SOLAR POOL SYSTEMS

Solar pool systems use sunshine – a free source of energy – to heat the water for your pool. With a NW Mechanical solar pool system, you also receive the high quality customer service and licensed plumbers of NW Mechanical.

WHY USE SOLAR FOR YOUR POOL?

There are many reasons to use solar for your pool heating needs in the Pacific Northwest, whether your motivation is economical, environmental, or political. Solar pool heating systems are the most cost effective and efficient way to heat your pool. Many people do not even use a supplemental heating system so never pay a bill to heat their pool again. Solar pool systems are very simple with few mechanical parts, little maintenance or changes in how you manage your pool now, quiet service, and have no extra payments since you are using the free energy of the sun. Solar also improves the quality of the air we breathe by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while generating energy without pollution.

The staff of Northwest Mechanical pride themselves on the high quality of support we provide for our customers. We are available 24 hours a day to resolve the problem quickly and professionally. We have a staff of licensed plumbers. In addition, having a solar pool system on your house can increase the value of your home and even increase resale value. Furthermore, you can extend the use of your pool beyond the normal pool season without adding to your utility bills for those extra days at the beginning and end of the season. Your neighbors will be using their expensive conventional heaters, or be dry, while you are basking in the warmth and fun of your pool.

Did you know that you could use your solar pool system to cool your pool on those summer days when your pool gets too warm?

SOLAR ON CLOUDY DAYS, IN RAINY SEATTLE?

Solar pool systems can heat your pool water on cloudy days, utilizing the free solar power even better than many other solar systems, just not as much as on a sunny day. Seattle receives about 70% of the annual solar potential that the Los Angeles, California area receives, even though off first thought one might think that Los Angeles would far exceed our famously rainy area’s potential. Solar pool systems are able to absorb heat from the sun’s rays from any direction so no matter where the sun is in the sky, no matter how few sunrays are shining, the solar pool system will absorb them and utilize them to heat the water for your pool, with no utility bill sent to charge for that heat.

BASICS OF SOLAR POOL SYSTEMS

NW Mechanical uses the FAFCO SunSaver solar pool heating system. This system lies flat on and flush to your roof or ground platform. The black mat has small diameter tubes in it so the water heats quickly and requires only a little bit of sunshine to make a difference. The picture below shows a cut away of the FAFCO mat.

The cold water is sent to the bottom of the sheet of tubing and the hot water comes out the top – just as natural convection makes hot water rise. The PVC piping is designed right in to your existing pool pumping system. A valve is included that controls the water so that just the right amount goes up through your solar heating system and then back down in to the existing pumping system. This allows for ease of installation – avoiding having to replace any part of your existing pumping system – while resulting in water entering your pool at the temperature you desire.

If combined with a pool blanket, a FAFCO solar pool heating system can save you thousands of dollars on your energy bill, while being good to the environment. As energy costs continue to increase, the financial benefits to you will only increase – sunshine will remain free.

FAFCO is the oldest and largest manufacturer of solar pool heating products worldwide. FAFCO’s SunSaver Solar panels carry a full (parts and labor) 12-year warranty.