Above Ground Swimming Pools & Solar Heaters - How Simple Is It?

One of the hottest new trends in above ground swimming pools, is solar heaters. Hey who can blame a person for wanting it on their pool? It's free guilt free energy that you can use to heat your pool every day of the week, whether you're using it or not. So just what are the plain hard facts regarding solar pool heaters?

Above Ground Swimming Pools Hold a Lot of Water

The first plain hard fact that you have to face is that a pool holds a heck of a lot of water. Now heating a tank of water for household use is one thing, but heating a pool is an entirely different story all together. In short, it takes a heck of a lot of solar heater to get a pool noticeably warm.

A Non Passive Solar Heater Requires a Lot of Space

What this means, is that you're going to need plenty of square footage for a solar heater thats going to heat a pool. That is, if it's a non passive solar heater. The roof of a building will do. Preferably the roof of a barn or a garage. Or if you have a nice sunny lot, that will surly do.

They Don't Work At Night and Only Minimally In the Winter

Don't think for a second that four or five panels is going to make one bit of difference on a swimming pools heat. Also remember that soler heaters work best in the middle of the summer and don't work at all at night. What this all means is that you definitely will have to be realistic with yourself when considering a non passive solar heater.

Dollar For Dollar a Solar Pool Cover Is Your Best Bet

The real fact of the matter is that dollar for dollar, a �solar pool cover� is your best bet. You can get a nice one for well under $100 and no need to worry about installation, leaks or maintenance. Also a solar pool cover will raise your pool Temperature some 8 or 9 degrees on a good day, which you will definitely notice.