I am putting in a solar heater for my 10,000 gallon indoor pool which is currently heated with natural gas. Gas costs in Southern California are sky high, over $1.00 per therm. My goal is to cut the gas to near zero. I would appreciate some advice on the items below.
The pool is 12 x 30 (360 sq. ft). and 4 feet deep. I am planning on about 320 sq. feet of solar collectors on a roof facing West. Is that about right?
The location for the panels that works best is a narrow strip of roof about 6 ft. high and 80 ft. wide. I'm planning on running the tubes horizontally and am looking at "Sungrabber" or "Suntrek" panels. These are available in long lengths. To control pressure drop, I'm planning on either 4 panels of 4x20 in parallel 2 panels of 4x40 in parallel. Any experience with an installation like this?
What about the quality of the panels, materials, etc. I've seen guarantees that run from 4 years to 15. What has the life experience been.
I will be running 2" PVC across the roof the the panels. The roof is light grey (almost white) fiberglass shingles. The white PVC will blend in nicely with this. Are there any problems with Sch. 40 PVC exposed to sunlight for long periods? I have some yard sprinkler pipes that are exposed for many years without problems, but I'm still a bit concerned. One web site recommended spray painting the PVC flat black. I'm not sure if this is to increase solar heat absorption on the panels or for UV protection. What are your thoughts?
Any things I need to be especially careful of?
Thanks, in advance, for your help.
Blair Folsom