Older thread, but curious on general recommendations on a shoe string budget?
I was considering getting either one or two Game 4512 XD1 domes with a 3 way valve to "slow the water down" to allow it to heat up more.. this for my 18'x52" pool (7000 gallon), living in SW PA with water temp in the mid 50s in april, hoping to get the temps to come up to 75 by mid may along with solar cover at night..
I was also considering going with the solar arrays ( Smartpool S601P $246 for 80 sq feet) either with a homemade rack on the ground at a 45 degree angle or on the roof of my pitched garage with plumbing to the garage 30 feet away (upgrading my intex pump to a Best Choice 4500 gph 1hp pump this week too).. the garage would get sunlight most of the day, if not the whole day... although the garage angle faces west technically, so does the ground location i would likely put these, unless i put it mid yard (less ideal)
Its my understanding that ideally with these solar arrays you need to spend another $250 for a solar actuator that auto shuts off the flow when no sunlight?
Im thinking i'd need more than 80 square feet for my pool size, likely 160 sq feet, so this means about $500 plus possible actuator (vs probably $1200 for a 150k btu heater + unknown installation costs)? edit: i think the surface area of my pool is around 450 square feet.. so half that area would be more like 225 sq feet (so 3 sets of these S601ps)
So right now leaning towards giving the game 4512's a shot or at least 1 to start, to see if i can at least get a 10 degree rise overall (i'm also thinking using the solar cover, night only (vs day+night) i might get 10 degree rise max alone)?
This is the second season for me with this pool..
(this post got moved from a reply to an older thread)
I was considering getting either one or two Game 4512 XD1 domes with a 3 way valve to "slow the water down" to allow it to heat up more.. this for my 18'x52" pool (7000 gallon), living in SW PA with water temp in the mid 50s in april, hoping to get the temps to come up to 75 by mid may along with solar cover at night..
I was also considering going with the solar arrays ( Smartpool S601P $246 for 80 sq feet) either with a homemade rack on the ground at a 45 degree angle or on the roof of my pitched garage with plumbing to the garage 30 feet away (upgrading my intex pump to a Best Choice 4500 gph 1hp pump this week too).. the garage would get sunlight most of the day, if not the whole day... although the garage angle faces west technically, so does the ground location i would likely put these, unless i put it mid yard (less ideal)
Its my understanding that ideally with these solar arrays you need to spend another $250 for a solar actuator that auto shuts off the flow when no sunlight?
Im thinking i'd need more than 80 square feet for my pool size, likely 160 sq feet, so this means about $500 plus possible actuator (vs probably $1200 for a 150k btu heater + unknown installation costs)? edit: i think the surface area of my pool is around 450 square feet.. so half that area would be more like 225 sq feet (so 3 sets of these S601ps)
So right now leaning towards giving the game 4512's a shot or at least 1 to start, to see if i can at least get a 10 degree rise overall (i'm also thinking using the solar cover, night only (vs day+night) i might get 10 degree rise max alone)?
This is the second season for me with this pool..
(this post got moved from a reply to an older thread)