Solar Panel Pool Heaters: Do They Really Work? – SlashGear

Although solar panel pool heaters work, you’ll need more than just a few pool-side panels to ensure your pool is always at the best temperature.

Like traditional heating methods, pools need an entire solar heating system, including a solar collector, filter, pump, and flow control valve. And while that may sound like too much pool technician jargon, it isn’t all that complicated. It all starts with the flow control valve, which, as the name suggests, is a device (automatic or manual) that controls the flow of the pool water. As part of the solar heating system, the flow control valve and pump push water through the filter to remove debris. Then, the water runs through the solar panels, where the solar collectors use sunlight to heat it before routing it back to the pool.

Essentially, solar pool heaters work the same as any pool heater. The system more or less attaches to your pool’s filtration system, adding a heating step before the pump returns the water to the pool. Automatic systems compare the pool water temperatures to the water in the solar collectors, distributing it as needed. While it may sound like futuristic technology only available to society’s elite, Lowe’s and Home Depot have many affordable solar pool heaters for in-ground and above-ground pools.