A solar pool heater makes it possible for those who like to be able to use their home pool year round but don't because cold temperatures don't always permit it. Not only will a solar pool heater provide you the necessary heat to allow you to swim in cold weather months, it will save you money on heating costs because it is powered exclusively by the sun. For a little more than $300 you can easily get your money back over time in energy savings when you purchase a pool solar heater. How long it will take to make back your money depends on the energy costs in your area but rest assured you will make it back tenfold over the lifespan of the heater.

The clear advantage of using solar pool heaters over gas pump heaters is simple: a solar powered pool heater has no costs to run it. It is powered by the sun and gets all its heating supply in a few hours of sunlight a day. It captures the maximum amount of heat available and diverts it to heating your pool by heating it at the base. When the sun sets the heat is stored in the heater and available to use when you are ready. All it takes is a couple of hours a day to power the cells and you are good.

Depending on the kind of pool you have, in ground or above ground, installation is simple. An in ground pool uses a solar pool cover that lays across the surface of the pool when it is not in use or utilizes solar pool heater panels placed on a roof or where the sun can hit it directly. The pool water passes through a pump which flows into the heat collector which is made up a flexible tubing and then flows back into the pool. For an above ground pool solar heater the panels are usually lined up alongside the pool at an angle where they are exposed to the sun. Typical installation requires an analyst to come and judge the best layout for the panels.

The size of your pool will determine how many panels you will require and will ultimately determine your solar pool heater cost. Typically the length of the panel board will be 50% to 100% of the area of the pool's surface. This is based on placement and available sunlight. Obviously less sun means more panels are needed to heat the pool. Other factors include the season in which the solar heater is used, average pool temperature and available sunlight. Depending on the thermal performance rating of your solar heat collector, your overall savings will vary and the money you spend will either return an immediate investment or it will take time. A quality solar panel pool heater will have a collector with a smaller surface.

One more step you can take to energy efficient pool heating is to install a solar pool cover along with your heater for use at night when no one is using the swimming pool. A solar cover will retain the heat in your pool overnight where if there wasn't one the water would quickly cool once the heater is turned off.

If you are into making a solar heater yourself then the following video will definitely be of use to you. It shows how one man made his solar pool heater for under $100.