How long to get to swimming temp?

[briansturgeon]

We should be breaking ground next Monday and I'm trying to get an answer for my wife as to when we will be able to swim once it is filled. Any idea how long it will take to get an 18x36 IG VL with deep end up to swimming temp after we fill it? We are in Cincy Ohio and I will assume mid 80's for high and mid 60's low temps.

Thanks

 

[NWMNMom]

Do you have a heat source like solar panels or gas heater or heat pump? What temp will the fill water be, upper 50s - lower 60s? How many gallons is the pool? All are factors. Could take several days to a week or less with a heat source AND in all cases you will need to have the pool covered at night and during windy times to prevent loss by evaporation of all the heat you gain during the day.

 

[briansturgeon]

no heat source to begin. will be adding solar asap but probably a month or two out. fill probably about 65. probably 24k gallons.

 

[NWMNMom]

Now is the time for those fantastic brainy calculatin fools to jump in, they are always extrapolating something x something / some other thing and seems like they can come up with a decent guestimate based on numbers - 65 degrees x 24K gallons x 12 hrs of averaged 73 degrees x etc, etc -

 

[JasonLion]

Without a heater it very much depends on the weather. A number of hot sunny days or quite a few cool cloudy days, anything from two days to a month. It also very much depends on how much you want to get in the pool, ie are willing to try the pool at cooler temperatures.

 

[cubbybeave08]

solarcovers.com.
i bought a clear cover there...$96 no shipping no taxes...and it took my pool with a fafco solar bear 4X20 from 58 degrees to 72 in a week, and in one day of 85 degree outside temp...took pool from 74 to 80 degrees. if you want to go solar panels, be sure you get a good solar cover. I went from blue to clear and it works so much better.

 

[Nightmare]

With fairly nice weather in California, my pool has been holding at 80-84. I try to take the solar cover off during the day and then put it back on at night.

My temps went up like this

4/2/11 - First Fill (I didn't check the temp)
4/6/11 - 65
4/12/11 - 70
4/20/11 - 76
4/27/11 - 81
5/6/11 - 80

For the last couple nights I left the cover off. The temps dropped quickly.

5 pm temp 83
Overnight low around 55 calm winds
8 am temp 77
Daily high 78
5 pm temp 82
Overnight low around 52 calm winds
10 am temp 78
Daily high 78
5 pm temp 80
Overnight low around 52 windy
10 am temp 74
Day high 78?
6 pm temp 77
Overnight low 53 calm winds
10 am temp 75
Day high 80

I expect it to get back up to 80-81 today. The Humidity has been bouncing between 40 during the day up to 80 at night. I didn't keep exact numbers, this week was just a quick experiment.

 

[waste]

Some quick calculations tell me you'd need ~3,000,000 BTUs to heat the pool from 65* to 80* I'm not sure of the Sun's BTU rating nor efficiency, but the pool won't warm up very soon

However, even a plastic tarp on the pool will help to speed things up (NEVER! swim in a pool with any part of it still covered!!! ) by reducing evaporation.

 

[chrisjbaileyuk]

In the UK we are lucky to get mid 70's daytime and low to mid 50's nightime and even with a big commercial heatpump it takes a week or so to get up to 78. Covered the whole time in the initial heat up.