Article 30399 of alt.solar.thermal: Path: news.misty.com!not-for-mail From: nicksanspam@ece.villanova.edu Newsgroups: alt.home.repair,alt.solar.thermal Subject: Re: set-up for rigid panel solar pool heater, solar blanket Date: 3 May 2008 05:50:08 -0400 Organization: Villanova University Lines: 50 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: acadia.ece.villanova.edu X-Trace: max.inside.misty.com 1209804587 7411 153.104.44.130 (3 May 2008 08:49:47 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@misty.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 3 May 2008 08:49:47 +0000 (UTC) Xref: news.misty.com alt.home.repair:1016292 alt.solar.thermal:30399 KLE wrote: >We have bought a rigid plastic panel solar heating set-up for our >above ground pool... > >At this point, we are planning to have the solar heater laying flat on >the ground, next to the pool, the only location int h e back yard to >get sun much of the day... Is the pool itself in the sun? >Should we put some kind of barrier down on the grass, or build some >kind of lumber frame or platform, instead of having it on the ground? No. >Also will be buying a solar blanket for the pool, which is 24' round >above ground... Solarcovers.com has nice clear vs blue solar covers... >Any tips for a cheap way to manage daily placement and removal... They also have interesting $30 60" diameter "sun rings" with 6 magnets to keep them in a hexagonal kissing pattern (one circle surrounded by 6) and make them stick and slide together so they can be removed by a person standing in one position. They recommend 12 for a 24' round pool, which would leave 48% of the water exposed. You might make your own 6'x5.19'-tall sun rhomboids with 31 ft^2 of solar cover and a bent PVC pipe and a 60 degree elbow and 4 magnets... 12 would cover 83% of a 24' pool in a tight hex pattern, except for the perimeter, which could have a 2'x12' greenhouse polyethylene film skirt attached to the pool wall. Or make a 24' greenhouse polyethylene film pillow with a perimeter PVC pipe ring and a small tube running across the diameter inside and a float with an opening at the top of the tube in the center. Deflate the pillow so it sinks to the bottom for swimming, and reinflate it to float it. >... Rochester, NY area, if that matters. With a dark bottom, 1080 Btu/ft^2 of unshaded sun might keep the pool 34.3+0.9x1080/24h = 74.8 on an average 34.3 March day and 51.1+0.9x840/24 = 82.6 in October. For more sun, you might add a reflective half-cylinder above the north wall of the pool. For more insulation, you might inflate the pillow with soap bubble foam at night. Nick