Do Solar Blankets Heat The Pool

[Kidkoffee]

Magnifying glasses do not amplify anything. They concentrate the light from a large surface to a small point. Since a solar cover is the exact same size as a pool there is no opportunity to concentrate light.


Your belief is irrelevant. The laws of physics do not provide for "amplification" of something without the added energy coming from somewhere. Neither you nor Casey have offered a good answer for where that extra energy comes from.


And?

So I’ll ask this question with sincerity as you seem to be the scientist in this discussion If you set a sheet of steel next to a block of wood out in direct sunlight, the sheet of steel would get so hot that you couldn’t touch it, while the wood would not, correct? Is it possible that the plastic cover gets hotter than the water can in direct sunlight, then also does not allow that extra heat to escape? Hence, creating a little bit of heat at least?

 

[cowboycasey]

ahhh, I see... I knew it was not heating like a gas heater (adding energy) but by keeping the energy in the bowl...

this has no bubbles so that is out.. it is white not clear plastic so not attracting the heat... 20 degrees is a lot.. to say it is only keeping the heat in by not letting it evaporate.....

this is airtight so it is not letting any energy out...

just over 2 hours and bowl 1 is at 80


bowl 2 is at 99 degrees


Interesting, looks like bowl #1 has stopped raising at 80 degrees and bowl #2 has stopped at 99 degrees... The sun is 2 hours lower in the sky so the temp will start to go down from here.. I am going to run this till dark and see what we get

Love me some learning

 

[Donldson]

If you set a sheet of steel next to a block of wood out in direct sunlight, the sheet of steel would get so hot that you couldn’t touch it, while the wood would not, correct?

Actually, assuming the steel is shiny then the wood will get hotter because it absorbs more solar energy while the steel will reflect a lot. But wood is not a good conductor while steel is, so the steel will quickly transfer the heat energy in to your hand while the wood does it more slowly.

Again, trapping energy does not create energy. You can't charge a battery by unplugging it.

 

[Kidkoffee]

Actually, assuming the steel is shiny then the wood will get hotter because it absorbs more solar energy while the steel will reflect a lot. But wood is not a good conductor while steel is, so the steel will quickly transfer the heat energy in to your hand while the wood does it more slowly.

Again, trapping energy does not create energy. You can't charge a battery by unplugging it.

Right, that makes sense I guess. Again I think it comes down to perspective/verbiage. To me, if you put something on the pool that makes it heat faster and get hotter than without, it IS heating the pool. Whether it “creates” its own heat is a different discussion imo, and that’s always the hangup here. If it’s determined and agreed upon that the material used in solar blankets “retains” heat better than pool water, and thus becomes hotter than water when left in the sun, then I would still argue that it is perfectly fine to say it’s heating the pool even if ever so slightly. Lay out in the sun next to a sheet of aluminum until it’s piping hot, then touch it. Your finger will burn. Would it be improper to say that the aluminum heated your skin? I’m pretty sure the aluminum would not just be “retaining your body heat” at this point. It would burn you instantly, and therefore “heat” anything you set it on. Alright, I’ve blown my own mind now .