Solar Pool Heaters | What Pool Temperature Can I Expect?

Jason Szumlanski says:

Richard,

Thanks for your questions. Yes, you can get your pool over 100 degrees in the summer, but most people would not want that. For that reason, most people elect to use an automatic solar controller to turn the system off when it gets too warm. You can use manual valves to turn your solar pool heater on and off, but the automated valves add a lot of convenience. A lot of people use their solar pool heaters even in the spring and fall to get their spas over 100 degrees. They just isolate the spa and let the panels heat up the spa during the day.

If you want 85 degrees every day of the year, you are probably going to need a gas heater, which is expensive to operate. For about two months a year, solar pool heaters will struggle to get above 80 degrees in Southwest Florida, but during that time you are unlikely to want to swim anyway – it’s too cold outside. Also, a 75 degree pool feels very warm when it’s 65 degrees outside! You could use a heap pump, but when temperatures dip into the low 60’s and 50’s, electric heat pumps become largely ineffective and you just run through a lot of electricity with little heating performance. The best of both worlds is a hybrid system that uses both solar and a backup heater. There is no silver bullet that will give you a precise temperature year round unless you are prepared to spend an arm and a leg for heating your pool. Solar panels are the best way to make your water temperature more enjoyable every day of the year.