There are some guys on my roof installing solar thermal panels for our pool.

[phantom power]

So crazy, it just might work.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Absolute madness, solar thermal water heating will never catch on....

[phantom power]

2. without fire...

Not exactly "without cost"

It's all about what you are comparing to. Compared to the cost of heating the thing with gas, it's pretty favorable. By that standard I expect it to pay for itself in a season or two, at least according to my estimates. Operating cost is very slight, as you can piggyback off the regular cleaning cycle.

The economics are interesting. One way to look at it is: it adds about 20% to the cost of the pool, but I expect it to at least triple the swimming season. So you could spin it as getting 200% more value out of the pool, for 20% additional cost.

I guess we're about to find out now! We'll see how we feel about it all in November...

[bananas]

3. My, how things have changed around here!

A few years ago, you would have been called a vandal and had a string of bizarre epithets hurled at you for saying that.

[phantom power]

7. All right I give, what's the "vandal" reference?

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. Good for you! Don’t forget your solar pool cover (AKA “Bubble Wrap”)

(Yes, they really do work.)

Many years ago, I worked for a swimming pool company. In those days, I saw a number of solar pool heaters that were nothing more than a bunch of black hose, laid out on a roof or pool deck.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=black+hose+%22swimming+pool%22+solar

[phantom power]

5. Some guy my wife works with just laid a bunch of cheap black hose all over his yard

Crude, and I assume super ugly, but I don't doubt it increases his water temp by some amount.

I may or may not use the "bubble wrap." I'm going to try it without to see how it goes. I can always go get a cover if we decide we want additional season.

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. The “bubble wrap” will save you a bunch of money

Yeah, it will help convert solar into heat, but it will also insulate your pool from the night air, cut down on heat losses due to evaporation and cut down on your chemical use (due to evaporation.)

The “black hose” heaters can have some definite problems, like, your typical bargain garden hose really isn’t meant to lay out in the sun for years on end. On the other hand, they are a good proof of concept (i.e. converting sunlight to heat really does work.)



More information on solar pool covers:
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=13140

If you have a large pool, you may want to get a “roller” for your cover. It adds more expense, but will make your cover much easier to handle.

[AtheistCrusader]

10. The bubble wrap (they call them 'solars', why I don't know)

will also keep the moisture and chemicals in the pool water from eating the outer cover. Adds many years to it's lifespan.

[OKIsItJustMe]

11. Well… they kind of are…

Most of the light passes through a good one, warms the water, and the cover keeps the heat in. So, because of the cover there is more effective solar heating of the pool.

I remember when they were first introduced, there were clever little diagrams showing how the bubbles refracted the sunlight, changed the angle of incidence, and a bunch of crap like that, but, really it’s a translucent layer of insulation.

[OKIsItJustMe]

12. “...the outer cover...”

Oh! I see… you’re either thinking of one of the dark plastic variety, or floating a dark cover on top of a “solar” cover.

What you want (if you are looking to warm the water) is as transparent a “solar cover” as you can get, well fitted, floating (bubble-side down) by itself.

They are really quite effective.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. I read that article last week on peak natural gas...

Kind of eyeballing one of these setups just to plan for the future...

[phantom power]

8. For the next month, I may use the panels to *cool* the pool.

Seeing as how a panel can act like a radiator at night. The controller even appears to support an automatic setting for that, if I can figure out the fucking instruction manual.