Comment Retroussez une couverture solaire
coolgen：I was wondering whether it is worth it and effective to install pool heating (either solar or heat pump) without using a pool blanket to minimise temp loss overnight? I have a rock wall down one side of the pool which does not enable a roller etc although I’ve posted another thread querying the viability of solar sun rings. Pool is in Brisbane. Appreciate advice.
KarlJ：there is a liquid pool blanket available but not cheap probably a couple of hundred bucks a season (which given that you would pend that in heating and evaporation and chemicals is not so bad.
Available from most pool shops, i used it when we were really thrashing the pool and got sick of taking the cover on and off, worked a treat.
apparently another CSIRO invention
coolgen：KarlJ writes…
apparently another CSIRO invention
Thks KarlJ- do you find it as effective as a regular
blanket- particularly in terms of retaining heat overnight? What is the name of
the product?
pokka：Sorry for the ignorant question, but does it stick to your skin?
coolgen：So has anyone else have thoughts/experiences heating their pool without a solar blanket?? Or used a liquid pool blanket?
affable：coolgen writes…
thoughts/experiences heating their pool without a solar blanket?? Or used a liquid pool blanket?
Most of the heat loss in a pool is due to evaporation from the water surface. Put a pool blanket on and evaporation is reduced so more heat is retained.
Liquid pool blankets work great in the lab and where there is not much wind, but out in the real world they don’t come close to a solid blanket. I believe they are usually a silicon based compound but completely safe and doesn’t leave a residue on your skin.
Up in QLD its possibly not so important, but where I am around Sydney I know people who have solar and no blanket. Needless to say they find our pool warmer, but a lot of people are too lazy to spend 2mins taking the cover on and off.
If you have an uneven rocky edge, then a blanket with a gap would help but probably no more than a liquid blanket.
Bottom line is, how hot do you want the water? Here in Sydney I run 28-30c for about 6mths – Oct-Apr. I posted some heating temps in another thread on WP if you want some details.
president ltd：affable writes…
I believe they are usually a silicon based compound its predominantly isopropyl alcohol.
no voodoo on what it is, the MSDS for it is available.
http://www.poolcen
basically that will ‘float’ on the surface & stop the majority of evaporation as the evaporation won’t pass through it.
it works well. i use it down south here in Melbourne. i achieve the same temps you do without a blanket overnight.
i don’t use the pool-shop-expensive product to achieve that liquid blanket when i can get a bulk container of it much cheaper.
affable：president ltd writes…
isopropyl alcohol
I didn’t realise that, but there are plenty that are silicon based, eg http://www.directpoolsupplies.com.au/category236_1.htm.
Why doesn’t the isopropyl alcohol quickly vaporise like it normally would, there must be something more to it than that?
The problem I have with liquid pool covers are statements like this – ” trials have shown that evaporation CAN be reduced by more than 50%”. A
solid pool cover does 99% all day every day in real life, not just in tests. Maybe isopropyl alcohol does better than 50% but I can’t think why that would be?
i use it down south here in Melbourne. i achieve the same temps
If your pool is 28 today that proves to me it works, I’m only 26 after the cold w/e but I now only run my pump in shoulder periods so I miss 3 hot hours/day. Its great that you get 6mths of 28+ swimming I’d never thought that would be possible from an outdoor pool in the southern states.
Do you live near the coast or have still nights or a protected area around your pool which limits surface wind?
president ltd：affable writes…
Why doesn’t the isopropyl alcohol quickly vaporise like it normally would, there must be something more to it than that?
there is. you have cetyl alcohol suspended in the isopropyl alcohol.
its all on the internet and in MSDS if you look.
The problem I have with liquid pool covers are statements like this – ” trials have shown that evaporation CAN be reduced by more than 50%”. A solid pool cover does 99% all day every day in real life, not just in tests. Maybe isopropyl alcohol does better than 50% but I can’t think why that would be?
i can only speak from experience & state that it works for me.
i’ve never had a (bubble wrap type) pool cover.
we have your standard poly type pool heating.
If your pool is 28 today that proves to me it works, I’m only 26 after the cold w/e but I now only run my pump in shoulder periods so I miss 3 hot hours/day. Its great that you get 6mths of 28+ swimming I’d never thought that would be possible from an outdoor pool in the southern states.
pool is not 28C at present, because i’ve been running pool pump at night rather than day & i’m looking into ways of either running a small recirculating pump w/ syphon principle or seeing about turning pool heating into two closed loops similar to how some evac tubes work, so i don’t need to use >500W to pump pool water up a few metres head.
Do you live near the coast or have still nights or a protected area around your pool which limits surface wind?
south east melbourne suburbs. pool is mostly sheltered, e.g. a few metres fence/trees/house on all sides but if its windy its windy and there’s choppyness on the surface of the pool.
likewise there is choppyness when the filter/pump is running.
affable：president ltd writes…
running pool pump at night rather than day
I have a friend who runs their pump during the day to heat the pool. Its reasonably effective as it stops the water surface getting hot and staying cold down the bottom. Not good for the Cl however.
pool is mostly sheltered
Mine is right out in the open and we get a lot of coastal breeze.
so i don’t need to use >500W to pump
Ah, nett metering is not so good for PV when you have solar pool. I remember telling the wife a small PV was not going to suit our consumption back when NSW was nett.
coolgen：affable writes…
Not good for the Cl however
What do you mean by Cl? I didn’t get it
president ltd：affable writes…
Ah, nett metering is not so good for PV when you have solar pool. I remember telling the wife a small PV was not going to suit our consumption back when NSW was nett.
‘small’ or ‘large’ PV (Vic is limited to 5KW of panels), running pool filter during peak times is never going to be good for the bottom line. 🙂
but i’m hopeful i can get around this summer to having best-of-both-worlds: small recirculating pump run from DC battery kept charged by a single (standalone) panel or two similar to what heatpumps use – heating during sunlight & keep filter on at night.
(see my other posts in the Viron P300 thread about how i’ve currently got everything on a single 3-speed pump at present)
Grubs：president ltd writes…
but i’m hopeful i can get around this summer to having best-of-both-worlds: small recirculating pump run from DC battery kept charged by a single (standalone) panel or two similar to what heatpumps use –
Have been thinking similar…but the cost of the hardware to do this may be greater than the FIT production loss of just running the AC pump during the day.
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