Intex 28685E 47 Inch x 47 Inch Solar Pool Water Heater Mat for 8,000 Gallon Above Ground Swimming Pool with Hose Attachment and Adaptors, Black

I purchased a total of 12 of these for my 18ft round 52″ deep, Bestway Pool. I installed them on top of my flat roofed garage. I arranged them in 3 parallel sets of 4 in series. I reversed the inlet/outlets of my pool first, because it seemed backwards. I now have one large intake to filter/pump and two 1.25″ outlets back to pool. I routed one of the 1.25″ outlets through my solar array. I also installed valves on both 1.25″ outlet hoses and a tee to allow control of flow through the solar mats. I can force all supply water from pump, though solar mats and still get a 6* Fahrenheit temp rise on a 75* ambient day. I also purchased a solar blanket to retain that heat at night. I didn’t have any problems with leaks due to factory connection, none of my seams leaked, and my water temp increased nicely. I try to read reviews of products through an idiot filter. Most problems with any product is a result from morons not following instructions, which seems to be a problem with these mats. I would, and probably will purchase more of these if they wear out in the future.TIPS:LEAKING CONNECTIONS – all the connections rely on an “O-ring” making a seal. Wet, and carefully rotate and slide hoses onto fillings. Most leaks are probably due to people cramming the hoses on.RIPPING/BURSTING SEAMS – I have the stock pump for my Bestway pool. I am not sure of the flow rate, however, there is NO way I would divert all the flow through a single line of mats. This is most likely why seams bust. Also multiple mats in a parallel configuration allows for some relief if the flow is restricted due to a kink, or someone standing on the mat, which is also a likely reason for seam bursting.SIZING – If you do not purchase enough mats for your pool size it will never warm the pool due to basic physics. Also, purchase a solar mat to retain the heat! I read that while it takes only one BTU of heat to raise the temperature of one pound of water, you can loose as much as 1100 BTUs per gallon of water through evaporation (or like 8 pounds of water).EXTRA PIPING – I purchased 25ft lengths of 1.25″ sump pump hose for my extra required piping for about $7/25ft at my local hardware store. Use steel hose clamps one extra piping connections, and use a drill/impact gun to tighten those extra clamps.