which guarantee the quality, reliability, long service life and safety of their products.

You can find out how to heat the pool with a wood-fired boiler below.

Solar

Solar water heaters are widespread. The simplicity of the device, ease of use and tangible economic effect make solar heaters more and more common.
No costs for electricity, gas, solid fuel. Just enough sunlight 3-5 hours a day, and the water in the pool will be warm. At the same time, there is no harm to the environment. If any type of heater is connected to the solar heater system, the water in the indoor pool will be warm at any time of the year.

When purchasing a solar water heater from a retail network, its cost can seem quite high.But the fact is that after a short period of time, working on free energy, such an installation completely pays for itself.
You can make a simplified version of a solar heater with your own hands, for example, in the country. The most primitive design will require 20-40 meters of black hose, a pump for pumping water and a convenient platform where the hose will be laid. It can be part of a fence or a roof of a country house.
All that remains is to put everything together, connect and you can use it. The heat from such a solar plant is enough to heat only a small inflatable, but also a medium frame pool. According to the reviews of those who made such a system, it works amazingly.

How solar panels work

For quite some time now mankind has been looking for alternative energy sources. And the sun in this list is still in first place. With the onset of spring and until late autumn, the luminary gives off a sufficient amount of thermal energy, which is enough to heat water, to heat the premises. There are several types of such devices: they differ somewhat structurally, but all batteries that “steal” free heat work according to the same principle. A solar collector is a panel that contains a system of metal (or other) pipes.

1. This battery-heat exchanger absorbs solar energy. Thanks to the accumulated heat, the liquid circulating in it is heated.
2. Warm water, heated by the sun's rays, is discharged into the pool, and a new portion of liquid, still cold, comes from the bottom of the bowl.
3. The cycle repeats again. The pump is responsible for continuous circulation. The system functions smoothly even in cloudy weather.

Constant, all-season heating of the pool by solar panels is an impossible way. These structures are not able to provide constantly warm water, since they are quite effective only in hot weather. However, it is possible to reduce the cost of heating water: for this, during that period of time (for example, from evening to morning), when the bowl is not in use, it is covered with an awning or other similar protection.

Homemade solar panels

Many owners have appreciated the possibilities and advantages of solar collectors, but their big disadvantage - the unimaginable price - sometimes discourages them from making such purchases. In this case, you can try to build not too complicated models with your own hands. They will fulfill their duties, but they will cost 2 or 3 times cheaper.

Pyramidal solar collector

The first step is to calculate the length and thickness of the main element - the hose. Typical water circulation rates in such pool systems are 0.4-0.7 m / s. Such a value in a hot time of the day can be provided by a meter hose with a cross section of 25 mm: it guarantees about 3.5 liters of hot water per hour. The volume of the pool and this indicator are taken as a basis, calculating the length of the hose. Accuracy in this case is unattainable, because weather conditions, the intensity of the use of the reservoir, the presence or absence of a covering material, etc., affect the heating of the water.

To create a pyramid, it is better to use HDPE pipes that are black, as they attract solar energy. The most convenient frame for them is a pyramid made of timber. For its manufacture, a sheet of plywood is required, its area is 1m2. To increase the efficiency of homemade equipment, some kind of foil material is glued to the base. Then, a stand-beam is attached in the center of the sheet.

The corners with this vertex are connected with the same bars, cut off from the ends at a certain degree. A pipe is spirally wound onto the resulting "support", the distance between the turns is 15 mm. The pipes are fastened to the elements of the wooden pyramid with clamps. The ends of the hose are connected: for supply - to the pumping system of the pool, return - directly to the pool.

Panel equipment

Positioning the solar panel as close as possible to the pool is a way to prevent possible heat loss, so the first step is to determine the location for the solar collector. Its surface should face south. Better to orient yourself towards the sun, which is in the sky at noon.

1. The selected area is prepared: cleaned and sod removed. The bottom is covered with geotextiles, covered with sand to ground level, then with rubble.
2. A hard surface is laid on top, for example, paving slabs. Then cover the surface with waterproofing material.
3. A frame for the box is hammered from a bar (50x50 mm). A plywood sheet is attached to it from below. The ribs of the shield are reinforced with mounting angles. With their help, protrusions are made for fixing pipes.
4. Separately, a frame is created for fixing the panel in an inclined position. It is installed on a prepared site. The shield is attached to it with the back side. Along its perimeter, slats with cut-out grooves for glass are fixed.
5. The structure is painted with matt black paint. After it dries, the same (black) hose is laid in rows. The distance between them is 45 mm. To connect the elements, fittings are used - couplings, corners. The heat exchanger is connected to the protrusions on the shield with clamps.

After the end of the operation, the structure is connected to the pumping station, then a test run is made. If everything is in order, and no leaks are found, then the glass (double-glazed window) is fixed. Its replacement is polycarbonate without a protective coating against ultraviolet radiation. All gaps between the frame and the material are filled with sealant. For a more comfortable and efficient use of the solar battery, the system is equipped with automation with water temperature sensors.