A pool heater is a great way to extend the swimming season, but when to turn on solar pool heater? Several factors have to be considered when deciding this, including practical and personal reasons.
It is essential that you are aware of this since your heating system will be your lifesaver during the colder days. It will warm the water in the pool, thereby allowing you to swim all year if you want.
In this post, we will walk you through those factors and some other necessary information that you need to know. So without further ado, let us get started!
When Are You Using The Pool The Most?
You should know that there is no definite time to run the solar pool heater. The running time of your pool heater should be based mainly on the swimming habits of your family. For instance, if you like swimming each morning, you would want to turn on your heater a couple of hours earlier than when you swim.
This way, when you go for your morning swim, the water is already warm and nice. Plus, this is why most people prefer those programmable pool heaters. They turn on via the thermostat settings. In this case, the pool heater will only come on when the owner needs to swim rather than run constantly. Therefore, the best time to run the pool heater is hours before you usually use the swimming pool.
How Long To Let The Solar Pool Heater Run?
The general rule is to run the solar panels on the sunniest portion of the day. Meaning says you should not only run your unit when it is cold but as the sun hits the panels directly. At times, it is time when the house is not getting much sunlight anymore. But it would help if you did not run the pool heater when conditions are not right. It is not ideal to do this.
For instance, if it is forecasted that there will be heavy rainfall, then you should turn off your heater. During winter, when it is dark and no light at all, it is not the best time to run your unit either. Keep in mind that any factor contributing to the cooling down of your pool water will require the solar heater to work even harder.
Running The Pool Heater At Night
Most owners with knowledge about when to turn on solar pool heater would not run their pool heater during the night. That is because the night temperature in many places is cooler as compared to the pool water. Meaning says, there is a possibility that some water from the swimming pool will be lost over time.
This is because they will evaporate. Suppose the air temperature outside is much lesser than the pool water. In that case, the pool owner will most likely experience heat loss as the heater is running at night. You will incur more costs in running your solar pool heater in such a case. That is because neither electric nor gas pool heater is expensive to operate. With that being said, it is not ideal for running the pool heater during the night.
But just like with any other thing, some exceptions are applied to this rule. This is where pool heating at night is applied. Just putting a cover onto your swimming pool during the night can minimize both heat loss and evaporation as you run the pool heater at night. You can also lay on top of it a blanket of solar bubbles. If you add a pool cover, you will benefit from it a lot. However, installing this can be a bit pricey. On the other hand, it can be tedious to put on a bubble blanket onto the swimming pool. The same is true about taking it off. But the good thing is that this one is very inexpensive.
Other Factors To Consider
Other than the factors above, you should also consider some other factors, including the pool heater size that you will use in the filtration system of your swimming pool and the type of pool heater you are using.
#1. Size of pool heater
Again, remember the example we provide above that those who usually swim in the morning are recommended to turn on their pool heater a couple of hours before they swim. If you own a big pool heater, only two hours is required to warm the pool. But if the heater is smaller, then about three hours is needed to heat the pool of similar size.
#2. Type of pool heater
When it comes to running the heater, another crucial factor is the type of pool heater you are using. Pool heaters that run on gas will work faster as compared to heat pumps. But both of them will work faster than a solar pool heater. This heater cannot heat the pool water when the sun is out. You may also want to read about pool heater sizing.
It’s A Wrap!
All in all, the recommended time as to when to turn on solar pool heater is hours before you start swimming. Also, keep the pool heater running when the sun hits the solar heater directly. Click on these links to read related articles; know how long does a pool heater last and how to turn on a pool heater