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Pool Heating
Pool heating provides more enjoyment and comfort to swimmers. But since pool heating can add up to high heating bills and consumes a lot of energy, pool owners should use energy-saving pool heating systems such as solar pool heaters.
654 Questions
What size pool heater is needed for a 24ft round pool?
24 foot round pool would be 24 feet across from the middle of the pool basically measure the diameter of the pool.
What equipment do you need for a in ground jacuzzi?
As far as a barrier is concerned you will need a fence that meets the same requirements as a pool fence. The barrier will need to be at least 48 inches tall. If it is a picket style fence with spacing between the vertical members, no spacing can be over 4 inches (I recommend no greater than 1-3/4 inches). The horizontal members should be greater than 45 inches apart and the bottom of the fence should be no more than 2 inches up off the ground level (or deck surface). The gate needs to open away from the jacuzzi. You must use self closing hinges and self latching hardware. The release mechanism for the latch must be installed above 54 inches. This makes the Magna Latch and Tru Close Hinge the perfect fit. This is not a comprehensive list of requirements and certainly different areas of the US may have varying pool code requirements. For this reason check with your local department of inspections or other governing body.
Do the bubbles on a solar cover go on top or in the water?
The bubbles need to go in the water, facing the bottom of the pool.
Can you use bucket heater for swimming pool?
No because the waterbed heater is not meant to get wet and can cause an electrical shock;
also it could get hot enough to melt the vinyl of the pool liner.
The waterbed heater most likely has a warning on it to not get it wet.
If you want an electric heater for your pool you will need to buy one.
Solar covers work well to prevent heat loss through evaporation.
A black bottom pool will be slightly easier to heat than a white bottom pool, but the difference will be very, very small.
Yes, some very small amount of extra energy will be absorbed by the black color and absorbed into the water that would otherwise be reflected by the white color pool, but this small amount of heat is dwarfed by the large amounts of heat that are lost or absorbed by the water due to air temperature, wind speed, evaporation, cover, heating method, etc.
Most people choose their pool color based on design and/or looks and then get a good pool solar cover to help keep it warm (regardless of the color).
How do you keep solar covers from blowing off above ground pools?
Highly unlikely, unless you don't cut it properly and leave part of it overlapping the edge of the pool. As long as it's floating on the water, it would take a heck of a storm to blow it off.
Why would water be coming out of the spa heater?
It depends on what type of heater it is. If you have a heat pump many times the water is just condensation from the air. A heat pump might make 15 gallons of water a day. You can test the water with a pool chlorine test strip and if it reacts it has a water leak from the pool and if it doesn't react then it is condensation and that is normal. If you have a gas heater usually it is a bad heat exchanger that was damaged by out of balance chemicals or PH issues. Then you have to see what part failed. It could also be a gasket, fitting etc. If the gas heater is over 5 years old I usually don't recommend replacing heat exchangers as they are about 1/2 the price of a complete heater.
Marcus
www.poolheatpumps.com
Gas swimming pool heaters or electric heaters?
form_title=Swimming Pool Heater Installation or Replacement form_header=11613 Please select the type of pool that needs to be heated*= () Above ground () Spa/hot tub () In ground What type of heater would you like to use? (Select all that apply)*= [] Natural-gas fired [] Propane-gas fired [] Electric [] Heat pump [] Solar heater [] Want recommendation Is the pool indoor or outdoor?*= () Indoor () Outdoor
Get a role of valcro strips and cut them into 6" strips. Attach them to the reel and the cover at about every 3 feet. Then attach the strips together and you will be able to reel the cover onto the reel and it will stay tight.
What temperature will a pool heat pump stop heating?
It'll start immediately, but to due to the large volume of water it will be awhile before you sense it.
A. they do make blue/black covers that have a blue top and black bottom so the suns rays go through the blue layer and absorb in the black layer causing the heat to go from the black layer into the water B. if it was solid black it would absorb the rays and heat up the top of the cover and wouldn't transfer into the water
Can you leave your above ground pool closed for summer with the winter cover on it?
Yes you can. However I have not dealt with freezing winters, so this may be a different situation. if the water freezes over there is a distinct chance that your pool will crack as a result of the expansion of thee ice. I have heard that by placing a couple of rows of plastic containers floating on the top of the water this problem can be alleviated.
I have had several pool covers over the years, blue, blue and black, clear, clear with diamond shaped bubbles. Last year I purchase a "Gold Series" solar cover. It is blue on the top with a reflective good metallic layer that faces down. This cover is by far the best cover I have ever owned. It's high quality but more importantly I have 5-7 more degrees in water temperature then I have ever had. In July I had to take it off the water was so warm. Very pleased.
How do you heat your spa without heating your pool?
There should be valves to redirect the water to and from the spa.
Ken
How long to damage a pool heater if you have low pH?
Corrosion can present a problem below 7.0. As the pH falls below 7.2, chlorine become increasingly more aggressive and irritating. Depending upon the type of pool vinyl lined or masonry - corrosive low pH conditions can cause surface etching, liner wrinkling and equipment damage. A pH of 7.2-7.6, helps assure bather comfort, allows effective sanitizing and helps avoid corrosion.
How do you use a solar cover on a swimming pool?
Lay your solar cover, bubble side down on top of the pool
Just want to add, we bought a solar cover for our above ground Intex pool. The cover completely covers the pool and keeps the pool water very warm (which is the purpose). However, you need to double your chlorine to keep from getting algae. It's almost like having a spa. When I lift the solar cover, there is condensation on the cover and steam coming out. So you need to really watch your chlorine levels.
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You may also want to try using a liquid solar cover. They are really easy and relatively inexpensive...best of all, you don't have to put them on and pull them off all the time. Check out www.liquidpoolcovers.com
Does 2 solar covers work any better than one on a swimming pool?
Yes they do. Plus they are safer most are capable of generating more heat that a solar cover. The effect is that Solar Sun Rings with 70% to 80% coverage outperform bubble pack covers with 100% coverage.
cheers
mark tahiliani (jm)
How long does it take for a solar cover to heat up a pool?
It depends on the size of your pool, the number of panels, your location and the desired temperature gain.
Assuming my panels are equal to the sf of the surface area of my pool in (for example) North Carolina I can expect to see about a 1 degree rise per hour using a blanket during the sun, so when you first turn on a solar system it can take 3-5 days to fully heat your system but once it reaches that point it keeps it warm from then on.
When using a solar blanket in your hot tub do you put the bubble side face up?
All Solar Pool Covers are placed on your swimming pool with the bubble side down, or facing the water. This allows an air pocket to form under the cover to trap heat & provide the maximum insulation value the cover is designed for. -Charlie Goss President DPD Pools / PoolDeals.com
Baquacil pool has cloudy water and white stuff floating in it how can you fix it?
To get rid of water mold in a Baquacil pool, the best thing to do is add Water Clarifier to the skimmer with the filter running, add Flocculant as a filter aide, let filter 8-12 hrs, vaccum to waste, and then chemically clean the filter. It is very important to chemically clean the filter because while you are backwashing the water mold will cling to the filter and if it is not chemically clean it will filter back into the pool and start to form again. I have an email from some one with this problem it may be helpful to you
We live in New Mexico where our pool season runs approximately seven months. It gets hot starting in June and stays with daytime highs in the 90's until mid-September. We use Baquacil (biguanide) or basically a peroxide based product in our pool. A lot of people are abandoning this system due to the mold/algae problems that seem to eventually develop with it. I don't know what they're pool maintenance routine is, but I do not believe any system will give you a pour and ignore environment. One still has to do routine maintenance to have a sparkling pool. We were close to converting to chlorine due to the problems we were having, but the Dragonfly has helped to bring the problem to a virtual halt. It has also greatly minimized the need for brushing the sides as it really does collect a lot of the debris that once accumulated on the bottom of the pool. We use a sand filter which runs 12 hours a day.
I don't know where water mold comes from. I've been told it's in the water itself, I've been told it's in the air. All I know is it comes from somewhere and there was nothing more disgusting than these large floating island masses of slimy strings in the pool. You can chemically treat the water with everything in the book and they do not go away. They live on the surface and unless you can strain the surface of the water through a sock, the problem persists. They also foster all the other nasties that like to invade the water and make it unsightly. If you cure one, it appears you cure them all. Your Dragonfly is my remedy. I thank you.
You more than have my permission to use any praise that I have bestowed upon your invention.
I spent a lot of money on chemicals (roughly doubled what should have been spent the past two years) and did not have a positive outcome with any of them. Last year in a two week period we poured 14 gallons of oxidizer (shock) in the pool to combat the water mold. With all this product in the pool, the shock still would not register on the water test, the "little things" were just gobbling it up! You could not stand close to the pool because of the chemical odor and it did not help at all. We ended up just closing it in July in disgust and not wanting to literally pour more money down the drain. This year, our pool is still clean and sparkling and doesn't have a ton chemicals floating around in addition to not looking good or smelling good. The Dragonfly works, plain and simple.
And, we are using less chemicals at this time. Not a big difference yet but a difference. We use less sanitizer and algaecide. This may not seem like much, but I think it's miraculous.
How many degrees rise in water temp from solar pool cover?
It depends on the type of system, smaller heaters like an El Nino or Ez heat you may see only 10 degrees, with a Bigger name brand pool heater like a Fafco or Vortex system you will see up to 20 Degrees above ambient air temperature. So in places like Florida you can use them to basically swim all year round.
Is a clear or blue solar pool cover better at passively heating pool?
Black - Blue - Clear. In that order.
But the differences between black and the other types are not very great, so many people make their choice based on other factors: - appearance (some people don't like the look of a black pool cover) - cost (some retailers charge different prices) - availability (some retailers only stock certain colors).
I would say that Blue is probably the most common.
Hope this helps ...
The greatest heat loss in any pool is from water evaporation. Any pool cover will reduce evaporation. Generally, the thicker, the better. Most high end pool covers are extruded instead of laminated. The extruded cover will last about two times longer than any laminated cover. As far as the sunlight is concerned, heat can be retained from the sun similar to the greenhouse effect. The more sunlight that passes through the cover, more heat is retained in the water. Example, if you were to paint the bottom of your pool black, more sunlight would pass through the clear cover to be absorbed into the black bottom of your pool, transfering that energy into heat. Please realize that I am getting quite technical here but I am trying to explain the physics involved. There are not very many pools with black bottoms!
Bottom line is this: The greenhouse effect to retain heat is very minimal. Therefore a clear cover may have a very small advantage...but....chloring is also broken down by sunlight. A clear cover will allow more sunlight to enter the pool, therefore shortening the cholorine life. Just my thoughts. Hope this will help. I have decided to try an extruded, clear cover this time. Matthew Milford, MI
Does a solar cover keep pool warm or make pool warm?
No not really but the more you cover the more heating there will be. The cover is designed to heat the water under the cover so its effect will be diminished by the lack of total pool coverage. You will notice some warming just the same.
You should try to cover your entire pool, but if there's a gap here and there it won't matter. A good Solar cover raises your pool temp. about 10-15 degrees.
After use, allow it dry and roll it up nicely.
How long should your pool pump and heater run each day?
Let's start with the pump first:
The pool pump needs to run long enough each day to filter all of the water in the pool at least once. Twice is better. Three times or more is wasting electricity. Some people will debate these numbers, but they are a good rule of thumb and an excellent place to start.
So, first calculate the number of gallons of water in your pool (G). Next, find out the flow rate of your pool pump in gallons per minute (F). Last, divide the gallons, G, by the flow rate, F, to get the number of minutes you need to run the filter to turn (filter) all of the water once.
For example, if I have a 5000 gal pool and a pump rated at 25 gallons per minute, it will take 200 minutes (or about 3 hrs and 20 min) to filter all of the water once. Multiply the time by 2 if you want to turn the water over twice (6 hrs, 40 min).
Next the heater;
You can spend a lot of time trying to calculate the time required to maintain a certain desired temp each day, but the number of variables (desired water temp, min and max air temp, cloud cover, wind, geographic location, time of year, etc...) make it very difficult.
I would suggest that you start with the heater on for an hour per day and then add an hour each day until the water temp reaches the desired temp. Then, you might have to adjust slightly backward (subtract 30 min) to keep it at that temp daily.
Pool heaters typically have a thermostat control that prevents overheating and waste of energy. They will generally cut-in when the water temperature drops by 1-2 deg.C below setpoint, and then go into standby mode when the desired water temperature is reached.
If you have your heater in the same circuit as your filtration pump set, then the available hours to heat your pool are limited by the hours you determine which may be insufficient in mid-winter depending upon heater capacity.
If a separate heating circuit is provided, then just leave the heater on standby mode and it will self-determine when to operate providing water flow is present.
Heater capacity, climatic factors of wind, sun, ambient temp, etc. and decision to use a pool blanket will affect the number of hours that you need to run your heater.
The first answer above is all well and good if you can get the water particles to all line up for you so they will all go throught the filter in the calculated time. In my experience, water particles are notably uncooperative in this regard.
It's completely unnecessary to run ''all'' of the water through the filter, especially if you have a chlorinator or brominator (automatic chlorine or bromine dispenser). A good rule of thumb is: if the water looks clear, it's just fine.
The pump on my 18' X 36' pool (about 25,000 imperial gallons) runs twice a day for 3 hours each time. It's never been a problem.
As for the heater, in general, you set it for the temperature you want and, as long as the pump is actually running, the heater will automatically turn on and off as needed to keep it at that temperature...just like the furnace in a house. For my pool, the gas heater I have will raise the temperature by about 1/2 degree F. per hour. Unless your pool is outside in the winter, the temperature should not vary too much between the times when the pump (and therefore, the heater) is on.
By all means, get a pool solar blanket to keep the heat in when the pool is not being used. You're trying to heat the pool...not the back yard.
The heater answer is simplest, so let's look at that first. How long should a pool heater run daily? As needed. The bottom line question is: how warm do you want your pool? Once you determine that need, the heater will fire as needed. To conserve energy & cut costs, turn the thermostat down to maybe 78 or 80 degrees F. (about 25 C). Keep the pool exposed to as much natural sun by cutting back overhanging tree branches, etc. Finally, as has been noted, use a solar blanket or one of the liquid solar blankets (about 75% as effective without the hassle of taking it on or off - Ecosavr solar fish or the Solar Pill are 2 products available).
When it comes to running the filter, the answer needs to look at how much use the pool gets (more swimmers equals better circulation & less dead spots in the pool) as well as environmental conditions.
The bottom line questions for the pool owner are: how clean do you want your pool? and how much work do you want to perform? If you want to minimize YOUR work, then the filter system will need to run longer. If the filter system is running more, it is doing more of the circulating and debris removal than you would be. We typically recommend a minimum of 8 to 12 hours DAILY as long as the pool is open and running. The pool owners with the best looking water and the least amount of pool water problems are those pools that are filtered/circulated/treated 24/7.
In order to conserve electricity and therefore costs, having a well running timer, running 3 time periods of 4 hours each period at 3 separate intervals daily acccomplishes several things: 1 - keeps the water moving (after the filter shuts down, it takes roughly 4 hours for the water to become "still"); 2 - provides the "turnover" to properly filter as much of the water in the pool as possible: it typically takes about 4 turnovers to filter 98% of the water in the pool (remember those dead spots where there is minimal or no circulation); 3 - saves money by operating during "off peak" electrical hours (usually at about a 30% or more savings) - most pool owners can schedule about 8 to 10 of these hours during "off peak" times.
How to Build your own reel for solar cover?
I have made a simple one from two carpet tubes in different diameters, one inside the other. This is simply a much cheaper alternative to the proper ones. It took me about 2 hours to build a frame and I simply attached an old steering wheel to the outer tube.
A sturdier version can be built using thick walled PVC pipe, but you may want to mount a small pneumatic tire upside down in the middle to support it and allow it to turn.
