It took six straight days of sunshine, and three solar panels with my pump pushing water through the panels for six hours each day.
What that did was to raise the temperature of the water in my above-ground pool to a swimming temperature of 78 degrees. You can imagine my rapture while swimming last weekend. I am now in the process of thinking about two options:
(1) Getting a new gas heater for the pool
The gas heater, together with the solar panels, would join forces to provide enough heat to swim. The amount of gas heat I would use would be inversely proportional to the amount of consecutive sunny days.
The cost of a new gas heater is about $700. The main advantage of a gas heater, as I see it, is that I can heat the pool even when there is no sun — for example, overnight. I could swim whenever I wanted.
(2) Building an insulated enclosure around my pool
If this enclosure worked, and the overnight temperature drop were lowered (to, say, three degrees), it would take fewer consecutive sunny days for my solar panels to heat the water to a swimming temperature.
The cost of an insulated enclosure is about $500. The main advantage of an insulated enclosure (if it works) is that I could swim with fewer consecutive sunny days. And I would be saving on the monthly gas bill by not running a gas pool heater.
Besides helping me to think these ideas through, this essay is helping me to realize that I enjoy thinking through my options. I enjoy going creative with ideas about solar panels and insulated enclosures.
But why can’t I just be normal and resign myself to swim in 86-degree water, almost whenever I want, at the nearby YMCA? No hassles with panels or enclosures. No thinking things through at odd hours of the day and night.
Maybe it’s in my genes. My dad used to like to tinker. If he were still around, I imagine he would be going creative, too. Like father, like son. I like that.
Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at Robertebsen@hotmail.com
