PoolMasterpro 14 Tube PVC Strip Solar Pool Heating System - Independent Automatic Kit

It really depends on your pool's heat loadings, your usage and your budget. For a quick size, use the quick-size calculator on our PoolMasterPro automatic kits page. Alternatively, for a professional sizing try our full online sizing calculator. If you're not sure what water temperatures your system will produce during various months, use our pool water temperature simulator.

Yes, for a flat pan style gal roof. However for better water flow and leaf clearance we recommend it sits on top of the valleys, hence runs across the roof.

There are a number of options. Easiest is to snake the PVC strip up then back then again up and back to reduce the 12.5m length to 6m. However, we recommend you cut the strip and use more manifolds for the offcuts, as this will reduce the pressure and increase the flow. For example for a 6m run just cut the 25m strip in half, you'll then need double the amount of manifolds to connect up the spare offcuts. For a 9m run across the roof, just cut the strip at 18 metres, leaving 6m offcuts. Three of these offcuts can be spliced together to form another 18m length which can be connected to the main array using an extra manifold pair. See the manual for full details.

No, it's difficult to splice an extra manifold section into the main manifold pipe once it's all glued up; it's best to size your system right the first time. There are very good reasons why a system should not be dramatically undersized. Effective heating requires a minimum daily turnover, typically 50% of your pool water volume. However, there are flow limitations on strips, hence an undersized system may not handle the flow required, which could over-pressurise strips, and if the flow is insufficient will result in an unmixed stratified layer of warm water which will cool excessively overnight.

You can use your existing controller and pump if it's in good working order and the correct size. We have pump sizing tables in our manual, downloadable from our EcoOnline download page.

It is a false economy to use a large filter pump for solar applications - the pump still has to expend energy to pump water to the roof, putting back pressure on the pump reducing filter flow, hence there is no free energy gained. Besides this we don't recommend running a high power filter pump for 8 hours per day for the solar side (potentially over pressurising collectors) if you don't need to filter for that long. An independent system with a well matched small pump will save you money in running costs and look after your collectors in the long run.

No, after witnessing customers try such pumps and struggle with them our advice now is not to use them, unless they can be set to run at a constant speed without a start up surge. We find variable pumps start at full power then taper back, this puts a lot of pressure fluctuations through the system on start up which could limit system lifetimes. We only recommend pumps that can pump at a constant set pressure.

Generally we don't recommend this as you may have priming issues with your main filter pump during start up due to air being drawn in from the solar line tee you installed. Whether your filter pump will deprime in this case will depend on how far below the waterline you installed the solar tee. Note, a non-return on the solar line will not help here as non-returns are not generally air tight over time. If you do not have independent solar lines and can't install the tee far below the water line (minimum say 1m below) then your options are a manual system, a booster system or a motorized ball valve option, see the manual for plumbing diagrams.

Yes, the system is easy to install for a relatively experienced DIY or tradesperson. Please note the safety notice when climbing up on a roof.