- Apr 8, 2007
- 1,619
- Pool Size
- 17450
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
After a very dissappointing summer last year with many nights in the low 40s, I'm trying hard to figure out what we can do without huge investments to have swim friendly water this year. We have always been able to heat our pools nicely with solar for years but this last few years of abnormal weather has left us really struggling to keep our pool over 80 degrees. Last summer even with the great solar setup we just lost too much heat during those very cool nights. Even with the solar blanket/cover on and the pool warming up to mid-upper 80s during the hot days - 2 nights of that kind of 40-45 degree cool weather with winds from the north set us back again to 77-80 again and we yo-yo'd back and forth for a while and then just could not get it above that temp after the first weekend of August. I LIKE my pool water at 84-86 which I believe is perfect and I can easily get it there but I cannot keep it there when the nights are so darn cool - we litterally had 39 degree nights at the end of July last summer. 80 degree water seems cool to me but tolerable if I have to swim and less than 80 is too cool for comfort and relaxation for me to swim in.
So, tell me this - short of buying and installing a heater or heat pump, which my husband has declared will not happen - any suggestions for keeping that heat in there better? I can get it heated up very nicely, but I lose my gains when the nights get so darn cool for more than a day and then we spend another couple of days trying to heat it back up - IF the nights aren't cool again. We have a solar blanket but that only goes so far. This is a vicious cycle that we just did not win last year and we are told that this summer looks even worse with a really late spring and forecasted cooler than normal temps for the months of May-June-July. I know this all goes in historical cycles but we are on the bad end of it these last few years. I want to swim more this year!!!
So, tell me this - short of buying and installing a heater or heat pump, which my husband has declared will not happen - any suggestions for keeping that heat in there better? I can get it heated up very nicely, but I lose my gains when the nights get so darn cool for more than a day and then we spend another couple of days trying to heat it back up - IF the nights aren't cool again. We have a solar blanket but that only goes so far. This is a vicious cycle that we just did not win last year and we are told that this summer looks even worse with a really late spring and forecasted cooler than normal temps for the months of May-June-July. I know this all goes in historical cycles but we are on the bad end of it these last few years. I want to swim more this year!!!