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How to connect a solar pool heater

Updated: October 2026

The mat is on the lawn, the filter is running, and the return has slowed to a dribble or a joint is wetting the grass. How to connect a solar pool heater, on a ground-level above-ground pool, is the order of the parts and a way around the extra plastic. You should finish knowing where the collector sits, what to try when flow dies, and when to stop. The [solar pool heater comparison](/hub/swimming-pools/solar-pool-heater) names the mats and strips. Products Compared used Intex’s support note, the printed flow caps, and UK review complaints from 16 October 2026. There is no lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The mat is on the lawn, the filter is running, and the return has slowed to a dribble or a joint is wetting the grass.

Our top picks

Steinbach Steinbach Speed Solar 3 m

Best overall

Steinbach Steinbach Speed Solar 3 m
7.8/10about £70.48
View offer
Intex Intex 28685 solar mat

Alternative

Intex Intex 28685 solar mat
7.6/10about £24.49
View offer
Intex Intex 28685 mat

Preis-Tipp

Intex Intex 28685 mat
7.4/10about £17.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Where it sits in the circuit
  2. 2.Flow, air, and kinks
  3. 3.Joints and the night bypass
  4. 4.When to stop

Where it sits in the circuit

The collector goes after the filter, then back to the pool inlet. Water should be filtered before it enters the mat, otherwise grit sits in the channels. The existing filter pump does the pushing. You are not adding a second pump for a lawn mat. Intex’s low-flow article, Allswim’s notes for a different EPDM product, and a UK Solar Pod manual all put the heater on the return side of the filter. The shared idea is the order. The pressure caps are not shared, so do not copy a number from the wrong sheet. A bypass matters because the collector is extra resistance. Intex’s support note says that when several mats are in series you stage the bypass taps, after you have bled air and removed other accessories. UK reviews of the Steinbach strips say the bypass in the photo is often missing. The 6 m file recommends bypass set 00-60045 and does not say it is included. Fit a bypass you actually own.

Flow, air, and kinks

When the return dies, treat air and a crease before you blame the whole pump. Intex’s article tells you to bleed the pump, take other accessories off the line, and only then stage the bypass if several mats are linked. A UK review of the Intex mat describes a C1000 filter pump with no flow once the mat was connected, and the same review set mentions kinks. A folded channel is a closed pipe. Lay the mat flat, and keep the hoses from pinching at the pool wall. The Intex listing that prints a cap allows about 1/3 hp or 7,570 litres per hour. Steinbach’s 3 m and 6 m strips want 2,000–10,000 litres per hour and no more than 1 bar at 20°C. An Allswim sheet for EPDM matting quotes about 1.5 bar. That figure belongs to the other product. If the pump never moved the pool on its own, the collector is not the first fault.
Steinbach Steinbach Speed Solar 3 m

Testsieger

Steinbach Steinbach Speed Solar 3 m
7.8/10about £70.48
View offer

Joints and the night bypass

Leaks in this set show up at clamps and gasket faces. UK reviews of the Intex mat mention clamps that drip. UK reviews of the Steinbach strips mention gaskets that leak when they are not seated straight. Reviewers add PTFE tape and extra clips. No source we used gives a wrap count or a torque, so do not invent one. Seat the gasket square, run the pump for a few minutes, and look again. A small weep will empty a modest pool overnight. The about £24.49 Intex mat prints 32 mm fittings and 38 mm adapters. The about £17.99 extract lists a fixing kit and no hose diameter. Steinbach’s Compact page says hoses are not included. The FANTASK bullet claims caps, clamps, hoses, elbows, and adapters. After the joints are dry, cover the pool at night and bypass the collector so it is not left in circuit as a cold radiator.

When to stop

Hose on the grass is a job you can finish with the filter pump you already have, if the mat lies flat and the joints stay dry. Stop when the collector leaves the lawn. A shed roof or a house roof changes the fall, the wind, and the chance of the channels collapsing when the pump stops. Allswim mentions a vacuum breaker for a collector about 4 m up, on an EPDM system with a higher pressure note than Steinbach’s 1 bar. Working at height, fixing equipment to a house, cutting a sand-filter manifold, or converting to rigid pipe is the point to call an installer. A new electrical circuit is the same line. England’s permitted-development rules for solar equipment on a building are a planning question, not a hose question. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland do not inherit that English order. Pool size against one mat is on the above-ground pool page.

Common questions

What do you do when the return flow dies?
Bleed air, take other accessories off the hose, and look for a kink before you replace the pump. Intex then says to stage bypass taps if several mats are linked. A UK review describes a C1000 with no flow once the mat was in line. Open a bypass so the filter can circulate. If the pump was already dead, the collector is not the first fault.
How open should the bypass be?
No source we used gives a single trickle setting. The bypass lets the filter move water when the collector adds resistance. Intex says you stage the taps on mats in series, after the air is bled. In sun, send enough flow to feel a warmer return. At night, bypass the collector. If the pictured valve was not in the box, fit one you have bought.
Why do joints leak, and what did reviewers add?
UK Intex reviews mention clamps that drip. UK Steinbach reviews mention gaskets that leak when they are not straight. Reviewers add PTFE tape and clips. No source states how many turns of tape. The about £24.49 Intex listing includes 38 mm adapters. Steinbach says hoses are not in the box. A UK review of the 049128 says the supplied fittings were the wrong ones.
Can the same pump feed a mat on a shed roof?
Height adds a fall back to the pool and a risk of the channels collapsing when the pump stops. Allswim mentions a vacuum breaker about 4 m up, on an EPDM system with a higher pressure note than Steinbach’s 1 bar. Wind and working at height are the reasons to stop. Keep a flexible mat on flat ground unless a roof installer is doing the mount.
When do you stop and call someone?
Stop for a house roof, work at height, a new electrical circuit, a cut sand-filter manifold, or rigid in-ground pipe. Also stop if a flat mat and a bypass still will not circulate because the pump is below the flow window. A longer strip will not repair that pump.

Related pages

Solar pool heater buying guide

Solar pool mat vs solar panel

Solar pool heater

Solar heater for an above-ground pool: one mat or a strip

Best solar pool heater UK: top pick for small pools

Sources

Retailer rules of thumb for collector area, Steinbach’s own hose and flow notes, Intex low-flow support, SPATA on UK heating, and the English permitted-development rules for solar equipment. Listings are the amazon.co.uk captures for these seven ASINs. Prices on amazon.co.uk move.

  1. AG Budget PoolSolar (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  2. Allswim PoolSolar PDF (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  3. ManoMano UK: solar pool heater buying guide (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  4. Steinbach Compact solar collector 3.0 x 0.7 m (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  5. Steinbach Compact solar collector 6.0 x 0.7 m (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  6. Intex: no or low water flow of the solar mat (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  7. SPATA: swimming pool heating factsheet (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  8. GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14 (retrieved 17 October 2026)