Can't help you on the solar, but regarding the PBs you are looking at our pool was built by Hobert so we're very familiar with them. They did a decent job on everything EXCEPT the yard repairs. We're still trying to get them to fix our yard. They really tore the yard up bad, much worse than any other pool job I've seen in our area. They filled most of the ruts with lousy junk fill obtained from another pool excavation. They are supposed to come out and final grade with better fill, but I'm getting really tired of waiting. Their delays are holding up my sprinkler repairs and fence installation, plus now the grass is growing and I'm having to mow over ruts that are so bad that I'm afraid it's going to tear up my lawn tractor.

That's disappointing. How long have you been trying to get this fixed? I have a meeting with them on Wednesday to review the plan/proposal.

Over a month. Actually before we even signed the contract in December I expressed concerns about yard damage. They assured me it would be restored to its previous condition except for the grass. I wasn't concerned about the grass, once the yard is repaired I can get the grass to fill back in again. Every step of the way I've reminded them of my yard concerns. My concerns have fallen on deaf ears. They did much, much more damage than they should have and blamed it on their subs. They excavated when they shouldn't have right after a hard rain. They brought trucks onto my property weeks later after assuring me they no longer needed access (and did even more damage). The ruts in the yard were over a foot deep and I still don't know how much they damaged the sprinkler system because it can't be repaired until they finish the grading. They keep telling me that they will repair it to my satisfaction, but it hasn't happened yet. There has been a lot of rain this year and that has caused them scheduling problems, so I'm still giving them the benefit of the doubt. Right now I do not recommend them. Maybe I'll change my mind if they fix this, but I'm getting tired of having to keep applying pressure on them to get things done.

"I've been researching solar pool heaters and found this link. Does anyone have experince with solar pool heaters or with this specific company?"

Rodney,

I am not familiar with that company or their products. However, I am a Heliocol dealer in S. Texas, and our main office is in Dallas.

For a quote, contact Mr. John Mann at Sunrise Solar, 817-429-4411.

Here is a link to their website...

www.solartexas.com

I know John very well and his company does excellent work. They have a lot of experience as they install on average 150 solar systems annually in the Dallas area.

Hope this helps.

Pilot

We went with solar, and have regretted it. For one thing, the connections will spring a leak, which requires someone climbing on the roof to tighten it. We have a 2 story house with a steeply pitched roof. Secondly, when it's not leaking, it doesn't heat the pool enough. The first 15 minutes are quite warm, but then the temp is close to the cold pool. We think we needed more panels, but we couldn't fit more on the roof. Our pool is 800+ surface area, and we have 11 solar panels.

Anyways, we are having an AquaCal SQ156 heat pump installed this week.

As an update on the yard situation, Hobert came out two more times and fixed the yard nicely. I take back anything negative I said above, they have really come through in the end! Everything looks great. There were a few other problems along the way as well (with the pool) and they quickly responded to those issues and made sure we were satisfied. I definitely would recommend them now that it's all said and done!

Rodney, I hope you didn't sign with Riverbend Sandler as a judge just shut them down this week!!!! Apparently they lost a big law suit years ago and have refused to pay. Article link below. I'd stay away from them until they get things back in order, could take several months.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/040308dnbusplanopools.24d76905.html

I installed solar heat in 2003 and I have not had one problem with it. I use my gas heater maybe once or twice a year at the beginning or end of the season. In the summer my pool gets to 87 degrees by Noon. Best investment re the pool I made.

I saw that on the news last night about Riverbend Sandler. The article said they filed an emergency motion and should be back up in running in 48hrs. We haven't made our choice on PB yet but I'd still be comfortable going with Riverbend Sandler if they get everything straightend out. I think this is from when they merged companies and bought out Sandler pools. Everyone I've spoken to has great things to say about the pools that they have built.

There was a news story about it this evening on WFAA. They are currently operating out of a hotel room! Most of their equipment was siezed and their offices locked up. They are currently still doing pool work using equipment that was out in the field when the siezure took place which according to the news story is probably illegal. Some guy let them start a new pool in his backyard today (they showed the dig on the news), I couldn't believe it! They can and probably will recover from this, but it would be nuts to start a new project with them until it is clear that they're out of the woods.

"We went with solar, and have regretted it. For one thing, the connections will spring a leak, which requires someone climbing on the roof to tighten it. We have a 2 story house with a steeply pitched roof. Secondly, when it's not leaking, it doesn't heat the pool enough. The first 15 minutes are quite warm, but then the temp is close to the cold pool. We think we needed more panels, but we couldn't fit more on the roof. Our pool is 800+ surface area, and we have 11 solar panels."

I may be able to provide you with some advice for getting your solar to work properly, but I need some information first.

In what part of the country are you located?

What is the size of your panels? Length/Width

Who is the manufacturer of the panels?

What is the HP of the pump you are using?

I have been installing Heliocol systems for years, and I have yet to have a customer that is not satisfied with their solar system.

Sometimes within a few days of installing the panels we will have a small leak or two as the rubber "O" rings didn't seat properly when the system was pressurized. We usually catch the leaks immediately as we don't leave a new installation for at least an hour after pressurizing the system. If we find leaks, we just disconnect the leaking joint and replace the "O" ring. That always works.

On occasion, but very rarely, we will have a small leak show up after a week or two. Again, we just replace the "O" ring and that takes care of the leak.

Based on the information that you provided, it sounds as though you had a bad installation. Have you attempted to contact the installer to remedy the situation? If so, have they responded?

I get occasional calls from people who purchased their solar system from someone else and they are not happy with the performance of the system. When I get to the job site, I find that the system was poorly engineered and installed. Anyone can call themselves a "solar company". Most of the fly-by-night outfits sell a few systems; take the money and run, never to be heard from again.

When shopping for a solar company, always ask how long they have been in business, and request references. If they hesitate, look elsewhere.

There is a lot more to installing a solar system than just slapping some panels on the roof and every job is different. I always spend at least one hour at a potential job site to do the engineering even before I prepare a quote. Things that need to be taken into account are:

Size of the pool.

Is the pool in full sun or partial shade?

How long will the feed and return lines for the solar system be and how much rise is involved? If you have your panels on a two-story roof, you may not have sufficient HP from your pump to adequately feed the panels. Panels require at least 5 gallon-per-minute of flow to work efficiently due to the high head pressure. Also, any system that is larger than 8 panels needs to be separated into more than one bank; otherwise, the water wont flow through all of the tubes. To install more than one bank of panels requires some knowledge of hydraulics and plumbing.

How much HP is the existing filtration pump?

Is there sufficient roof area for the proper amount of panels, and will they face to the south?

What water temperature does the customer want/expect?

These are the major points that are required to engineer the solar system so that it will function properly.

To do the engineering requires experience and an understanding of hydraulics.

This is why I strongly discourage people from doing the installation themselves. Most people donÂt realize the complexities that are involved in getting the most out of a solar system.

Before selecting a contractor to install a solar system for your pool, do your homework. Hopefully you can avoid disappointment.

We are looking for pool builder in dallas area. So which company did you go with and has the project done? Did you install the solar heater? Are you happy with the result? Thanks.

We went with Riverbend Sandler. Excavation starts this week. We will probably wait a little while to put in the solar heater.

Have you ever seen invisible solar pool heating?
Visit this website : www.indeksolar.com

I used AR Solar for my solar pool heating and they were awesome. My friend in Coppell referred me and its been the best investment i made for my pool!

Hmm, Dead thread for over 6 months. Newly registered user. Coincidence?