Swimming Pools « Quick Reality Check Articles

July 11, 2008

Solar Pool Heating. Free energy. Or maybe not …

Solar energy should be free…right?…maybe not. Depending on the system you chose solar energy can still cost you a lot of money and waste a lot of electricity!!

Solar energy collection systems such as solar swimming pool heaters typically require a pump to operate. This pump is driven by electricity. Therefore, electrical power (energy) is needed to collect the solar energy. This electricity use must be factored into your considerations when determining the REAL payback of a solar energy capture system.

This does not mean that solar energy is not a good idea. It is a GREAT idea …

It does mean that you must clearly understand the overall costs of solar energy must include the capital and installation cost, and the energy used to operate the system versus the energy collected.

The Solar Energy Capture Efficiency is defined as the solar energy collected by a system divided by the energy that must be input to make the solar collector work. The larger this number is, the less energy is used to collect the solar energy which means that the operating costs are lower and it is better for the environment..

Example:

A solar collector in Southern Ontario, Canada could collect an average of 1,233 btu/sq ft/day (3.887 kWh/day/sq m) during the 6 month period from Mid April through Mid October assuming a 75% collector efficiency.

If a 1.5hp pump is used to pump the water from your pool through your solar collector and filter the energy use is calculated as follows:.

1.5 hp x 746W/hp = 1.119 kWh/hr.

If the swimming pool pump runs 8 hours per day, it will use 8.952 kWh /day, 1,612 kWh in 6 months of use.

At $0.10/kWh, this amounts to $0.90 per day, or about $162 for 6 months. The price of electricity will continue to rise.

The electricity used by the water pump is equivalent to 3,819 btu/hr, or 30,552 btu/day.

Therefore, a 4′ x 20′ solar collector could capture 4 x 20 x 1,233 btu/sq ft/day = 98,640 btu/day.

This means that you must put 30,552 btu/day of electrical power equivalent into your swimming pool filter and solar water heating system to collect 98,640 btu/day, which is a Solar Energy Capture Efficiency of 3.2:1. Many system provide a ratio of only between 3:1 and 6:1.

Solar energy systems are NOT created equal …
Omachron Technologies Inc. has developed more efficient solar collection systems wherein the Solar Energy Capture Efficiency (energy output to energy input ratio) is up to 40:1, which means that they would cost 10 times less to operate than many current products.

Consider the capital cost of your solar energy system and the cost of operating your solar collection system when comparing different technologies.

When you save money and energy, both you and the environment win.

Wayne Conrad

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July 2, 2008

Making your swimming pool affordable and helping the environment …

Filed under: Energy, Swimming Pools — Tags: heating pool, Omachron, pool heating, solar collector, solar heating, solar pool heating system, swimming pool — Administrator @ 01:30

If you want to save more than 70% of the cost of heating and maintaining your swimming pool, follow these simple steps:

STEP 1: Install a floating or fixed pool cover to reduce heat loss from the pool;
STEP 2: Install a low cost solar heating system
STEP 3: Enjoy swimming in your own back yard without the hassle and expense of driving to a cottage or to public pools …

A swimming pool in your back yard is a great way for your family and friends to gather without the cost and energy use to travel to public pools, lakes, or cottages. Inexpensive temporary PVC pools can be bought in supermarkets and taken down after summer. Swimming pools range from expensive concrete or fiberglass permanent structures to inexpensive plastic pools which are installed only for us in summer and put away in the winter.

Medical researchers have found that 78oF a healthy and comfortable temperature for swimming yet many people enjoy swimming in water temperatures of 80oF to 90oF (26.7C-32.2C). Excessive pool temperatures waste energy due to increased evaporation rates (which cause cooling of pool) and also cause chemical used to purify the water to evaporate more quickly.

A swimming pool without a cover will loose 70% if its heat energy as evaporation, 20% as radiation to the sky, and 10% as thermal conduction losses to the air and to the ground. A floating or fixed rigid swimming pool cover with a small R value can reduce energy losses by 75% and is the first step to enjoying you pool at an affordable price.

Most swimming pools are heated with natural gas, electricity, or oil which contribute to air and water pollution as well as the heat-trapping gases that cause global warming and which are quickly becoming very expensive.

Solar water heating technology is a simple, reliable, and cost-effective method of harnessing the sun’s energy to provide for your pool heating needs. Modern solar heating products can work winter and summer, even in areas where temperatures fall below freezing.

Many commercial solar hot water heating systems costs between $2,000 to $4,000, depending on variable factors such as ease of installation, state or provincial codes, safety requirements, and access to financing.

Many of the newer technology solar heating systems such as the products developed by Omachron Technologies Inc. have a cost of $600 to $1,200 and pay for themselves in as little as a single year of operation of your pool. Solar pool heating systems are highly reliable and generally maintenance free. In particularly hot climates, passing pool water through the solar collectors during the evening hours can serve as a cooling mechanism if needed.

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Ozone Water Treatment for Pools and Spas

Filed under: Ozone, Swimming Pools, Water Treatment — Tags: Omachron, Ozone, spa, swimming pool, wastewater treatment, Water Treatment — Administrator @ 01:25

Ozone can be a dangerous form of air pollution OR it can be a powerful water purification agent, safer than chlorine or bromine for both the pool user and for the environment.

Chlorine or bromine are typically added to swimming pools to provide:
- Bacterial disinfection
- Viral inactivation
- Algae control
- Create a minimum ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) of 650 mV in the pool to provide good residual disinfection

An ozone system which incorporates a reliable ozone contactor and off-gas destructor to eliminate “surplus” ozone and keep your air quality safe, can save you money and minimize the chemicals that you need to buy, transport, and handle, such as chlorine which can be very toxic.

If you purchase an ozonation system which provides a minimum CT value (ozone concentration x time) of 1.6 mg/l-min, bacterial disinfection and viral inactivation will be assured and it will also provide more than 3-logs of Giardia cyst inactivation if they are present and more than 4-log inactivation of enteric viruses according to the U.S. EPA based upon using ozone primary disinfection of drinking waters or swimming pools at 25C or less.

Your should also look for models of swimming pool water treatment systems which use ozone and automatically add small amounts of chlorine, pH up and pH down to control the pool water chemistry automatically so you don’t have to. This type of system can make it easier to maintain your pool and save you money and time.

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