Paramount Solar Turnover System - Worth it?

[baudilus]

So I have this system installed that basically a timed diverter that takes the return flow and directs it either to the normal returns or the floor returns (every five minutes or so). For those that don't know, the basic idea is to periodically take warmer "sunned" water from the surface and put it on the bottom of the pool, helping to let the sun warm the whole pool rather than just the top few feet.

Since this is the first year I'll be using a solar cover, this system may come in handy (especially since I usually do most of my filtering at night).

Given that this is my first pool, I do not normally notice much of a zoning effect with respect to temperature (except in the very bottom of the deep end, where the water is expectedly cooler than the rest of the pool.

I didn't know about it when we had the pool installed (we were naive and just went with whatever the guy told us about).

While it hasn't been working as it should (partly due to my lack of testing), my salt water chlorine generator has been a godsend - if only to prevent me from having a CYA of 300 from using only pucks (which I would have, being the newbie that I was).

So anyway, my question - does anyone have any experience with pools using these turnover systems versus pools without them? Do they help even out the water temperatures?

 

[Melt In The Sun]

I have one, and it mixes water very quickly and very well.

 

[mas985]

I never noticed a temperature gradient without one. I just point a return downwards in the deep end (8.5') and it seems to take care of things.

 

[JasonLion]

When properly setup nearly any circulation system can prevent there from being a significant temperature gradient. I only have a single skimmer and a single return, a very primitive circulation system. It took me a little while to find the right direction to aim the return, but once I did, there stopped being any noticeable temperature difference between the surface water and the deep water. If you have several returns it is fairly easy to find a setup that works and if you have a main drain all you need to do is to turn the main drain on and your fine.

Any old circulation system, when properly setup, is going to be dramatically better than no circulation. Having something fancy can only make a very small improvement over that.