Water restrictions -no filling pool!!!

[chem geek]

South Texas has high evaporation rates. If you lose 1/2" per day, for your 30' diameter pool, that's 220 gallons per day if you don't use a pool cover. You can find your area's evaporation rate in this link (pan evaporation rates are higher than the lake one's shown and pool evaporation rates are generally higher as well due to higher water temps).

Though a pool cover will virtually eliminate evaporation, you'll want it to be a white or silver reflective cover if you don't want to heat the pool.

 

[Swampwoman]

^yes, I was wondering what good those 5 gallon buckets would do for everitt toward a 400+ gallon per inch refill, so I'm glad you posted that

 

[erivette]

Well I called today. The lady that answered said she'd gotten several calls, that the wording was vague, and that she doesn't know the answer. No one else in the office. LOL. I will have to call back in a few days. I think that "vague" works in my favor until clarified. I did find out from a pool store in the city that new pools are paying $3000-4000 to get water delivered. Ouch.

 

[chiefwej]

WOW!!!

I live in the middle of a desert and a complete fill only adds $200 to my water bill.

 

[Speedo]

Another vote for refill means drain/fill. Topping off is acceptable. What are the restrictions on watering your lawn? If you can use a soaker hose and/or water by hand, I'm sure topping off the pool is allowed too.

 

[RobbieH]

I know here that Stage 3 means no drain/refill. You can keep your pool filled.

 

[erivette]

Well I have a 6 person hot tub at 102 degrees and with the solar cover on the pool 24/7 it's become about a 50 person hot tub at 96 degrees. Sheesh. Barely any FC loss or evaporation is the only bonus. We need rain!!!

 

[DIYliner]

Well I have a 6 person hot tub at 102 degrees and with the solar cover on the pool 24/7 it's become about a 50 person hot tub at 96 degrees. Sheesh. Barely any FC loss or evaporation is the only bonus. We need rain!!!

With a "solar heat" panel you could run the pump at nite to cool the pool off

 

[erivette]

Would that really work? The low here at night is still like 88. So if I got solar panels it would heat in the winter and cool some in the summer? How many would I need?

 

[DIYliner]

Would that really work? The low here at night is still like 88. So if I got solar panels it would heat in the winter and cool some in the summer? How many would I need?

If you are running your pump 6-8 hours a day then yes you could run the water thru a few panels at nite to cool off the pool
Cooling the pool off each nite would help keep the pool cooler
Not sure how many panels you would need, that would vary depending upon the pool temp, nightly temp, pump size, gallons in pool etc

A "better" method would be a cooling grid buried 5' down, but that's a pain to do

 

[erivette]

I run the pump on low 24/7. I put on high when using the vac. About 23000 gals. 1.5hp 2 speed pump. I'd be thrilled to get the pool temp in the 80s. Overnight lows should be in the 70s soon. There is a patio about 2 ft over and 9 ft up from pump that I could mount them on (if that's close enough).