- May 8, 2009
- 48
Howdy all. We live in northern East Texas. During the early spring and late fall, the days can be quite warm. temperatures in the 80s are not at all uncommon as early as march and as late as October. The problem is, the days get too short to keep the pool warm. My wife has been wanting a solar blanket with the idea of bringing the heat up and holding it it over night. The pool doesn't get any shade and the sun passes over it on an east to west arc so it gets full sun all day. It can get like a bath tub late summer days! (but that's a different topic).
Now, I went through and read over back topics on solar blankets and opinions are all over the place! I can't draw any conclusions from those. I know my wife has her eyes on that 12 mil "space age" blanket with the blue/silver layers.
From what I have been reading, clear is what's needed to bring up heat. But, others say the darker does better at holding it in.... Considering where we are and what we are trying to accomplish, would our best bet be to leave the pool uncovered during the day and cover in the evening???
I have also wondered about crazy schemes such as running pool water through black pvc pipe to take full advantage of that Texas sun. Another is to put my old US Army surplus immersion heater to see if that could raise the temperature any.
(ps, for you civilians or more recent vets- this is an immersion heater... http://oldgrouchsurplus.wordpress.com/tag/immersion-heater/)
Any other hare brained schemes (that work! )
Now, I went through and read over back topics on solar blankets and opinions are all over the place! I can't draw any conclusions from those. I know my wife has her eyes on that 12 mil "space age" blanket with the blue/silver layers.
From what I have been reading, clear is what's needed to bring up heat. But, others say the darker does better at holding it in.... Considering where we are and what we are trying to accomplish, would our best bet be to leave the pool uncovered during the day and cover in the evening???
I have also wondered about crazy schemes such as running pool water through black pvc pipe to take full advantage of that Texas sun. Another is to put my old US Army surplus immersion heater to see if that could raise the temperature any.
(ps, for you civilians or more recent vets- this is an immersion heater... http://oldgrouchsurplus.wordpress.com/tag/immersion-heater/)
Any other hare brained schemes (that work! )