Subject: Re: Solar pool heater

From: [email-masked] (Nick Pine)
Date: 24 Mar 1997 19:20:49 -0500

Morgoth  <[email-masked]> wrote:

>...when the weather gets colder, having a cover might be a good idea...

Yes, say an R20 cover, like a good house wall...

Nick

---

From: Elaine Gallegos <[email-masked]>
Date: 26 Mar 1997 20:45:02 -0700

You can't use solar to heat a pool. The ground draws off all the heat.

Morgoth <[email-masked]> wrote:
: What about some form of bottom of the pool solar energy
: absorbtion? I know people would not like a black bottom to their
: pool, so what else is there?

: I have seen where some are thinking of using low power microwaves
: (Popular Science/Mechanic) to heat rooms, what about some form of
: similar. Or maybe some two part system. One smaller pool that
: acts as the heating pool (black bottom?) (or a black or other
: made of absorbant material covered 55 gallon drum or like), that
: feeds into a larger pool (the main one).

: Of course when the weather gets colder, having a cover might be a
: good idea, maybe an automatice cover.

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elaine Gallegos
[email-masked]                  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---

From: [email-masked] (Nick Pine)
Date: 27 Mar 1997 07:14:59 -0500

Elaine Gallegos <[email-masked]> takes a flying leap over hundreds
 
> You can't use solar to heat a pool. The ground draws off all the heat.

Soil a few feet underground has the average yearly air temp, eg 50-60 F, and
an R-value of about 10, like 2" of Styrofoam, for downward heat flow. The
main mechanism for upward heat loss through soil is evaporation of water
>from  lower layers and condensation in layers above, so dry perimeter ground
is good, but not easy to arrange, if water comes up from below.

The main problem with solar pool heating is very poor R-values of available
pool covers, eg blue plastic "solar pool covers" with R-values less than 1,
vs a common R20 house wall. Trying to heat a pool with such top insulation is
like trying to bail a bottomless boat. People who sell solar pool heaters
don't seem to recognize this. They just sell bailing buckets. ("Leak in the
boat, eh? Not my problem. Here, try this shiny new bucket.")

Nick