Pool heaters ... electric power question added

[JP_]

Great, I better plug my filter back in then!

Plan is to heat for weekends when my wife and I might join the kids.

 

[JP_]

The current set up - 2 15 metre extension cables (only need 20m) on bricks, under some plastic boxes.

 

[lostinthelight]

I doubt the thermostat would ever kick in to turn the heater off, if thats the case it could cost around £7.50 a day to run

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

You might be able to help save some money, using solar. A long dark coloured hose, laid /snaked where it will receive maximum sun. One end placed at the bottom of the pool, other at the upper level. Filled with water it will collect heat and self circulate the heat into the pool for free.

 

[SFK]

I would be cutting those hoses shorter to reduce heat loss to the air and ground.
If they need to stay long, lift them off the ground (or reduce contact area).
Wrap them in 'wrap pipe insulation' or even old towels/clothes (not sure how to keep this dry from rain though)
SFK

 

[JP_]

I would be cutting those hoses shorter to reduce heat loss to the air and ground.
If they need to stay long, lift them off the ground (or reduce contact area).
Wrap them in 'wrap pipe insulation' or even old towels/clothes (not sure how to keep this dry from rain though)
SFK

Will look into that. Cannot see how they can be cut and still have a good seal though,

 

[JP_]

You might be able to help save some money, using solar. A long dark coloured hose, laid /snaked where it will receive maximum sun. One end placed at the bottom of the pool, other at the upper level. Filled with water it will collect heat and self circulate the heat into the pool for free.

Will try this. Have a dark blue hose somewhere, it does feel warm when I pick it up! ....

Found it. Very dirty. Flushed through, but needs cleaning, don't think it's been used in 10 years.

So, it will just draw water through? I assume a slow movement?

 

[lostinthelight]

Will try this. Have a dark blue hose somewhere, it does feel warm when I pick it up! ....

Found it. Very dirty. Flushed through, but needs cleaning, don't think it's been used in 10 years.

So, it will just draw water through? I assume a slow movement?

There was a previous thread on this and think the general consensus was it didnt work very well

 

[conny]

The coiled hose theory is not a very good one, more effort that it's worth to be honest.
I think you will have a problem fitting the hoses if you shorten them. The ends have a smooth inner and outer surface so if you cut them you would be left with a ridged inner as well as outer and you would not get a good seal with the small plastic clamps. If you can get some pipe insulation around them then all well and good, but do not attempt to modify the actual pipes.

 

[JP_]

Inspired by that wood powered drum heater .... how about ...

I have an incinerator already. I could drop something like this into it
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Immersion-...-Listing/dp/B082WCCMYZ/ref=asc_df_B082WCCMYZ/

and find suitable hose connectors ...

mad? would need to be careful. And I guess I will be making a lot of smoke and annoy neighbours ...

we do have a tree that we need to take down at some point, so maybe by next summer we'd have ample wood supply.

Some people do things like this, but this would be less efficient than having the pipes inside over the flames, I assume?:

 

[conny]

That setup is the basic principle of a gas multi-point water heater. The water is heated as it passes around the coil. To improve the heat collection you would need to put an outer cylinder around the pipes and fill it with some form of heat resistant insulation. The important thing would be to make sure none of the insulation get trapped between the coil and the inner flue, thereby preventing the heat warming the water in the coil.

 

[JP_]

or something like this

https://www.toolstation.com/wednesbury-microbore-copper-pipe-coil/p63654

sitting in over of a kettle bbq - and heat the pool while cooking a chicken ... how wide are these coils coiled usually?

 

[scbk]

You would have to burn a bbq for days to get the pool warm


Have a look at

https://timberhottubs.co.uk/


They use a 28kw stove and take 3-4hours to heat the water

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

So, it will just draw water through? I assume a slow movement?

Yes, but its free and for nothing. It will just use convection from the warmed water rising. The more pipe and hotter the sun, the more effective it would be.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Some people do things like this, but this would be less efficient than having the pipes inside over the flames, I assume?:

That would need some sort of pump, to get the water up to the copper coils around the chimney - it would not make its own way up there.