Solar blankets - not sure if this is the right area to ask about them

[mknauss]

Note at a certain point, more BTU won't give you faster heating time. As I understand its not linear, and there is a plateau where more BTU won't give much more heating power.

The heat rise will be linear. A 400K heater will heat your pool water twice as fast as a 200 K heater.

 

[geh]

The heat rise will be linear. A 400K heater will heat your pool water twice as fast as a 200 K heater.

I had heard that is the case up to a certain point and then there is a point of diminishing returns. That was from the pool guy that did my re-plaster. I think it was due to the limitations of the plumbing? For example and 400K heater would double the speed but a 600K would not necessarily triple. Is that not the case?

 

[mknauss]

You have to have a certain flow rate through the heater to be efficient. The largest residential pool heaters are 400K.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

I started using a solar cover at night here in SE Pennsylvania and, while I agree it can be a bit of a pain to deal with after it rains, it has saved us a lot of money on propane, which has allowed us to extend our swim season by about 6 weeks without having to pay an arm and a leg for heating.

 

[Newdude]

it has saved us a lot of money on propane

If you are paying to heat the pool, either gas or HP, a solar cover is an absolute must. My cover cut my electric usage in half and saved $300-$400 a month. That’s worth the struggle any day of the week.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

I think I paid about $125 for the cover. It paid for itself in propane in about a month.

 

[amwillg]

Solar cover is definitely a love/hate. Heating bill is a fraction of the cost, especially if you like it warm; talking hundreds of $/month. It is a PITA though to deal with, even with a reel, and there is always some clean up when taking it off due to the dirt sitting on top. Admittedly, I have two 40ft covers to deal with for the 82ft length.