Your solar panels have no moving parts, so system operation is simply a matter of circulating the pool water through the solar panels whenever the sun is shining. This can be accomplished manually by leaving the solar diverter valve in the solar position and setting the pool pump to run during the daylight hours.

The big drawback to the manual approach is that running water through the solar panels during rainy or cold and windy daytime weather conditions can actually cool your pool.

Speaking of cooling your pool, some pool owners set their systems to operate at night during the summer months, to lower their pool water temperature. Pools in the East Bay can reach temperatures in the upper 80's or low 90's during July and August, so nighttime cooling can be useful.

Therefore, achieving the best results from your solar heating system requires an automatic solar controller—similar to your home heating thermostat—that can cycle the solar diverter valve open and closed whenever the pool is below a desired temperature and the solar collectors are warmer than the pool water.

Manual or automatic, you must set your pool pump time clock to turn the pool pump on during daylight.

Finally, since we live in an area where nighttime temperatures even in the summer months can drop into the 50's, it is recommended that a pool blanket be used to prevent overnight heat loss.

Starting Up Your System

Setting The Automatic Controller

Do's and Dont's

Winterizing Your System

Troubleshooting