Newbie Question Regarding HEating the pool/Spa

[bwright42tx]

I'm new here and a new pool owner. My pool details are in my signature. The superintendent from my PB recomended a solar cover to extend/maximize my swimming season. I am wondering what the feasability (both economically and practically) of achieving year-round swimming would be, and how much a solar cover would help me achieve that goal.

Basically, with a solar cover, do I have any chance of keeping my pool water around say 70 - 75 degrees when its 50 degrees outside without running the heater constantly and/or say I was planning on swimming 3 times a week in the winter, could I keep the pool at 6o degrees and then just raise it to 70 on a timer, or would the up and down cause problems?

Thanks,

Bryan

 

[JasonLion]

Your hopes for year round swimming depend on where you live. In Florida, year round swimming is very practical. In Maryland, or north of there, year round swimming is pretty much out of the question.

Regardless of how you heat the pool, using a solar cover at night will make a big difference. Typically a solar cover gains 5 to 7 degrees vs. not having a solar cover. But if you are heating the pools dramatically above the temperature it would otherwise be at, the solar cover will make much more of a difference.

Gas heaters tend to quickly become expensive to operate. Small temperature gains are easy enough, but costs go up quickly as the air temperature goes down. Oversized solar panels work very well in relatively warm climates, up to a point.

 

[bwright42tx]

I'm in Houston, Texas, so while it doesn't get too cold here, it is not as warm as Florida is year round. We maybe get below freezing a half dozen times a season. Does water tempature hold pretty well overnight with the solar cover? I.E. if the daytime average temp is 50 degrees and it drops to 30 overnight, can I reasonably expect 45 - 50 degree water the next morning?

Thanks.

Bryan