Top Solar Powered Pool Heaters | Best Solar Pool Heating Reviews
Unless you live in the deep South where it’s warm most of the year, there will come a time when you will wish your pool water was much warmer than it is. For those that live in colder climates (like me!) your best bet is to consider a separate heating source, one that is cheap and reliable. Read out solar pool heater reviews below and find out why they work really well and see which one might work best for you.
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Top Solar Pool Heaters for Inground Pools
Users consistently ranked the Smartpool WWS601P Sunheater the best Solar Pool Heater for In Ground Pools. With it’s 80 square feet of solar panels and ease of installation, it’s simply the most economical way to heat your pool water by upwards of 10-degrees using the warm summer sun!
Many times you will see solar pool heater panels for inground pools installed on rooftops but that is not the only location where you can install the heater. Many place them directly on the ground facing the sun while others are installed on homemade racks made of plywood and lumber from the local hardware store. As long as the location of the heater is near the pool, securely fastened, and facing the sun, it will work like a charm.
So how easy are these to install? For most people handy pool owners, you can have it up and running within just a few hours. The connections are made from the pool pump to the heater via an installation kit (which is required but sold separately) and most users confirmed it was a very simple setup. Once the connections are made, the pump is switched back on and the water is circulated through the solar panels and then sent back to the pool via the return as normal. It couldn’t be easier.
Best Solar Heater for Inground Pool
The Smartpool WWS601P Sunheater comes with the 4-foot by 20-foot solar array and the installation kit as mentioned is sold separately. For the price, it’s way better and cheaper than propane and worth a look if you want a more tropical feel to your pool water!
Top Solar Pool Heaters for Above Ground Pools
For above ground pool owners, when you check out 99% of the solar pool heater reviews out there, the Smartpool WWS421P Sunheater is always one of the highest ranked by users. It’s no coincidence that we have yet another Smartpool product as the top rated pool heater (see the in-ground recommendation above) as this company simply has the best product on the market bar none.
For your above ground pool, installation is very much the same as for in-ground pools. The Smartpool WWS421P comes with TWO 2-foot by 4-foot solar arrays that connect to your pool pump and return and utilize the heat from the sun to warm your pool water by 10-degrees or more. Pair the Smartpool heater with a solar cover, and you could do as one Amazon reviewer did and raise your pool water temperature from 70-degrees to 90-degrees in a matter of a few days!
Based on user reports, it is recommended that you be a bit handy when it comes to installing the heater as the box you receive only includes the solar arrays, a rubber hose and some fittings which is not normally enough to complete the install. For both the in-ground model and this above ground model, a separate installation kit is required to give you all of the fittings and connections necessary to hook up the heater to your pool. Outside of that, if you do not plan on installing the heater on your roof, you may need some lumber from your local Home Depot or Lowes store to make rack or mount for the solar panels.
Best Solar Heater for Above Ground Pool
Most Amazon reviewers had nothing but excellent things to say about the Smartpool WWS421P. The performance was said to be “very satisfying” and overall concensus was this heater was a much more efficient way to heat pool water than conventional propane or electric heaters.
Cost to Install Solar Pool Heater
For the above Smartpool Sunheater solar pool heater installation the retail cost of the solar arrays is $289.00 and the installation kit retails for $192.00. If you add the cost of plywood and lumber to build a rack for the solar panels (about $50), you’re looking at an investment of about $530.00 retail price.
HOWEVER, if you purchase the Smartpool Sunheater on Amazon and add the installation kit, your overall price with lumber will be much lower at around $390-400 delivered.
If you compare that to the typical Hayward Natural Gas pool heater which runs $1,500.00 and add the cost of propane, you will see why more and more pool owners are leaning towards the solar option. From installation to cost, it’s a much better option and one we (and most Amazon reviewers) highly recommend.
