Quote Originally Posted by NullQwerty View Post
Thanks for the great pics everyone! It's giving me some good ideas.

Oh and CarlD...nice job on the floor unit being your panels...Impressive!

Karen_in_TN....Does the lawn underneath the panels start dying after they've been out for a month? That's one thing I was concerned about.

Thanks again!
Thanks! My better half was very particular about how our pool would look, and this was a great way to incorporate what I wanted, what she would find attractive, and what the town would let me do.

Karen_in_TN: Here's a thought: If the grass is going to die under the panels anyway, then just lay them on the ground. Here's why: The heat from the panels will bake the ground underneath--no gross worms and bugs because it's far too hot for them. The ground will heat up around the panels and you'll be able to run them for a couple of hours AFTER the sun passes--the heat from the ground will continue to heat the water. I'm not speculating on this--I've had it work on two separate systems I've done, one on my old pool, the other on my parents' pool. Remember: As long as the water from the panels is warmer than the pool, even the littlest bit, it's adding heat energy.

N_Mom--you may want to consider adding more supports so the panels don't droop and get additonal strain, especially at the ends as cantilevers. You could just cut in and glue Tees with extra length to support it. Also, cross-bracing between the "rafters" should also keep the system flatter and with less strain, and therefore a longer life. I know the panels roll in the winter but it's very different when they are full of water. Just some ideas for a very nice and clever system.