quick question - trying to learn a little more

[Mr Tucson]

So I am building a simple system for heating my pool using the coil system of black hose and a subsumable pump. in just laying it out on my pool decking as a test I was able to get the a large difference in temps on the water going back into the pool.
I have a large pool of 24,000 gallons but I am in Tucson AZ so I have some advantage there and I don't expect this to heat that pool but possibly help off set the costs of gas and I am only trying to get the pool to 82 degrees to make it a little more comfortable.

a few quick questions:

1- should the water returning to the pool that is coming out of the hose be flowing to encompass the entire circumference of the hose or more trickle out utilizing only the bottom half of the hose and less outflow or slower? I do seem to get hotter water when doing that but I feel I am wasting potential heat.

2- I am currently using 3/4 black garden hose but should I go down to 1/2 inch? also I had issues using black irrigation tubing just due to kinking, so what is the best hose product to use out there that might be a step up from irrigation tubing?

3- is there a recommended place to buy hose in bulk? looking for around 1000 feet.

Great forum here, look forward to learning a great deal more!!


Mark in Tucson

[J.P.M.]

The temp. rise is best kept to a minimum. You are after quantity of heat (lots of flow, low temp. rise), not quality of heat ( low flow, lots of temp. rise).

Experiment all you want. Been there, done that, had a lot of fun, learner a lot and generated enough questions to go back to school. BUT, for practical pool heating, if it was me, I'd first get an effective pool cover and use it in the most effective way, get a few solar pool heating panels as proper sizing techniques would indicate, and be done with it.

Easier to construct, cleaner design, easier to maintain and much more efficient.

[thejq]

Are you looking for a long term solution or just playing around? If the latter, you can pretty much do however you please, but the result may not worth the trouble and cost. Plus I don't think your significant other will be pleased with 1000 ft of garden hose laying on the deck 24/7/365. It will also damage deck (moisture and fungus etc under the hose). If you want a long term solution, you need to do it properly. JPM's suggestion of a dark colored pool cover is the easiest and cheapest. Beyond that you can install solar collectors on your roof or patio cover etc, and preferably tilted towards the sun. Make sure you get the polypropylene type, not the rubber ones which tend to break down after a few years. A more expensive option is to install solar PV panels and a pool heat pump. I use a combination of pool cover and solar collector (installed on patio cover). From June - Aug/Sept, I can raise the temperature of my 35K Ga pool by about 7 degrees during the day.

[Mr Tucson]

Are you looking for a long term solution or just playing around? If the latter, you can pretty much do however you please, but the result may not worth the trouble and cost. Plus I don't think your significant other will be pleased with 1000 ft of garden hose laying on the deck 24/7/365. It will also damage deck (moisture and fungus etc under the hose). If you want a long term solution, you need to do it properly. JPM's suggestion of a dark colored pool cover is the easiest and cheapest. Beyond that you can install solar collectors on your roof or patio cover etc, and preferably tilted towards the sun. Make sure you get the polypropylene type, not the rubber ones which tend to break down after a few years. A more expensive option is to install solar PV panels and a pool heat pump. I use a combination of pool cover and solar collector (installed on patio cover). From June - Aug/Sept, I can raise the temperature of my 35K Ga pool by about 7 degrees during the day.

Yea I have no intention of leaving the hoses on the deck, it was just there for some fun and testing on the pump I bought. I am one to do it right and make it look good as my pool is my peace of mind and its our first pool in a wonderful house.
so that being said, I do plan on putting it nice and coiled and in a great spot off the pool in a perfect spot all year around. Our pool faces SE so its perfect and is up on a hill at roof level so makes solar a great solution.
mainly just trying to get a little extra time of swimming like us all going into the winter and for future seasons.

your point of using polypropylene and not rubber hose is appreciated as it certainly is cheaper and I do want this to last a long time so I will purchase the best quality I can find of polypropylene hose.

your idea of installing solar PV panels and a heat pump is top of my research list as we have the dollars for the heat pump set aside but would be nice to counter that savings with some free energy for it. we plan to be here a long time.

I am sure I will have many questions and I appreciate your feedback.

Mr Tucson !!