[Homepage] [Contact Us] [Mirror] [Photos] [Acro News] [Opinion] [Links]
[Acro Solar Catalog] [Constant Temperature Bath Controller] [Dish Kits] [Plumbing] [Pool Heating] [Prime Timer] [PV Trackers]
[Heat Exchangers] [Hot Water Kits] [Tanks] [Temp Controller] [Tracking Computer Manager]

September, 3, 2002

            Insulating your new pool when you build it. I built a pool here at Acro Solar Lasers in 1987. I decided to try something that had not been done before as far as I know.  I had bottom and sides of the hole lined with 2 inch styrene 4'x8' sheets before any steel or concrete was put in. I checked out the styrene strength before, and found out it has a 50 pound per square inch rating. That is more than enough to support the steel, concrete, and water.  It was a little nervous, not ever having done that before, but I did it anyway. That was in 1987. Today the pool is still in operation and doing great. I also use an insulated plastic bubble cover on

 top of the pool.

            The insulated cover is probably even more important as most of the heat will escape from the surface in the form of evaporation if not covered with insulated blanket, especially on cool nights or days. Today the pool is in closed in a metal frame building covered with 13 ounce white reinforced vinyl. All roof panels are hinged and can be raised to cool the air inside the pool on hot days. You might think you could heat the pool with hot air from the building. Not so. Experience has taught me that you can not heat a pool with heat applied from above the water. We heat the pool with a dish but only need to heat it now and then as the heat remains in the water for days.

Dennis Cofield

Pluming examples for solar heating your pool