In the 40+ years since the first polymer solar pool heaters were invented, there have been some great products and some not-so-great products. Though the sun has set on most of the not-so-great products, it’s still true that not all solar pool heaters are created equal.
Here are a few reasons why we think we’re better than the rest.
 | (Sunsaver & Sunsaver ST) | (Heliocol & SunStar) |
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 | Made in U.S.A. |  Lakewood, NJ | Chico, CA |  Magen, Israel |
 | ISO 9001:2008 Quality StandardsGlobally-recognized quality management standard. | | | |
 | Commercial Grade NSF-50 ListedMeets strict safety, durability, and toxicity standardsrequired by most states for commercial pool equipment. | (System Approval) | | (Collectors Only) |
 | IAPMO Performance CertifiedPerformance-rated and certified by the International Association ofPlumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to SRCC Standard 100 | | | |
TUBE & WEB
Round tubes joined by a center- or bottom-web and expansion joints.
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Highest-performing design
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Design allows for thermal expansion & contraction; extends service life
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Web can be “vented” with slots or slits for wind-load and roof moisture relief
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Multi-plate, thermally-welded and insert-molded construction
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Direct, metered manifold delivers balanced flow through collector and prevents “hot-spots”
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Products Include…
Solar Industries
Ecosun
Ultrasun
Ultra-Swim
Sun-Swim
Sun-Swim Plus
Sunlite
Ecolite
TUBE ON TUBE
Round (or square) tubes connected without any separation between.
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Plagued by warping and buckling, which weakens collector and reduces lifespan
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Monolithic design; poor wind-load & moisture relief
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Design does not permit thermal expansion & contraction
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Indirect, metered flow using secondary manifold/subplenum results in larger pressure drop
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Products Include…
Sunsaver
Revolution
Sungrabber / Solar Bear
Techno-Solis (square tubes)
SEPARATED TUBE
Individual tubes are held together with spacer bars; surrounded by air.
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Exposed tubes lose heat faster to cool air
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Loose tubes trap organic debris under collectors
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Indirect, non-metered manifold causes unbalanced flow
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Products Include…
Heliocol
SunStar
Sunsaver ST
Solar Pool Heaters Compared by Performance
Solar collector performance ratings are commonly expressed in BTUs Per Square Foot Per Day.
What this means, in other words, is how much heat energy (British Thermal Units, or BTUs) can be transferred to the heat transfer fluid (pool water, for example) per square foot of solar collector area, over a given time period.
Since collectors can come in many sizes, heat transfer per sq. ft. of collector area gives the best “apples-to-apples” comparison.
The following independent ratings are published by the Florida Solar Energy Center.
Source: Florida Solar Energy Center, Certification # 00617
Source: Florida Solar Energy Center, Certification # 98002
Source: Florida Solar Energy Center, Certification # 98022C