When Not To Listen To Your “Pool Guy”

I had an interesting conversation recently with a fellow who was thinking about getting a solar system to heat his outdoor pool. He had been discussing solar pool heaters with his pool guy who actually tried to talk him out of it! The “Pool Guy” claimed a solar pool heating system would cause significant pump pressure drops due to the distance from the roof to the pump. He claimed the elevation would be an issue (?) possibly causing leaks. (What??)

Well, fortunately for the pool owner, they searched for further information online and contacted us. We had a great chat about how a solar pool heating system is very beneficial and is actually the most cost effective solar heating system due to the low temperature differential. It pays off the fastest, by far. And leaks thought to be an issue by his “Pool Guy” are quite rare with a proper installation using quality parts.

I then recommend to him that it would make sense to use a pool cover. In fact, in my experience, there are 2 parts of pool heating that are vitally important: Solar Heating + A Cover. The cover retains heat while significantly reducing evaporation (which will increase if you solar heat the pool). 

I was also happy to share a testimonial from a happy customer from an installation we did last Spring: “...Our pool is warm, like a full size spa during the summer and the usable usage period is from April through October, plus we only add a little water every couple of months. Prior to the cover, we had to add a lot of water about every 2 weeks. And prior so our solar heating system, we were only able to enjoy our pool from June to September - we love the extra time in our poo!.”

And of course, I was completely honest when I then told him that some installations are indeed easier than others. He might need a bigger pump as there are trade-offs in collector sizing. More of course is always better as your pool heats up in cooler weather, the pool season is longer, etc. It’s just a matter of how much you want to spend, as with all things. 

So, armed with this new information, this prospect quickly became a customer because, as he stated “...I generally try to avoid the huge installing companies as they can be marketers first, good installers second. A smaller, local company generally is the best choice.”

Thanks for Reading!

Brian McKay
(aka The Solar Guy)