Solar Pool Heater - What's 'Sunny Enough?'

 I am making great strides with my new solar installation. It is plumbed
in and running albeit lying on the lawn until I get a chance to build
the poolhouse!

So - here's my question...How do I know when it is sunny enough to
route the water through the solar panels? It has rained here in NJ all
week but some days there have been glimpses of the sun. If I route the
water through the panels when I leave for work and it rains all day
might I be reducing the temperature in the pool as the rainwater
evaporates...or will the brief sunshine actually warm the water?

Does anyone have a rule of thumb? I am thinking that a 40% chance of
rain or less means I should use the panels....

Any thoughts?

BTW - No I cannot afford to add a solar control panel right now as that
would double my costs so far!

Thanks

 

Why not just do it anyway?

Mary

 Do what? Buy the solar control panel or just leave it diverted through
the panels all day?

1) Too expensive for now
2) If it is not sunny this can cool down the pool from what I've
read...

Pemple

 Pemple wrote:

It's all about temperature. Buy a simple thermostat (attached to the
collector) and have that control your pump. Cheap.


Or, we can email whenever we want you to turn on the pump.

   Jeff

 Jeff

I like it - presumably if I get on line with the power spec from the
pump I should be able to pick something like this up. I'm pretty sure
that the pump is on a single phase line so it should be pretty straight
forward.

I'll look in to it and let you know how I get on.

Thanks for the great idea - has anyone tried it?

Pemple