Nice pool heater

**Benjamin Thompson** · 02-14-2011, 04:16 PM

The listing says there is a solar pool heater. The client wants me to be sure to check it when I am on the roof. Here it is:
P2140042.jpg

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**Harry Janssen** · 02-14-2011, 06:38 PM

Never seen a solar heater like that,does not look like solar at all,looks like cable wire
Harry

**Benjamin Thompson** · 02-14-2011, 07:34 PM

It's black garden hoses.

**Garry Sorrells** · 02-15-2011, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by Benjamin Thompson

It's black garden hoses.

If it is heated by the Sun then it is solar heated. They said that it was solar heated without a technical description of specifically how, then they are correct. Commercial solar hot water panels (one type) are basically tubes in a case. They just don't have the case.d

**John Kogel** · 02-15-2011, 07:53 PM

Sorry, but to call that a "solar pool heater" is seriously misleading.

**Rick Bunzel** · 02-15-2011, 08:37 PM

Thats a Buba pool heater and it hardly qualifies as a pool heater. A picture is worth a thousand words and the seller has lost any credibility they had with the buyer.

As an inspector I will now dig a little deeper and see what else they stretched the truth on. This always makes the inspection more like a hunt for the truth....

//Rick

**Ian Page** · 02-16-2011, 01:00 AM

The listing agent had better amend the listing pronto...otherwise they may be on the hook for an actual and professionally installed heating system. Probably not the kind of 'out-of-pocket' expense they may be accustomed to...

ip

**Linas Dapkus** · 02-16-2011, 04:59 AM

Did they have a hot tub?
YouTube - my home made hot tub for less than $100

**Garry Sorrells** · 02-16-2011, 05:58 AM

Originally Posted by John Kogel

Sorry, but to call that a "solar pool heater" is seriously misleading.

Does it heat the pool?
Is the heat generated form the sun?

It's a mater of preconceived ideas of what you wanted to see.

Right or wrong. Listings are all about embellishment.

**Marc M** · 02-16-2011, 08:26 PM

Awsome...I dig it. I'm ripping my heater out tomorrow. So "green" too.

**Rick Hurst** · 02-16-2011, 10:31 PM

It appears that the so-called solar pool heater is obstructing the flow of water to those scuppers also.

rick

**Ian Page** · 02-17-2011, 01:10 AM

This is not an imbellishment ...it's a clear misrepresentation of installed equipment - or lack thereof. Or sheer stupidity on the listing agent's part. I'm guessing the homeowner ran a few feet of black flexible sprinkler pipe (seen in the pic) and recirculated it through the pool's heater. The heater is then re-heating the (somewhat) passively solar heated water - hardly a 'solar pool heater'. If I based an offer on a 'solar heater' being installed pursuant to the listing description - and the offer was accepted, I would certainly want one there at close of escrow.

Furthermore the length of tubing, as seen in the pic, IMO would have little effect in contributing to the overall heating of even a small pool. 10x that amount might raise the pool's temp. by a couple of degrees on a continuous flow short term basis. It might be connected to the spa heater (if one is installed) which would provide greater benefit, but not much. I'm no solar heating system expert but I have worked on/in and around a few systems in the past.

ip

**Garry Sorrells** · 02-17-2011, 08:10 AM

Rick,
Yes, obstructing scuppers. But that may be part of their Solar Heater design. Capturing water that is also heated which adds to the BTU generated.

Ian,
Potato - potaato. ------- "The listing says there is a solar pool heater." If it was stated as," solar pool heater" , then it is not equipment but rather a process. If stated as "Solar Pool Heater", then equipment (maybe) ? The agent could say, " the seller stated that there was a solar pool heater" and the agent would write it down as partof the description. Especial since they are not a solar heating specialist, designer or engineer.

To often people read to much into statements. That is why you get paid for your efforts.

Just having some fun with you. But I still hold to embellishment idea. Which is one of the real problems that the entire Real Estate industry has. They work so hard to mislead you hoping to generate traffic that they just do not realy care about the truth. Furthermore, broker's tell the agents that they are not Engineers, Carpenters, Builders, Electrician, etc., the agent's only job is to sell the property and get to settlement.

**Ian Page** · 02-18-2011, 01:45 AM

Gary - Maybe RE laws are a little different in CA. Tomato...tomaato!

I recently did an inspection where the listing identified 'A/C installed' - only to discover that - voila - no compressor. The lines and electrical were stubbed out for one to be installed but the system was just heating, no cooling. The offer had been accepted, for the property as described in the listing and the listing agent coughed up a sizeable chunk out of her commission for the missing unit. Now this was a bank-owned foreclosure property, maybe that made a difference.

I didn't get into it too much with the buyers or their agent at the time (just reported what I found - or didn't find) but it appears to be much the same as failing/neglecting to report or identify a known defect during disclosure.

I have a scheduled inspection coming up with the same agent, I'll ask about it.

ip