DIY EMT Solar pool heater

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Being an aerospace engineer I went through those calculations for my 33,000 gal pool. Talked to some guys at the pool supply stores and they all told me to do the solar cover. I put it in place and in about three days the pool was perfect temperature. I then learned to remove the cover on a regular basis depending on the season or the pool would heat up too much and destroy my chlorine content. The cover allowed me to use the pool from March to November without using my gas heater. I used the heater for the jacuzzi of course.
An engineer friend built his own radiator and valve system for his pool because he didn’t want to spend the few minutes it took to remove a cover. He spent a lot more money than I did but we achieved the same result.

I agree that the cover is the best way. Pipes, pumps, valves are all prone to unexpected failure and additional cost for upkeep and replacement. I just wanted to run some rough numbers to see if 100ft of conduit could even be in the ballpark and it doesn't appear so.
 
Pfft, what a buzzkill! I was ready to start coiling some PEX (you guys scared me with the galvanized stuff) into a black box and run my filter pump through it. I guess Ill just get the boring bubble wrap cover. There goes my day off of building something....
 
Pfft, what a buzzkill! I was ready to start coiling some PEX (you guys scared me with the galvanized stuff) into a black box and run my filter pump through it. I guess Ill just get the boring bubble wrap cover. There goes my day off of building something....

you can always do it the oldschool way

 
Pfft, what a buzzkill! I was ready to start coiling some PEX (you guys scared me with the galvanized stuff) into a black box and run my filter pump through it. I guess Ill just get the boring bubble wrap cover. There goes my day off of building something....

If you still want to build a coiled black pipe heater in the future, keep an eye out for old sliding glass doors. Every now and then, you will see one in a construction dumpster at a remodel job. You can get them at Goodwill for cheap too. They make good covers for the top of the coiled pipe box. Screw em down, caulk the seams.....done!
 
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