There are different types of solar water heaters with different price tags. Some of them have high prices and it is not reasonable for some people to buy them. What is the solution? A homemade solar water heater could be an option. It can be used for many uses, such as using in the pool, showering, or even doing laundry. Here we fully explain how you can do it in your own house. The Solar Collector Is the First Step I used some black paint to cover a piece of plywood that was four by four inches. After that, I took 200 feet of half-inch vinyl irrigation hose and coiled it tightly on the plywood. I used UV-resistant zip ties to fix the hose every foot or so by drilling holes and threading the zip ties around the hose and through the plywood.
Because I was following the square edges of the plywood rather than winding the hose in a circular coil, I ran into a situation in which the hose began to kink in the corners. As you can see, 200' is not enough to cover the board entirely. If you look at the photo very carefully, you'll notice that I still have a few kinks that I need to iron out. After everything was finished, I took a temperature reading of the surface of the board at around three o'clock in the afternoon. The surface temperature was around 134 degrees Fahrenheit. The pool has to be heated up right away so we can start using it.Step 2: Assembling the Valves I eliminated the need for a separate pump by assembling a set of valves and adapters in the shape of a "Y," which allowed the water to flow into the heater and then back into the pool.
This allowed me to take use of the natural flow and pressure generated by the pool filtration pump. Once the temperatures in the afternoon have dropped to the point where the solar heater is no longer necessary, I may turn off the water supply to and from the solar heater using the 1/2-inch ball valves. The third step involves adding water to the solar heater: The top consists of a smooth 1 1/2 "Y" adapter with a 1 1/2 to 1/2" threaded adapter on one side, a 1/2" male to the male threaded nipple to a 1/2" ball valve, and a 1/2" threaded to a ribbed adapter that the vinyl hose slides on. The bottom consists of a smooth 1 1/2 "Y" adapter with a 1 1/2 to 1/2" threaded adapter on one side. To prevent leaks, I secured each hose fitting with two hose clamps. Sand down all of the smooth surfaces that will be receiving glue first so that you can ensure a good seal.
NO threaded components must be glued. Before you even have a chance to tighten the threads tight, the glue will have already set. To ensure that the threads are completely sealed, you can use pipe dope or plumber's grease. Because of the enormous pressure, even Teflon tape might spring a leak. Step 4: Regulator Valve: The smooth 1 1/2-inch ball valve that makes up the center valve is affixed to both sides of a short length of 1 1/2-inch PVC using adhesive. By only partially shutting this valve, the pressure will cause some water to be directed toward the solar heating panel rather than out of the top "Y" adapter. The fifth step involves the return valve:The top of the assembly is almost exactly reflected in the structure of the bottom of the assembly. A ribbed to 1/2' threaded adapter connected to a 1/2' threaded ball valve, which was connected to a threaded 1/2' to 1/2' nipple, which was connected to a smooth 1 1/2" adapter, which was connected to a smooth 1 1/2" "Y." The water from the solar heater will be drawn into the water that is flowing into the pool as it travels down the 1 1/2-inch PVC pipe and passes through the ball valve that is 1 1/2-inch in diameter.
Step 6: Timer:If the water were let to continuously flow through the solar heater, the several hundred gallons of cold water in the pool would outweigh the about ten gallons of water that are contained within the solar heater. There just wouldn't be enough time for it to reach the desired temperature before being added to the pool. To remedy this situation, I had an external timer attached to my pool pump. However, beginning at noon and continuing until around 6:00 in the evening, a timer will switch the pump on and off at intervals of half an hour to ensure that the pool is properly filtered This ensures that the water in the solar heater has sufficient time to reach the desired temperature before being released into the pool. The seventh step, hot water:When the heater is working, the temperature of the water that is being pumped into the pool is around 99 degrees Fahrenheit, as can be seen. In the shade, this maintains a temperature of around 84–86 degrees across the whole pool. Everything, including shipping, was purchased from Home Depot at a total cost of around $50.