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Fafco

FAFCO Papa Bear - Solar Pool Heater for Above-Ground Pools, Universal, with Starter Kit

    • Based on 128 reviews
Condition: New
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Availability: In Stock.
Fulfilled by Amazon
Arrives Thursday, Jun 20
Order within 20 hours and 50 minutes
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Size: 3’9” x 24’


Features

  • Enjoy your pool and easily heat up your above-ground swimming pool with renewable energy; FAFCO's Connected Tube (CT) design is the most efficient solar panel available
  • FAFCO is the oldest and largest solar pool heating manufacturer in America; Every unit is inspected and tested and made from stabilized polyolefins for a long life
  • Works with most above-ground pools, pumps, and filters; Starter Kit included
  • A built-in manual control valve allows you to adjust the flow through the panel and how much heat is provided to your pool
  • Use household tools to connect fittings and hoses to your pool pump/filter

Description

Enjoy your backyard swimming pool with the FAFCO Papa Bear! Extend your swimming season by warming your cold pool and ensuring comfortable water temperatures. The Papa Bear's connected tube design is the most efficient solar pool heater available. Extra large manifolds maximize the flow through the pump and filter system. The Papa Bear is the largest above-ground solar pool heater available for maximum heat. The Papa Bear system is comprised of one 45in x 24ft solar panel and one Starter Kit for simple plumbing to your pool. The panel is made from UV-stabilized polyolefin material and will last for many seasons in direct sunlight. The integrated manual bypass valve can be used to shut off the system when the pool is up to the desired temperature. The Papa Bear can be mounted flat on the ground or a ground-mounted tilted rack. The starter kit is sold separately. Put the sun to work for you and enjoy free heat from your FAFCO Papa Bear. Note: For best performance, panels should face south, tilted 10 to 30 degrees with unobstructed sunlight. The system should operate between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on sunny days.


Item Weight: 48.2 pounds


Manufacturer: FAFCO


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Thursday, Jun 20

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Heats the Water better than expected.
Size: 3’9” x 24’
I purchased the Papa Bear for our 10,400 gallon above ground pool. I added a 2,220 gpm pump with flexible 1.25 inch ID pvc tubing. When the solar heater is in full sun, the pool climbs roughly 2 degrees per hour. Last season I tried a smaller pump, worked but not as effective. I found it is a little cumbersome to store for the winter. I am very pleased with this purchase. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 24, 2023 by Dan
    • It works!
Size: 3’9” x 24’
Product came in a timely manner undamaged. Install wasnt to bad ended up putting on my garage roof (which is not recommended). It Ended up raising my pool 10°f after a few days running. I would recommend buying several to make a difference.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 25, 2023 by B Hewlett
    • Edit - The pool feel pretty good
Size: 3’9” x 24’
Edit - Took much longer than I expected but the water has been consistently swimmable. No longer cold in the pool. That being said I thought two of the 24 foot ones would make my pool warmer than it is, but I'm more optimistic that it might actually get to that point. I can't complain too much. That being said the instructions recommend using flexible pool hose. I personally suggest going straight to rigid PVC. Original review - I bought 2 of the 24 foot long solar pool heaters to heat my 16 by 32 above ground pool. I built a rig to tilt the panels 30 degrees off the ground and my panels are pointed south west. I even have a solar pool cover that I use to make sure the heat doesn't escape through evaporation or from wind. According to everything I have read, 1 heater panel this size should raise the pool 5-10 degrees a day, but the pool is still freezing cold even after several high heat, clear sky, high UV index days. I was hoping buying two would mean it would raise the pool temp 10-20 degrees a day. I would be happy if the 2 panels together raised the pool only 5 degrees a day, but the pool has not increase more than 5 degrees over the course of 7 days. I'm going to keep trying to make it work, but as of right now, seems like an amazing waste of nearly $700. Next, the installation instructions are pretty bad. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 2, 2022 by Amazon Customer
    • Make sure you read the directions!
Size: 3’9” x 24’
Review Image by AmazonFamily AmazonFamily
Review Image by AmazonFamily AmazonFamily
Review Image by AmazonFamily AmazonFamily
Review Image by AmazonFamily AmazonFamily
Review Image by AmazonFamily AmazonFamily
Update: we turn heater on around 10am ET and turn off around 7pm ET. Exceptions are cloudy or rainy days. Using this in conjunction with our solar cover has provided a consistent 5-10 degree increase. Although the longer it goes when off, the cooler water gets and longer takes to heat back up. Time will tell if this will be useful in allowing to open early or keep open longer when temps do not average 90 daily. So far, so good and it a reasonable option for those of us not wanting to spend a lot on an electric, propane or nat gas one. We mistakenly thought the inlet and outlet could go either direction. Absolutely not the case. Instructions do say to have the inlet at the bottom. Cannot figure out logically why, but after installing it with the inlet up and getting no warmer water after a week, I read the instructions again and (insert facepalm). So, total install was closer to 5 hours for us after building a frame, first pipe install, removing pipes, flipping heater over and reinstalling pipes. Too soon to tell if will warm water up. Will update after about another week. The mat needs enough room. It's 24ft long, after all. And it won't work unless in sun, preferably all day sun. If is a cloudy day it won't work that well. We have a lot of trees so the sun doesn't hit it until around 10-11am but stays on it all day. We also have a solar cover to help keep warmer water in. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 5, 2021 by AmazonFamily AmazonFamily
    • It works beautifully on a 13,000 gallon pool!
Size: 3’9” x 24’
Review Image by Jim and Laura Jim and Laura
Review Image by Jim and Laura Jim and Laura
Review Image by Jim and Laura Jim and Laura
We purchased a house with a 13,000 gallon pool already installed with an under-sized solar heater - and we didn't use it the first year because the water was too cold (location is Colorado). This season, we installed the Fafco heater, and the water was comfortable after just two sunny days! It's a solid 10-15 degrees warmer than last year and is now used daily. The heater was easy to set up, and probably earns 5 stars. However, I chose to give 4 stars because I feel they should offer a stand for just a few dollars more. Without a stand, we had to improvise. We didn't want the stand to be bulky like some of the others pictured in Amazon, because we want to store stacked in our garage during winter, so our teenager built the stand in the pictures. The stand is made of three 4'x8' wood sheets. Each sheet has 5 legs made of 2x4's placed in the corners and the middle. (staggered so they stack) Used long wood screws. The upper legs are 12 inches, middle leg 10 inches, and bottom legs 8 inches to give a slight angle. We didn't bother tying the heater down since the pipes basically hook on either side of the panel. Again, the heater works great! We would just like to see a non-bulky stand as an option. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 20, 2021 by Jim and Laura Jim and Laura
    • No 10 degrees
Size: 2’5” x 4’
This has kept our pool warmer this summer however it was difficult to get it set up at first because all my hoses didn’t work with it they were too short to put it on the ground and put it towards the sun. So we had to buy longer hoses and put it on a table which wasn’t the best option but it worked for this year and I think I will try and do something different for it next year but I did like it for a none electric and solar only pool heater. At one point it sucked my hose so tight it put a hole in my hose. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 10, 2022 by Stephanie Smallwood
    • Total Pain to set up with Intex Pools.
Size: 3’9” x 24’
Review Image by K. Warren K. Warren
Review Image by K. Warren K. Warren
Review Image by K. Warren K. Warren
Review Image by K. Warren K. Warren
Review Image by K. Warren K. Warren
Review Image by K. Warren K. Warren
Review Image by K. Warren K. Warren
I am not a professional plumber. Don't bother going to pool supply stores or the pool section in the hardware store. Connecters and tubing are found in the plumbing section, duh. I ended up ordering the tubing online because 3 hardware stores didn't have the right size. It took me several trips to the hardware store before I found connections that fit. I used silicon tape, liquid silicone, sealant, and O-rings, and everything leaked. After several attempts I got everything working somewhat but still have slow leaks connecting to the PapaBear Solar Collecter. I'm going to try using a plumber's putty to seal the leaks and if that doesn't work maybe caulk. I've resisted using any kind of permanent sealant because I may need to disassemble the setup in the future. You'd think the company would provide connections and supplies to prevent leaks but here we are. Otherwise, the solar collector works great, as expected. I almost immediately felt warm water coming out of the pool inlet. Raised the pool temperature 2 degrees in half a day. Lost those 2 degrees overnight, though. I'll update my post after using the collector for a while. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 4, 2021 by K. Warren K. Warren

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