12' solar cover floating in 18' pool? Amazon solar panels?

[john redcorn]

My pool only gets sun after 2pm and this year with a cold week of the 4th + some rains there's only been a few times its been comfortable enough for grown-ups to jump right in without a bit of a cold shock at first.

My brother has a 12' solar cover from an old pool, would this float in mine? or would it fold all up and droop down into the water? If it floats would it actually do anything in the 3 hours it gets sun before we start getting in at 6pm?


Also thinking about setting up the amazon solar panels when it gets closer to sept. I think I read on here that one of them ought to be enough for a pool my size? (18' round 4 feet deep ~7000gal) is that true? they come 2 to a kit and thinking I might split the cost with my brother (he's got an 18' now too) and each of us run one.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: 12' solar cover floating in 18' pool? Amazon solar panel

As long as the bubbles aren't burst, it will certainly help, I just don't know how much.

If your pool doesn't get any more sun than that, one panel probably won't be enough during the fringes of the season.

 

[CeeElGee]

Re: 12' solar cover floating in 18' pool? Amazon solar panel

The first time you forget and let the pool get a hard rain with the cover just lying there unattached, it will sink to the bottom of the pool. And by panels I assume you mean the 2'x20' panels. One will not be enough. Two is barely enough to make a difference and three would be better.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: 12' solar cover floating in 18' pool? Amazon solar panel

If it's the bubble type cover it can't sink to the bottom of the pool. However if it doesn't have bubbles it can and most likely will sink.

 

[john redcorn]

Re: 12' solar cover floating in 18' pool? Amazon solar panel

Thanks you all. I guess it's not too much effort for me to go pick this thing up and try it, see if it makes a difference.

I suppose I'll go with 2 of the panels for myself then before this sept. See if I'll need to add a third next.


So also another question re: wood fired heaters. I've got a PILE of wood not doing much of anything, maybe I'll need to supplement my two solar panels.

I see people on youtube building these with many feet of what looks like 1/4" or 3/8" copper tubing coiled up inside. Would there be a big difference between their way of bunch of copper vs. < 10 feet of 1" black iron pipe + u connectors to make a snakey shape inside something resembling a 35 gallon drum?

 

[jblizzle]

Re: 12' solar cover floating in 18' pool? Amazon solar panel

You would not get enough BTU out of all the wood to make much of a difference. Many reports of it just not being an efficient way to trying to add heat.