During the summer, your pool is the focal point of your outdoor entertainment. Being able to relax, or even take a little exercise in the sun, is something that far outweighs the cost of your pool installation. However when the sun goes down, or even in the winter, taking a dip doesn’t sound so appealing. Wouldn’t it be perfect if your pool was heated, no matter what time of day it was, or what the weather was doing.

With a heated pool, you could swim any time that you wanted, and with solar heating, it could cost a lot less than you imagined.

The main difference between solar pool heaters, and conventional heaters, is that they harness the energy of the sun. This provides two clear advantages. The first being that a solar pool heater is eco-friendly, and the second is that you won’t pay for electricity from the grid, to heat your pool.

Solar pool heaters take the water from your pool, and pump it through a solar water collector. Although the system might sounds complicated, it’s simply a network of pipes that run through special solar panels, usually mounted on your roof. Depending on the location of your pool, these panels may also be placed on your lawn, or on any outside surface with all day sunlight exposure.

A conventional pool heater uses electricity to heat pool water, but a solar heater works by heating the water directly from the sun. As the water passes through pipes underneath solar heating panels, it is heated and passed back into the pool. With the right amount of sun, this could mean that your pool is heated on a colder day, or even once the sun goes down in the evening. If you have a conventional pool heater, a solar system could be plumbed in, allowing you to switch between the two systems, depending on the time of day, or the amount of sunlight being absorbed by your heating panels.

Solar pool heating panels are available in inexpensive, uncovered designs, which are most effective in direct warm sunlight, or glass covered alternatives, which will heat the water in any weather, as long as the sun is shining through.

Choosing to install solar pool heating can allow you to enjoy a heated pool, without the excessive overhead costs of a conventional heating system. Talk to a pool builder about a custom solar heating solution for your pool, and choose when to enjoy your pool, on your terms.