SunGrabber solar panel....

[Aranon]

I have the Sun Grabbers that I bought on ebay. We hooked them up temporary on the ground. I bought 5 kits so I had 10 separate 2ft x 20 panels. With my 1hp pump on low they worked great. Brought my pool up from 80 degrees to 86 in one day. Did not put the solar cover on at night and lost 4 degrees. Used the solar cover and kept the warmth in over night. To day I am putting them on the roof so I disconnected them. If you use them on the ground and just have a few you hook them up only on one end. If you are going to put them on the roof and use them like for an ingorund pool, you have to knock the dirverter our of the inlet side with a broom handle or wooden dowel and then you hook up both ends just like all the other inground systems. I knocked out all the dirvirters and got them on the roof but have not hooked them back up yet. I moved my pump and I am adding a 300 lb sand filter to my 150 cartridge filter. I should have them working by Tuesday.

But just laying on the ground they worked great on low speed.
Aranon

[mdenegre]

I bought a set also on Ebay. I hooked them up and worked great... until on of the connections let loose. OMG emptied right down to the skimmer...! However it was an installation error (mine) that caused the problem.

They raised the temp from 55 to around 75 in about a week. I have a 24' AG and live in NW CT. Only get about 6 hours of sun daily, but used a solar cover almost the whole time. I usually don't see those types of temps until late July.

I do have one concern. When I run the heater the pressure on my filter raises about 5 psi (14 psi normal, 19 psi when heater is going) and the return to the pool is much weaker. I have it set up with ball valves so I can turn it on and off. I used 1 1/4" black poly hose for the run. The fittings on the unit are 1 1/2", I used fenco rubber adapters to connect. Is the change in diameters causing the increased pressure? Is this going to cause damage to the filter or the pump motor?

mark

[prh129]

I just got a Fafco solar heater for a 24' round AG. The two things I like about it are 1) it's a single 4' x 20' panel so less plumbing and 2) it's got a built-in bypass valve. It sells for around $200. I notice that this mat uses small tubes placed side by side so the entire mat is used for water heating. I have it on the ground on one side of the pool. The water temp went from 62 yesterday morning to 68 (first sunny day in a long time!). I start to get shade on the mat around 3 PM so I think that's pretty good.

Peter

[BullDean]

Ok.. Think I might give these a try...


My pool is a 18' x 4' round intex pool....

So 2 2x20' panels are probably going to stick out like a sore thumb.. But warm water is more important to me....

Is it possible to bend these a little or do they need to be perfectly flat whether they are lying down or at an angle...

I figure if they will bend a little maybe I cna arch them around the pool...

[Aranon]

I would imagine that the increase in pressure is because you are forcing the water through those tiny little spaghetti tubing and then back to your pool.
Aranon

[illinipdx]

I am looking at using solar panels on by 15' Intex pool, so I have the same dilema. I have found 4x8, 4x10 and 4x12 panels that might work better for your size pool. Now if I could figure out which one was the best one to buy!

Smartpool sunheater:
http://www.waterwarehouse.com/produc...0__id-151.html

Solar Bear Junior Disc System
http://www.fafco.com/WarmWater/FAFCO...-details.html#

Enersol Solar Pool Water Heating Panels
http://www.northwestwholesale.com/pool_solar_panel.asp

EZheat 12
http://www.solartrope.com/new/ezht.htm

[CarlD]

I had a 15'x3' EasySet and the 4'x10' was too much. One day, the water reached about 107deg! It was the biggest hot tub you ever saw! Usually it kept the water in the mid to high 90's--here in North Central NJ. Unless you are in northern Canada or a place where you get about 2 hours of sun a day (think Seattle, WA, or Binghamton, NY), the 8' is probably best, and the 12' is serious overkill--you could par-boil with that!

[mdenegre]

Mine is set up on a plywood satand so that it is at an angle. It is not perfestly straight although it is well supported. I don't think putting a bend in them should be a problem