Painting of White Pipe On Roof ... Good Idea or Bad Idea ??

[foo1bar]

But you need to also insulate the pipe, or your efficiency is going way down. 2" seems awfully large too.

2" would be normal - that's what fittings for the solar collector panels are. (there might be some 1.5" ones for smaller systems.)

Insulating the pipe would be really unusual. I haven't ever seen pool pipes insulated - even on the larger system at the nearby membership-only swimming pool club.


As for the previous question - I used spray paint that claims it's "for plastic". It hasn't been long enough for me to say if it'll work for a long period - but so far it looks fine.

[J.P.M.]

2" would be normal - that's what fittings for the solar collector panels are. (there might be some 1.5" ones for smaller systems.)

Insulating the pipe would be really unusual. I haven't ever seen pool pipes insulated - even on the larger system at the nearby membership-only swimming pool club.


As for the previous question - I used spray paint that claims it's "for plastic". It hasn't been long enough for me to say if it'll work for a long period - but so far it looks fine.

Pool water heating systems usually, or at least often, operate relatively close to ambient air temp, perhaps even below ambient air temp. Insulation is not usually used on such systems as it's probably not cost effective, can add to maint. issues and may not be needed.

DHW or process heat applications are another matter.

[Szumlanski]

I recently got a solar pool heating system installed at my home in south Florida. FAFCO Solar did the installation. FAFCO used 2" white pipe on the roof and wall.

The Home Owners Association in my community has requested that I paint the pipe to better blend with the colour of the solar panels (black) and the colour of my house (tan). They have asked that I paint the pipe on the roof black (to match the solar panels).

There is a unique factor here in Southwest Florida that you need to consider. What your dealer is telling you is correct. Black PVC pipe, which is readily available, tends to have problems with warping, swelling, and cracking (especially at fittings). I was a part of the investigation into how to address this issue locally with the dealer you mentioned. The reason is due to stagnation of water in the system. We are in an area with extremely long and hot summers where systems are often turned off, but not properly isolated during the summer months. When water is allowed to sit in black pipe it tends to cause overheating. Horizontal runs sag. Vertical runs warp. Problems are worse without proper support. Fittings burst due to swelling. The worst part is the vertical return line near the collectors. In fact, we see white pipe discoloration in the vertical return line quite often (turns a yellowish-purple).

To alleviate this you should always drain and properly isolate your system during the summer. Some system will experience worse problems than others, and your dealer should be able to advise you if you have a system prone to this issue. Systems that do not drain without a manual drain are especially prone to this issue.

My competing company installs black pipe on the roof where HOAs require it with a stern warning to buyers about what to expect. Painting white pipes does not significantly alter the longevity or cause problems, but the paint tends to flake off and look terrible in a matter of years, completely defeating the HOA intention (in my opinion). White pipe on the wall painted to match the house similarly requires repainting, especially if in direct sunlight.

I don't understand the thought process of HOAs that force homeowners into something that inevitably causes issues and ultimately looks worse than the alternative. Solar Pool Heaters are so prevalent in Southwest Florida that they do no "stick out" and look abnormal. White pipe doesn't look any worse than black, and ultimately black looks far worse after years of deterioration. We have also run into HOAs that apply rules inconsistently. Some make special requirements only when the system can be seen from the street, which makes no sense because systems on the back of homes can still be seen by neighbors quite often. It comes down to a flawed perception and fear, and often occurs at the recommendation of a management company, not the HOA itself. A little education can go a long way, but we have some really stubborn communities around here.

Side note: I have seen black plumbing completely collapsed when installed by a competitor that puts their vacuum relief valve in the wrong place. I get a laugh out of it, but the homeowner is probably not laughing at the repair bill.

[todd_vero]

Hi Szumlanski, I have yet to install my pipes. I just painted 4 of the PVC schedule 40 pipes black with Krylon Fusion for plastic and followed-up with clear Krylon Fusion. I noticed that it can chip relatively easily which surprised me. I am thinking that it will look horrible at some time in the near future. What piping alternatives should I consider? thanks!

[foo1bar]

What piping alternatives should I consider? thanks!

black PVC

BTW - painting before you solvent weld (glue) the pipes/fittings together is a bad idea. You significantly decrease the strength of that joint. Instead of the two pieces of PVC melding/melting together there's now a paint barrier between them which probably is going to make the pipe and fitting stay more separate from each other.

I painted mine after it was in place. (picked a calm day and slid some cardboard under the section I was painting so I didn't get a lot of paint on the shingles/wall.)

[Szumlanski]

black PVC

BTW - painting before you solvent weld (glue) the pipes/fittings together is a bad idea. You significantly decrease the strength of that joint. Instead of the two pieces of PVC melding/melting together there's now a paint barrier between them which probably is going to make the pipe and fitting stay more separate from each other.

I painted mine after it was in place. (picked a calm day and slid some cardboard under the section I was painting so I didn't get a lot of paint on the shingles/wall.)

This is absolutely the case. Painting the pipe on the ground sounds like a great idea, but welding the pipe after it has been tainted with paint is a very bad idea. You can use cleaner to alleviate this issue, but it's not perfect, and then you have to repaint the joint anyway. It also chips very easily when putting it in place on the roof. If you decide to pain pipe, paint it in place. You don't even really have to paint the whole pipe - just the visible side from the ground. Use cardboard or something to keep from painting the roof below the pipe.

[todd_vero]

understood. Before I painted the 4 pipes, I attach elbow connectors which kept the pipe ends clean and unpainted.

I noticed that moving the PVC pipes after painting did cause some chips. It sounds like I will paint the rest in place. Do I need to worry about PVC deterioration on the sections that are not painted? Those sections will will be exposed to the sun.

thanks everyone for your responses! I greatly appreciate it!

[foo1bar]

Do I need to worry about PVC deterioration on the sections that are not painted? Those sections will will be exposed to the sun.

PVC that is exposed to the sun will become more brittle as the UV affects it.

I'd paint it. It doesn't take long to paint it. (and IMO it looks better painted - then it's nice and uniform and can be colored to blend in with the wall/roof better)

Can you get away with not painting it? will it work fine for years unpainted? Probably. 2" PVC is fairly thick walls. So probably will take a long long time before it degrades to the point where a hail storm or something damages it.
I definitely wouldn't be worried about not painting it in the first year or so if you can't paint it for a few months because there's rainstorms coming through or other things..

[todd_vero]

sounds like a good plan. thank you!

[Szumlanski]

Because I have been getting a lot of questions about this recently, I did a blog entry on Black or White PVC Pipe for Solar Pool Heaters with some pictures.

https://floridasolardesigngroup.com/black-or-white-pipe-for-solar-pool-heaters/