How to keep your Pool warm
If you are considering installing a solar pool heating system, you must take into account your pool’s surface area or size, rather than the pool’s volume, in order to determine the amount of collector space necessary to heat your pool. This is because 70 percent of the heat that is lost from your pool occurs due to heat evaporation from the pool’s surface, while another 20 percent loss of heat due to radiation.
So how do you prevent or minimize the heat lost from the pool’s surface? One such way is to cover your pool whenever it is not in use. There is a wide variety of pool coverings available, from simple, no frills covers to UV-protected pool covers, called bubble wraps, to the more expensive but highly durable vinyl pool covers.
Bubble Wraps vs. Vinyl Pool Covers
Bubble wraps for the pool are an attractive choice for covering the pool to prevent heat loss due to evaporation and radiation. They also encourage a good amount of solar heat gain, but they are not as durable as the vinyl sheets that offer twice the lifespan (and less frequent replacement) of the bubble wraps.
Vinyl pool covers can be insulated or non-insulated. They are effective at withstanding the sun’s harsh rays as well as the corrosive chemicals that are present in the pool, and can block off 25-40 percent of possible excess solar heat. These covers may come in a reel that allows you to cover your pool easily. In fact, a motorized reel is a good investment for those who are financially able and want the covering up of the pool to be an easy task.
A good, insulated vinyl pool cover paired with a motorized wheel may cost you a few thousand dollars, but its effect is impressive. Along with the ease of its placement over the pool, the total heat loss that can be prevented is equal to the cost of the device, which means that the payback for your investment will be redeemed in just one or two years.
Other Factors to Consider
Other advantages of a good pool cover, besides the attractive energy savings, are a lowered percentage of make-up water (from 30-50 percent) and lowered chemical consumption (between 35-60 percent). Moreover, with a pool cover there is a lesser need for clean up, as there will be less debris making it into the pool. Heat can also be factor inhibiting the heating of your pool by the solar system. If your home is subject to a lot of wind, a natural way to prevent heat loss is to plant bushes alongside your pool to serve as a windbreaker. To be most effective, the height of the bushes should not exceed a person’s height, and should be within ten feet from the pool so that wind can be blocked, but sunlight is still freely available. In general, the size of a solar pool heater depends on the size of your collector, which is recommended at half your pool’s surface in warmer climates and two-thirds