Looking for Solar Energy for Residential Pool? (Houston, Cool: how much, house)

[Healerwithin]

Am in the Houston area and am planning on putting in a medium sized pool. I am having a hard time finding anyone who does solar energy for pools around Houston. Does anyone know of a company who is reputable and affordable who does solar for pools? Any good or not so good feedback regarding solar energy for pools?

Thanks in advance... other heating I am considering is a heat pump but also would like to know cost on running a gas heater... want to use my pool most of the year. My pool will be approx 40x17

[Lowexpectations]

I don't use our heater but could use a chiller.

[Healerwithin]

A chiller? Why and where are you?

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by Healerwithin

A chiller? Why and where are you?

Why? To cool the water off, it's already pretty warm and through august my pool feels more like a hot bath than anything else. I'm in houston

[Healerwithin]

Originally Posted by Lowexpectations

Why? To cool the water off, it's already pretty warm and through august my pool feels more like a hot bath than anything else. I'm in houston

Wow interesting - I am also in Houston as well and am planning on building a pool soon - and am just learning all about taking care of one... and I am stuck with two things 1) what kind of heater is best and needed 2) solar power for the pool... would a heater extend how much you swim in your pool? And gosh if its that hot in Aug how do you cool the pool off??


Do you use your pool for the most part year around? We are so hot most of the year here, but I would like to extend into the periods its kind of cooler so am thinking I need a heater - your thoughts? And a chiller would be something you would wish for? I am used to an inside pool so am taking it all in... let me know your thoughts please... one of the pool companies I am getting a bid from mentioned to me, the other day, a pool pump that is a chiller and a heater - would you recommend that?

Thanks for any tips!!

[Lowexpectations]

My first advice is don't get a pool, secondly if you want one buy a house with one already or a neighborhood with a community pool and let someone else take care of it.


Okay outside of that the chemicals and cleaning aren't too bad but we simply don't use it enough. We have never used the heater. We did reno the pool last year and added a tv/surround sound so maybe we wil use if more this year. We can use it into oct without heating.

If you do build, put built in umbrella holders in your pool deck and on your steps inside the pool

[Healerwithin]

Ooo but I want a pool - I work from home and will be in it every day... am a senior and it really would be a good good thing for me.. mine will be a salt pool and I'm pretty clear about what I want.. I just want to see the bids... this is a big purchase!!

You never use the heater?? --- what months do you swim, well you said you dont use the pool that much though... I have a big carport and we are gng to cut into the drive way so a small part of the pool will be under that wonderful and COOL carport so there will be relief to our Houston hot sun in August!

It would be difficult to know where to put built in umbrellas but a friend showed me some sail sort of pieces that many use over their pool to fend off some of the sun....

Do you have a salt water pool?

[TXbywayof]

It's interesting you posted this question. I was looking into the exact same thing the evening before your post. I have heard of solar powered pumps but don't of anyone who has one. We've had a pool installed for years but I found the solar power interesting. I didn't dig deeply into the subject but what I found was solar power for a 10,000 gallon pool. That is not a big pool and I wonder if this is the drawback. On the subject of heaters, I cannot tell you the last time we used it. I would rather have a chiller.

[PedroMartinez]

If you have any water features, if you run them at night, it helps cool the pool.

I thought about running black pvc tubes on the roof of my outdoor kitchen and having a pump feed water through them. I bet that would warm the water in winter a fair amount. I decided to just run the pool's heater for those times instead.

As far a a solar pump goes, you'd realistically need a battery bank to handle that demand (along with a good amount of panels). The cost would probably guarantee you'd never see any decent ROI.

[PedroMartinez]

If I have an August pool party, I plan to spend $100 on 400 pounds of block ice to drop in the pool.