Loose tube solar pool heating panels, also called separated tube or split tube panels, are poor options anywhere that pine needles and other tree debris can get trapped in panels. The debris tends to get stuck between tubes and gets impacted so tight that it is impractical to remove them. Other than the way it looks, it will rot and retain moisture, making a mess of your roof. In severe cases it can substantially impact the performance of the system.

We came across this system recently when a roof cleaning company wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole. We advised the homeowner that the only way to properly remove the needles is to remove them, clean out the mess, and reinstall them. However, we advised that she just leave it alone because the proximity to pine trees would just cause this to recur.

Pine Needles Stuck in Solar Panels

The funny thing is that one of our competitors (the one that installed this system) tells prospective clients that full body panels like ours trap moisture under the panel, destroying roofs. There is no basis in fact in this claim. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Lack of sunlight prevents photosynthesis under full body panels and no algae grows!

Here is another roof where we removed a loose tube system that shows debris collected where panels were. The debris goes between the loose tubes and collects at the horizontal tube stabilizers.

Debris Trapped Under Solar Panels

Before having solar pool heating panels installed, consider pine trees and other sources of debris that may collect in your panels, and understand that loose tube panels trap debris that blows or slides right off of full body panels.