The Fafco NS725 is designed for above the ground pools. This heating system includes a 4 X 20 solar panel that helps to naturally heat the water in any above the ground pool. This system has almost everything needed for basic installation while additional supplies for specialty installation maybe needed. This includes tubing, heating pump, and the hooks needed to hang the solar panel from the side of the pool.

This product is easy to use once it is installed. This may require professional installation if you have no plumbing experience or you have a specialty installation. A specialty installation could include anything from installing the panel on the roof of your home or positioning it away from your pool. Once it is installed this product requires very little adjustment.


The NS725 is as easy to maintain as most electric and propane pool heaters. This shouldn’t ever require any professional maintenance unless you have a specialty installation in which case then you may have to pay for future maintenance and repairs. Repairs should be minimal though just as long as you take care of the plastic tubing from the pool to the pump.

This product does what it is supposed to do as long as certain factors are met when installing this product. If you have a back yard that’s heavily shaded by tree or live in an area that receives a lot of cloud cover then this might not be the best option for you. If you live in an area though that is clear of tree and cloud cover then this product is great for extending your swimming season so you can get more use out of your pool.

This product can be a great alternative to electric and propane heaters that can cost you a lot of money over time. This can extend your swimming season in a green way but if you don’t have a optimal place for it then you might want to look at an alternative. It is easy to use and maintain but you may run into some trouble installing it if you don’t have any plumbing experience or you require a specialty installation. This is a great green alternative though for those looking for an all natural way to heat their pools.

A good accessory for any pool would be a solar cover. Keeping this neat and tidy is easily done with a cover reel and the proper placement of this is very important.

There are a number of ways to attach the cover reel, and the most important thing is to make sure that it is secure and stable. For above ground pools, the mounting is quite simple. The reel should be positioned on one end of the pool, preferably at the end that is the main entry in and out of the pool.



It should be secured into the deck of the pool. This mounting will vary depending on the material of the deck. For wooden decks, appropriate screws should be used. If mounting the reel on concrete, anchors must be used. Otherwise, it is very easy to crack the concrete. If unsure as to how to do this, it is best to have a professional do the work on the concrete.

Some reels will have weights in them that are designed to keep the unit in place. These usually are sufficient, but it is always a good idea to securely attach the reel to the deck of the pool.

The SmartPool SMP S220 is a green alternative to traditional gas pool heaters. The system includes most of the equipment required to install it on the ground. If you want the panel installed somewhere else besides on the ground right next to your pool then you will need to purchase additional parts. This product is strictly for above ground pools but there is another model that works exclusive for in ground pools.

This product almost requires professional installation for most people. The time that it takes can be tremendous if you have never worked with plumbing. You may have to buy additional parts in order to make it work for your pool and this adds to the cost quick. Once it is installed it’s easy to use since it basically does the work for you. The only drawback is that there is no temperature adjustment.

The problem with the product could be the high amount of maintenance this product requires. This product is made 100 percent out of plastic so there are various parts and places this could break. If you have this heater sitting somewhere else besides right next to your pool, then you will have to maintain a lot of additional parts. In other words this is a maintenance nightmare from time to time.

In my opinion it doesn’t do what is supposed to do. This warms your pool with the power of the sun but if the sun isn’t shining you have no heater. If you have trees in your back , then the shade will obstruct the solar panels and this will not work. Virtually if there is no sun, you have no pool heater. This can cause a problem for those who want to swim on cloudy days and other times than during the day time. If it is warm and sunny why do you need a pool heater anyway?

This product does extend the season your pool can be used if you have the perfect space for it. If you have a lot of trees in your yard or you live in a place that receives a lot of cloud cover then this might not be the product for you. This is a great green alternative for those who have the perfect space for it though. If you are trying to go green and if you have the appropriate environment for it then this is the perfect product for you.

If your pool is not staying warm then you might be thinking, how do you know if the pool solar heater is broken? The first and only indicator that your pools solar heater is not working is by the temperature of the water. If it’s not getting warm or staying warm, then something is wrong. There are a few ways to be able to know that your solar heater is getting ready to potentially break down, though. These problems are discussed below.

The first problem would be that the system is off but the pump is working. If the system cannot be overridden by manual operation, then there could be some damage in the wiring or the sensor could be bad. This would have to be taken care of by going into the control box and finding the bad wiring or sensors and replacing them.



If your pump is working but there is no pressure, you could just need to clean out the filter. This is the most common problem with decreases in pressure. If this does not work, you might have to check the seal that is in the strainer.

So if you are asking, how do you know if the pool solar heater is broken, then you now know that if it is not getting warm it needs some work. Whether it is because of the wiring, filter or sensors, fixing the problem will get your pool warmed up in no time.

Yes you should. You should always turn off the solar while starting your pool pump. You may be wondering – why? Well, this is to simply make sure no damage is caused to the solar and just because it doesn’t need to be on when you are starting the pool pump.

Extra and important information: Remember the pool pump needs to run long enough each day to filter all of the water in the pool at least once a day. Twice is even better to remove all the dirt and etc.

Three times or more is simply just wasting electricity. Be sure that you are keeping up with the care of the pool and be sure if there is something wrong to check it out immediately as it can be something serious and end up costing you a lot of money.



If you feel that the pool pump is not running properly and it’s just not working you need to check everything. From the heater, the breaks, the switches, everything. You can turn on the solar after you are done pumping the pool but until then just turn it off as a extra precaution.

To first answer this question, you would need to know if the leak in the panel or the lines to the panel. If it is in the lines of the panel – it’s a quick and easy fix. Simply cut the line and remove any of the sharp edges. be careful as they can be very sharp. After you remove all the sharp edges you simply replace it. The lining of the panel is easy to purchase at any hardware stores. Be sure to look and see if it is made of PVC or Rubber. If it is one of those two you can simply replace it.



If the panel is leaking this is a little bit more difficult to fix and requires a little bit more work then just fixing the lines. If the panel is torn or removed you need to secure it as soon as possible. If one end is loose simply just secure the end. If both ends are secure then clean the repair with a fine wire or steel wool, then drill a small hole, and finally – fill it with a two part epoxy made for metal. The products can all be found at a local hardware store.

Finding the right winter pool cover for your pool is an essential step in preparing your pool for the winter months. What should you look for in a winter pool cover, and what types of winter pool covers are available? Here’s a look at some of the various pool covers currently on the market.

Technical Details
Winter pool covers are designed to protect your pool from excessive evaporation, prevent debris from accumulating in your pool while it’s not in use, and thereby prevent damage to the pool’s filtration system. If you live in a climate where leaves fall, snow is likely, or your pool needs to be winterized in any way, then you definitely need a winter pool cover.

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As an example of winter pool covers, Inyo Pool’s Arctic Armor pool covers are warrantied for eight to twenty years and are woven so tightly that light cannot pass through. This means that your pool will not breed algae during the winter, making getting the pool ready for summertime a cinch.




Installation and Maintenance
Pool covers need to be properly sized to your pool. If they are too small or too large, they may not work very efficiently to protect your pool.

Furthermore, while the pool cover maintains your pool, you must maintain the pool cover. If it snows or ices on top of the cover, you’ll need to pump off the meltwater to prevent the pool cover from sagging into the pool. Don’t try to remove ice while it’s still frozen; if you drop it, it might gash the cover. Nevertheless, if you live in a windy area, you’ll want to keep about an inch of water on top of the cover to prevent wind damage.

Available Models
The pool equipment reseller Inyo Pools provides Bronze, Silver, and Gold Arctic Armor models. The Bronze comes with an eight year warranty; the Silver with a fifteen year warranty; and the Gold has a twenty year warranty.

Pros and Cons
Don’t be fooled into buying a winter pool cover that you don’t need. Different climates call for different types of pool covers, so investigate the various pool covers available and which climate they are built for before deciding which winter pool cover to purchase.

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Here’s a question for you – do you have your calculator handy? How much energy does it take to raise 10,000 gallons of water 40 degrees Fahrenheit? If you didn’t get an answer, here’s a rough estimate: A whole lot. If you want your pool to be warm enough to use in the winter, you’re looking at raising the temperature of quite a bit of water by at least 40 degrees just to make it usable. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Here are some tips.

Technical Details
Don’t count on using just a solar pool cover to provide enough heat for your pool to swim comfortably in mid-winter. A solar pool cover is designed to raise the water temperature between five to fifteen degrees, but if your overnight low is 40 degrees, your pool water would only get up to about 55 degrees at most with a solar pool cover.

What a solar pool cover is good for is to extend your pool season. Depending upon where you live, the overnight low might still be 60 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit in September or even October, and might warm up to that by April. A solar pool cover during those times will make your pool warm enough to enjoy a few months longer.

If you want to heat the pool during the dead of winter, though, you’ll need a pool cover and a gas heater – and a pretty powerful gas heater at that, at least 400,000 BTU. A heat pump is also a good option.

Even with a powerful heater and a solar pool cover, you should still plan on it taking at least six to eight hours to heat the pool temperature to something bearable.

Models Available
Which heater you get depends upon the size of your pool. Remember that if your pool is shallow or small, you won’t need as big of a heater. Here are some reliable brands to consider:

• Hayward
• Aqua Pro
• AquaCal
• SmartPool

Pros and Cons
Although it’s nice to be able to use your pool in the winter, you should consider if the cost and energy consumption is really worth it. If you want to heat your pool all winter long, you’ll be looking at a very high bill; you could probably purchase a gym membership and swim indoors during the winter for less.

However, it’s nice to have the capacity to heat your pool during the winter so that on special occasions, such as Thanksgiving, you can heat the pool up and still enjoy it with your friends and family.

Like the SmartPool SunHeater in-ground solar pool heater, the SunHeater above-ground solar heater is a panel-based solar heater system designed to raise the water temperature of your outdoor pool by up to ten degrees. Just as with other solar pool heaters, the SunHeater above-ground solar heater is a relatively inexpensive way to increase the length of your swimming season, and to warm the water in unseasonably cool weather.

The SunHeater above-ground solar pool heater uses a series of tubes and solar panels, connected to your existing pool pump, to warm the pool water using the power of the sun. The water is pumped into a series of tubes warmed by “solar panels”, then pumped back into the pool. These are not true solar panels in that they are not solar photovoltaic panels; rather, as most solar pool heaters do, they use carbon black to absorb the sunlight. In this sense, the solar panels used both by SunHeater and other solar pool heaters could be considered more of a passive solar system.

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Installation and Specifications

Both the SunHeater in-ground and above-ground solar pool heaters are designed to by DIY installation, but user reviews state that the installation is trickier than it first appears. Once the system is installed, however, most customers are generally happy with the value the solar pool heater provides. To heat a pool of up to 40 square feet, most SunHeater above-ground solar heaters cost around $110, depending upon the retailer.

To heat pools from 40 to 80 square feet, expect to pay closer to $200 or even as high as $250. The solar heater quickly pays for itself; solar pool heaters cost an average of $30 – $75 per month, depending upon the size of the pool. Traditional pool heaters cost more than double that because of the cost of powering the heat pump or paying for natural gas or propane.

The solar panels themselves take up a fair bit of room. These can be installed on your roof, or on your pool house roof. Some users install the panels right on the ground near the pool, but other users complain that this method tends to burn their lawn. One clever user had a fence with southern exposure, and hung the solar panels from the fence.

The Bottom Line

Like the SunHeater for in-ground pools, many users complain of cheap tubing and panels that tend to degrade over time. The other problem of all solar panel-based solar heaters is the sheer amount of space that the panels take up, and the rather unaesthetic look this leaves the owner with. Besides these two complaints, though, the SunHeater is generally appreciated by most customers.

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SmartPool manufactures an above-ground and an in-ground version of the SunHeater, its solar pool heater. Like most other solar pool heaters, the SunHeater works by routing water from within the pool through a series of tubes that pick up heat from the sun. Then the sun-warmed water is returned to the pool, increasing the pool’s overall temperature.

In general, the in-ground version of the SunHeater will raise the temperature of the pool by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit. With a five-year limited warranty, easy DIY installation, and an opportunity to save money throughout the pool season, the in-ground SunHeater is a pretty good value. Depending upon the vendor, the base price for a SunHeater kit is about $220 – $300. However, keep in mind that the final price could be much higher if you have a particularly large pool.

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Sizing and Installing the SunHeater In-Ground

Here is the recommended sizing by SmartPool for installing an in-ground SunHeater system:

• 15′ x 30′ pool size: 2 Solar Boxes
• 16′ x 36′ pool size: 3 Solar Boxes
• 20′ x 40′ pool size: 4 Solar Boxes
• Each pool also requires a System Kit, but only one, regardless of the pool size
• If you wish your pool to provide year-round swimming, add an additional Solar Box to the recommendation above

As previously mentioned, installation of the SunHeater is meant to be DIY, but some users have complained that SmartPool’s manual isn’t nearly as user-friendly as they claim. Once it’s up and running, however, most users agree that the product does what it says it does. In other words, it saves money, extends the swimming season, and raises the water temperature of the pool by as much as ten degrees.

Complaints About the SunHeater

Besides being tricky to install, the SunHeater solar heater for in-ground pools is a pretty large contraption. Its final assembled size is 140 lbs. (meant to be installed on your roof or shed), with a size of 21′ x 24′ and 3 inches deep. Many users find the large size a drawback, as they don’t want a contraption of that size resting on their roof all summer long.

Another complaint users mention is that the rubber hosing is ironically not UV resistant. As a result, the tubing tends to crack and leak over time.

The Bottom Line

Overall, the SunHeater in-ground solar pool heater provides a good value. While it does seem to have a few design flaws, most users will save money in the long run when compared to a traditional electric or gas heater for their outdoor, in-ground pool.

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