Sunny South Africa. One would think you don’t need to warm up your pool when we enjoy such glorious weather.

Yet, the truth is, even though we own our swimming pools 365 days of the year, we only use them for seven months – and that’s because the water is too cold. By heating up the water by five to 10 degrees, we can swim later into the night and almost all year round.

So, you’ve taken the plunge. You’ve invested in a solar panel system to keep your pool swimmable. And while it’s true that solar power costs nothing to generate, the initial investment of installing the panels is expensive. It’s only fair to expect a decent return.

For some reason however, your solar panels aren’t heating the water. What can you do about it?

    • Your first step should be to check your pool’s filter. Why? If it’s dirty and clogged, low flow reduces the effectiveness of solar pool heating systems, and once your flow rate approaches zero, solar pool heaters become ineffective.
    • Do you have enough solar panels for the size of your pool? If you don’t, adding panels will increase performance.
    • Set the pump timer appropriately, so that water flows through your panels during the day. Otherwise, you may actually be cooling your pool, especially in the cold night air.
    • Use a solar pool cover or blanket. It’ll lock in a few extra degrees, especially when night-time air temperatures drop.
    • Here’s an obvious one. Has the water spent enough time on the roof to absorb the heat? Don’t stress if it hasn’t. Over time, the pool will warm up.
    • Lastly, keep your trees trimmed. They may be shading the panels if overgrown.

Remember, when you get your panels working optimally, use more chemicals. Algae tends to grow more easily in warmer water.

Keep cool with your trusted pool professionals

Still shrivelling up like a prune? There may be a legitimate problem with your system.
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