We had a beautiful pool that had become the world's largest dog bowl.
It was just too cold--too much initial chill, my wife would say--to get in unless it was was mid-August and 100 degrees in the Valley.
So, it sat. Most of the time--a huge drinking bowl for my Australian Cattle Dog, which seems immune to the chlorine.
About two months ago, I bit the bullet and started my quest to heat the pool with solar--calling around to companies I had searched out on the internet. Four companies responded, two showed up to give bids, and Bob Ellis' Environmental Solar got the job. (Note: First time I came across Bob or his company was in a google search.) Of course, I was nervous about heating my pool with a solar system: we're talking thousands of dollars here--and the prospect of putting holes in my roof, replacing my pool pump, and, did I mention, spending thousands of dollars?
I also hate getting screwed by contractors--not that its happened all that often. But, usually, in a complex job--at least for me as a homeowner--there are occasional obstacles to manage. And contractors have a huge negative stereotype that is somewhat imbued with reality. And problems in construction projects often come with dollar amounts associated with them. Fact-- we don't have the money to make a lot of mistakes. No one I knew had done this sort of home improvement project, and so I had no personal recommendation to go on. My ass was hanging out there on a big job that I wanted to work out perfectly.
it came pretty close. And when we're talking reality, that's pretty damn good.
Bob and one of his "guys" measured the pool and our south-facing roof, duly noted our pre-existing solar plumbing, which I had installed when we built our pool, and within a day I had a proposal. I mulled it over, did my internet due diligence by trying to research the FAFCO solar panels vs. the Israeli-made Heliocol panels Environmental Solar installs, and decided the Heliocol were going to be fine--both brands had been in existence for a awhile, each had some pros and cons, and since I wasn't going to be able to talk to someone who had compared them in working models for 10 years, I jumped on Ellis' proposal. Sure, it was a little goofy with a "Mother's Day" discount structure, but in the end it seemed the smartest move. I negotiated a bit because I'm a man and why not negotiate, and Bob agreed. I felt like I won a reasonable concession, which is always a good thing. I also replaced my pool pump--still in working order--with a variable speed pump, which turned out to be a plus (it's super quiet, keeps the heated water flowing when it needs flowing, and works superbly with the temperature control system).
We scheduled the job--earlier than I expected, due to a cancellation--and the crew were professional from the get go. They respected our new landscaped pool-side backyard, installed the necessary plumbing and electrical in a tidy, professional way that looks well-done. I've got a three-year warranty on the install, but the install suggests to me I won't be needing it. The panels on the roof, which I believe have a decade warranty, certainly are an obvious addition to the roof of our house in the rear, but the pipes are all painted to blend in to my roof and house, and the crew left nothing out of place. You have to look to notice it.
Was everything about the install perfect? Not exactly. We had a slight bump in the road when the crew had trouble pulling an electrical wire through a conduit that had been installed a few years before--I ended up bringing in an electrician to make that happen. It's the kind of thing you think will sour a job, but it didn't--Bob had offered to re-route the conduit for an additional charge, but, as it turned out, it wasn't necessary. Phew. That's what I meant about a problem that can otherwise spoil a project; but, reality, remember, is never the smooth sailing ship we fantasize it will be. Once the conduit wiring was done, Bob's top installer finished off connecting the roof sensor to the electrical controls near my pool equipment, painted the pipes to match the side of my house, and gave me a tutorial on the system.
...which, simply enough, has been keeping our large, 1950s-era, remodeled "Valley" pool at perfect temperatures. It just runs, automatically--and, I particularly enjoy checking out the digital readout to see the water temperature. It's gone over 90 in June, which means even my wife gets in the pool now. Overnight, the pool cools down 10 or so degrees, but it's still beautiful to swim in at 10pm. And, the next day, the pool pump goes on to filter and the water flows through the roof panels and its pretty much magic the way the pool water warms up in just a few hours.
We've got a swimming pool again. Thanks, Environmental Solar. read more