My version of a Pool Cooler operating off a return

[harleysilo]

Pool has been way too hot, regularly getting to 96 so after looking at many threads on here this is what i did/am trying out.

http://s1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff3 ... 010401.mp4

 

[thadius65]

Looks nice. Please advise on how functional it is with dropping temp. Also do you have a build/parts write up?

Thx!

 

[harleysilo]

I plan to, once i have some data. I collected the "rain water" in a bucket and measured an 8 degree temp loss in the middle of the day with temps over 100. Of course I don't know the flow rate yet. I'd like to measure that temp loss at night after temps are down in the 70's too. I have 2 returns, with the eyeball on one and this on the other my filter pressure went up 2, i don't know at what point i need to be concerned with that.

Everything was just various 1.5" PVC fittings with the exception of the metal adapter to allow the nozzels to screw on. The spray nozzels came off of some hand held watering wands from Lowe's....You could probably use some cheap shower heads and choose which spray pattern works best.

I also made a nozzel out a length of PVC with holes drilled in it like many have done. It shoots water really high but it is also very noisy, as in you can't talk to each other in the pool with it running, but i'm sure it had more flow too....

 

[harleysilo]

 

[harleysilo]

I could have made it a little smaller and forgone all the screw in PVC fittings, but this way it's all adjustable. Once I figure out what works best i may make on just like it but glued not screwed. I might make one that instead of a tee uses one of those 4-way fittings, then i could have 3 nozzles on it to get some more flow.

 

[harleysilo]

Really got to test these out this weekend. Friday got home at 4:00, pool was 99! Dropped to 96 in about 1.5 hours. Saturday pool was 96 and I dropped it 2 92 in about 45 mins. Guests really like them because the water comes down like a rainfall, so there is not an annoying noise. Plus the rain is ~10 degrees cooler which feels cold and is refreshing when the water is so hot. I see a 2 degrees raise in filter pressure when they are running, but I like the effect we are getting so I'm not going to add more capacity.


All that said in almost done with another prototype cooler, this one has large holes and is noiseier but I'm thinking I'll move more volumne, not sure on temp drop yet.

 

[ComputerGuyInNOLA]

Hey Harleysilo,

That looks awesome. Our temp was up to 96 a few days ago. We had some family coming over so I went to a local pool store and bought a sprinkler that looks like a flower and screws into the return. We ran it overnight and it dropped the temp to 87 in twelve hours. I wish I would have seen your post first. I would have just built one. How much did it cost you in parts?

Dave

 

[smid87]

Your pressure drop could be because of the bottle neck effect the smaller fittings have. Many of them actually reduce the inside diameter a little and therefore reduce your flow capacity, thus increasing back pressure. You can overcome this by having one more fitting than you thought. For example, I built a DIY solar heater and I used three half inch poly coils for a 1 and a half inch skimmer and return lines. Sound right doesn't it? Well the poly pipe nipples you must install to connect the poly pipe to the PVC actually are not a full 1/2" so.... I added two more (just wanted more area and had the money and room.)

I would like to note that I only spent around $200 for my set up. This includes the plastic I covered them with to create a solar oven!!! It gets to 150 degrees in there!!! I have seen pool temp rise of 8 degrees in one day with 5 100' coils!!! If my calculations are correct that is only 125 sq ft heating a 24' round pool 8 degrees in one day!!! It was cloudy too and no pool cover.

 

[harleysilo]

Hey Harleysilo,

That looks awesome. Our temp was up to 96 a few days ago. We had some family coming over so I went to a local pool store and bought a sprinkler that looks like a flower and screws into the return. We ran it overnight and it dropped the temp to 87 in twelve hours. I wish I would have seen your post first. I would have just built one. How much did it cost you in parts?

Dave

All the fittings are just standard 1/2 inch from the plumbing department. If you knew the exact angle you wanted them to spray, you could eliminate the fitting that screw and just glue everything and save some bucks, and make them a little smaller. The big expense was the nozzles. I couldn't find them separate from the wand sprayer they came on, so they were each $10. But if you ordered them online....$2.75 each SWEET http://www.sears.com/orbit-gentle-spray ... 405030804P I guess you could do each for $20 or so.

 

[harleysilo]

Your pressure drop could be because of the bottle neck effect the smaller fittings have. Many of them actually reduce the inside diameter a little and therefore reduce your flow capacity, thus increasing back pressure. You can overcome this by having one more fitting than you thought. For example, I built a DIY solar heater and I used three half inch poly coils for a 1 and a half inch skimmer and return lines. Sound right doesn't it? Well the poly pipe nipples you must install to connect the poly pipe to the PVC actually are not a full 1/2" so.... I added two more (just wanted more area and had the money and room.)

I would like to note that I only spent around $200 for my set up. This includes the plastic I covered them with to create a solar oven!!! It gets to 150 degrees in there!!! I have seen pool temp rise of 8 degrees in one day with 5 100' coils!!! If my calculations are correct that is only 125 sq ft heating a 24' round pool 8 degrees in one day!!! It was cloudy too and no pool cover.

I actually added a third head on one side and it reduced back-pressure, but the "rain" effect was lessened so i went back to just four nozzles. Do you have a thread on your solar, i'll search and see? I like reading DIY threads.

 

[onlyjeeps]

This really is the best idea for these "DIY" aerating coolers I've seen yet! I've looked through many similar threads over the last year and I like your idea the best. Especially the noise portion...or lack there of. I found the shower heads a little cheaper and less shipping on Ebay, rather than Sears, here

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Orbit-Gentle-Sp ... 3a81f19f48

Thank you for the great implementation of an already great DIY idea!

Dave

 

[harleysilo]

This really is the best idea for these "DIY" aerating coolers I've seen yet! I've looked through many similar threads over the last year and I like your idea the best. Especially the noise portion...or lack there of. I found the shower heads a little cheaper and less shipping on Ebay, rather than Sears, here

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Orbit-Gentle-Sp ... 3a81f19f48

Thank you for the great implementation of an already great DIY idea!

Dave

Thanks! I'm very happy with it. I am building another one, the primary idea of this one is for it to create an arc from return to return that reaches the middle of the pool, such that you can walk under the arc without getting wet. Basically only the very middle of the pool would be rained on. VS. the current set up which rains on 2/3's of the pool surface.

 

[tonishu]

Not so sure how yours looks, cannot view the pics on this puter, but understand the concept somewhat. But if I only have one jet, can I split it so that I still have circulation as well as the fountain? What have others on the forum done to cool thier pools down? BTY my pool is staying sparkling clean using the BBB method, love it!!!!

 

[smid87]

Those heads worked great for spray drying my Biodiesel too!!! I already had a few of those wands I had bought on sale, otherwise I would have looked for them cheaper. Even the fancy machined heads the Biodiesel shops were offering did not work any better!!! Great use of those spray heads. If I need to cool my pool I would be open to this idea. If you wanted to do something in the middle of the pool, like a fountain, you could make one of these with four heads, some hose, and a weight to hold them upright.

 

[harleysilo]

So i had to goggle what you are talking about, so you spray the diesel to evaporate any water left in it? Just curious, why not water removing filters?

 

[smid87]

So i had to goggle what you are talking about, so you spray the diesel to evaporate any water left in it? Just curious, why not water removing filters?

Yes, and cost mainly. It is pretty much free to spray and filters cost money.

 

[harleysilo]

New data points, 100 to 92 in 4 hours 10 mins. This could be just the top layer of water, need to go swimming and see if mixing causes a temp rise.

 

[smid87]

New data points, 100 to 92 in 4 hours 10 mins. This could be just the top layer of water, need to go swimming and see if mixing causes a temp rise.

If your pump is running all that time, it is mixing the water!!! Spraying water into air can really cause water temps to drop. There are cooling systems that force air through spraying or falling cool water to cool the air!!! Pretty neat what we can do with nature huh?