Solar Pools Technology: glazed and unglazed collectors

Two types of pool collectors: glazed and unglazed collectors

Pool collectors typically consist of sets of 6-mm (1/4-in.) tubes running the length of the collector feeding, and can be

1) Glazed or
2) Unglazed

The right type depends most on your climate and on your intention of using the pool in winter or not.

The unglazed are by far the most common (and cheap) type of collectors used in solar pool heating.
 

Glazed collectors: for year-round swimming pools in freezing weather, and solar residential water heating

A glazed solar collector is generally made of copper tubing attached to an alluminium plate, with a sheet of glass covering to prevent heat loss.

In cold climates, glazed collectors capture solar heat more efficiently than unglazed collectors: they are less affected by wind and cool air temperatures (that's why they are so used for solar domestic water heating).

If you do not intend to use your pool when temperatures are below freezing, the unglazed collectors are a much cheaper solution. Glazed collectors are mainly used for year-round uses of pools in colder climates.


The price of glazed and unglazed collectors

Unglazed collectors are clearly less expensive: the glazed collectors can attain three times the cost of unglazed (though that also depends on the type of unglazed collectors).
 

Types of unglazed collectors

Unglazed collectors designed for swimming pools can be made of
1) heavy-duty rubber or
2) plastic treated with an ultraviolet (UV) cover to extend the life of the panels. 


Rubber Unglazed collectors: flexible type

Rubber unglazed collectors come in flexible strips, which allows the collector to be built to any length. But these collectors tend to have lower efficiencies and a span life slightly inferior to Plastic UV collectors: up to 15 years.

Plastic unglazed collectors: rigid type

Plastic collectors are semi-rigid sets of 1.2 m (4 ft.) wide, with three standard lengths: 2.4 m (8 ft.), 3.0 m (10 ft.) and 3.7 m (12 ft.). They usuallly last 15 to 20 years and can be more efficient (and expensive) then the rubber ones.


See, for more information:
Basics of solar pools systems
Sizing solar pool heating collectors
Manufacturers of solar pool collectors
Manufacturers of pool covers
Sizing of pipes and pumps for solar pools
Prices and Payback of solar pool systems



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