Who is still swimming?!?

[dotbombjoe]

So, my pool hit 60 the other day which I felt was a bit too cold...but it's been back up to the mid 60s since which I still find plenty comfortable once I get the blood pumping. Who is still swimming and what are your temps running?

Do solar panels work at all at this time of year? I've read mixed things...I may put them on anyway just to help during the main season but if they could help add a degree or two at this time of year I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Does anyone in SoCal heat their pools in the winter?

 

[mmardini]

My pool is 55 degrees right now. Definitely not swimming! I tap out after about 70 degrees. I don’t heat my pool unless it’s for a special occasion. Use the spa tho!

 

[setsailsoon]

This is the time of year we wait for a warm snap each week. Usually get one where the pool water heats up to mid 70's or higher with solar heater and we add gas heat to get to 90 for a few days of swimming before it turns cold again. Yep, cold weather wimps here! SWG is cut way back to run about 5 hrs at 40%.

Chris

 

[RaleighDawg]

it is in that time of the year when it gets in the upper 40’s and maybe the lower 50’s during the day and in the 30’s and 20’s at night, but my wife still swims every morning. About freeze my hands off early each morning pulling back the solar cover. We keep it at 83 and heat it up to 86 starting about an hour or two before she gets in.

Got our second gas bill and still not as bad as i was worried about. i was having nightmares from reading about what people thought it would cost. but if things hold to what we have seen so far, it will be less than the yearly cost of the three pool/gym memberships she had. Was very glad to cancel those when we got the pool up and running.

I’ll give her credit. she has been out there every day through 34 degree rain and ice or anything else mother nature has thrown at her.

Solar cover made a huge difference in keeping the heat in the pool. cut the gas use in half or more. I don’t think the sun is heating anything up, but it keeps the heat in and almost no evaporation. When i pull it back for her to swim, the steam is like a scene from yellowstone.

 

[ciaka]

Here in Central TX, no swimming for me. Temps swing from 70s down to 40s weekly. Pool temp around 60 on warm days, about 50 on cold days.
Waiting til Feb. or March when Temps raise.

 

[NCMike]

it is in that time of the year when it gets in the upper 40’s and maybe the lower 50’s during the day and in the 30’s and 20’s at night, but my wife still swims every morning. About freeze my hands off early each morning pulling back the solar cover. We keep it at 83 and heat it up to 86 starting about an hour or two before she gets in.

Got our second gas bill and still not as bad as i was worried about. i was having nightmares from reading about what people thought it would cost. but if things hold to what we have seen so far, it will be less than the yearly cost of the three pool/gym memberships she had. Was very glad to cancel those when we got the pool up and running.

I’ll give her credit. she has been out there every day through 34 degree rain and ice or anything else mother nature has thrown at her.

Solar cover made a huge difference in keeping the heat in the pool. cut the gas use in half or more. I don’t think the sun is heating anything up, but it keeps the heat in and almost no evaporation. When i pull it back for her to swim, the steam is like a scene from yellowstone.

Im also in Raleigh, my pool temp has settled around 48-50 the past few weeks. Can you share your pool size/volume and how much gas your using? Propane or Natural? I'm wondering how much it would cost me to do what your doing.

 

[Gladius Nova]

No way.....pool is closed until at least mid-March!

 

[MiguelACA]

Yep, still swimming , able to keep the pool in the mid 80's to mid 90's with the heat pump and solar cover! We swim as long as its not TOO cold or ranining. Not this week though, temps got to low 30's high 20's, but we'll be back in the water once it warms up back into the 50s

 

[Desert Dog]

Pool 55, solar tuned off. I have not tried with this pool, but with my last pool, I found that the heat lost over night could not be replaced by the solar panels going into the winter months. Loosing battle. Depending on your over night temps and number of panels and sun exposure it maybe possible. But that math is too much for my brain..

 

[poolnoobgrandma]

No way. Weather wimp here. Will heat the spa again once highs are in the 70s again, and will start heating the pool once we're consistently in the mid 80s. So maybe late March-ish.
We finally turned on the house heat. It's winter in Tampa Bay!

 

[ciaka]

It was freezing yesterday. Water was 41°F.
Today, sun came out, temp shot to 66°F, and water shot up too, to 53°F but I am not daring to go in. New pool and not swam in yet.
After 2 months, we just started spa. Kids went in during our TX freeze here. Spa was at 100°F, they loved it. I loved that I didn't have to go in.

 

[mgtfp]

Certainly swimming right now in down under summer

During Covid lockdown, I started using the pool from about 60°F to get some exercise, but only made one or two laps. From about 65 on, I managed to do a couple of laps. Still tough to get in, but once you did two or three laps and the blood starts rushing, it's pretty good. Once the water reaches 70, it actually starts to be enjoyable.

 

[setsailsoon]

We use it every week at least 2 days plus usually some spa time also. Just look for the best option in the weather report 7 day look-ahead. This time of year may take as much as 12 hr of gas heat plus some solar.

 

[PoolBrews]

We've been in ours at least a couple of times a week. Heat pump and solar cover easily keeps the pool at 88!

 

[RaleighDawg]

Im also in Raleigh, my pool temp has settled around 48-50 the past few weeks. Can you share your pool size/volume and how much gas your using? Propane or Natural? I'm wondering how much it would cost me to do what your doing.

Thanks! I have been meaning to add that info to my signature since the pool was finished. It is 21,000 gallons and i use a Pantair 400,000 btu natural gas heater and a medium quality solar cover. The solar cover is something i think could be much better, but i can't seem to find any options for what i want out there. It seems the higher quality/price solar covers just increase the thickness of the flat plastic and i don't believe it helps much if any with heat retention. So the only reason to get a higher price/quality one is for wear and tear. I am taking mine off every day at least once, so you would think quality would be something i would be interested in, but from reading the reviews on here it seems the bubbles are the part that wears out first. So not sure if that portion is improved in the higher quality product and is what is scrapped along the edge of the pool everytime it is pulled off. I figure i will just get a new cover each year or if possible every other year. But what i want and can't find is a double layer solar cover. I'd love there to be one available that was basically the equivalent of two sandwiched together. The increased air pockets and space i think would increase the insulation potential of the cover and help me retain more heat overnight.

As far as the cost of heating, i didn't say it was cheap, but i am hoping the trend continues and it won't be much more than the three pool/gym memberships i was able to cancel when this pool was finished. After factoring the difference of what my gas bill was last year (i am using natural gas from Dominion Energy) i estimate it was ~$362.78 in November and ~$669.43 in December to heat the pool. I'll know more when i get my next bill as to if my hopes are met. I feel like this winter has been cooler than last year, so might not be a complete one to one comparison as that my home and inside water heating might be costing me more this year and would decrease the pool cost amounts a little.

It may make a difference, but i am only uncovering the swimming lane each day, so about half of the pool is staying covered all the time.

Hope that helps and let me know if you want any additional details.

 

[bulldog69]

Still having fun, outdoor temps hovering from the mid-'60s to low 40's at night, we have a solar heater and blanket. The water is in the low 70's.

 

[jimim]

No swimming here cause it’s closed. Lol

I don’t have ice though so if that remains I’ll open back up beginning of March like usual to maintain the plaster.