Solar cover keeps swimming pool warm
I've shut off my swimming-pool heater because of the rising cost of gas. As a result, my enjoyment of the pool has been greatly reduced. Do you think I could divert the water from the Pool Sweep through a series of solar panels and then discharge the heated water back into the pool? It seems to me that two or three solar panels would do the job. At $125 each, it would be far cheaper than buying a full solar installation for the pool. What do you say? Joseph F. Morgan Saratoga, Calif.
I don't know how warm the water is that is now coming out of the Pool Sweep. Why don't you ask the people at Arneson Products, the manufacturer of Pool Sweep. The address is Koch Road, PO Box 2009, Corte Madera, Calif. 94925.
The people at the National Swimming Pool Institute (NSPI) in Washington, D.C. , say that the volume of water is perhaps so small that it really wouldn't do anything at all to the temprature of the pool water.
Have you thought about using a solar cover over the pool. The NSPI recommends that even heated pools have a solar cover over the pool. The NSPI recommends that even heated pools have a solar cover on them so as to retain the het of the water after the sun goes down. The cover is very effective in retaining heat, is not expensive, and is easy to use. The cost may run around $ 300 or $400.
During the day you simply roll up the plastic cover and store it in an out-of-the-way spot, if you wish. Even a young child can handle it, I am told. You can see through a pool cover and it is lightweight; as a result, it is not a safety hazard.
The NSPI recommends that if you should opt to go to a full solar-heating system for the pool, you have about half the square footage of the pool in collectors. Thus, if you have a 20-by-40-foot pool, or 800 square feet, you should install about 400 square feet of solar collectors for an effective system.
A solar system wil cost anywhere from $1,500 up, depending on the manufacturer, the system, and any variables in the installation.
Why don't you begin by getting in touch with Arneson?
