Liquid Solar Blanket

Postby **chem geek** » Tue 17 Feb, 2009 20:34

There is more on this topic in this thread where patent 6,303,133 indicates that the preferred chemical is cetyl alcohol (1-hexadeconol). The isoproponol listed in the MSDS is simply a carrier and not the primary active substance which is just listed as an "organic surfactant" (5% of the product by weight).

Richard

Me... · Postby **Me...** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 11:13

Wow, ancient thread and I hate to resurrect it but .....

That product was invented right here where I live. In very the beginning it came in 45 gallon drums and you pumped it out into your containers to use. My biggest worry was if the product would interfere in any way with the equipment itself. It didn't and has proved to be a great product, not as good as an actual blanket, but it will save you substantial money over not using a blanket. And it comes or at least came in different flavors and of course names.

And it is alcohol based, hence the need to continually add it. The calibrated pump they use is an awesome way to feed it because you use something like an oz. for every 400 sq.ft., every night, after the pool closes. It bonds together on the surface and does its magic, so the more the surface is disturbed the less effective it is. Its always there, rising to the surface and rebonding.

The most dramatic effect I saw was starting about 2,000 sq.ft. outdoor pool on a winter night. The pool was really warm and there was so much steam you could hardly see across the pool. Poured some product in and you could just watch it crawl across the surface and stop the steam.

ryoung6179 · Postby **ryoung6179** » Sat 11 Apr, 2009 11:07

is there a problem working in a solar heater with the liquid blanket? I live in Ohio and was hoping those 2 products are compatable?

Postby **chem geek** » Sat 11 Apr, 2009 12:00

The product should be compatible with a standard solar heating system. It mostly stays on the surface of the water rather than circulate through (depending on your flow rate and whether you have a "funnel" effect in your skimmer).

The key to the product is that it is a long-chained alcohol so it has a hydrophilic alcohol end that sticks in the water and a hydrophobic long carbon-chain that sits at the water surface, all sticking up together crammed next to each other as a single molecule layer over the entire water surface. This inhibits water evaporation which therefore reduces heat loss. As Me... noted, it works best when the water is not disturbed, say by wind or by waterfalls, fountains, spillovers, etc.

Richard

redwun · Postby **redwun** » Wed 06 May, 2009 12:47

some of them are, IN fact the chemical composition is Isopropyl Alcohol aka rubbing alcohol 67-63-0 > 80% ,Isopropyl alcohol, Isopropanol, IPA, 2-Propanol, dimethyl carbinol,and the rest is fatty acid alcohol based .
basically mixed with a surfactant. Surfactants are wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading, and lower the interfacial tension between two liquids,lower evaporation.

heck you might try mineral oil or other way/oil mixed with it rub alcohol

Postby **Me...** » Thu 07 May, 2009 08:31

Link to the real McCoy below. There are in fact clone products out there but they so far can't duplicate or match the original. It really is great stuff.

http://www.flexiblesolutions.com/products/heatsavr/

Aquaclear-NZ · Postby **Aquaclear-NZ** » Tue 12 May, 2009 15:17

we have sold it here for a couple of years, personal experience has been varied, depending on what way the wind is blowing at times
where we have had great results has been indoor pools, where the effects of evaporation can easily be seen on the walls and windows, this has virtually been eliminated
outdoor pools i have definitly had mixed results, the nylex product needs to be added daily for it to be any good, while i have had good results and feedback from the "solar pill"
Definitly not as good as a cover, but for pools where a cover is not aesthetically pleasing or impractical they do have some slight heat retention benefits

bichonab · Postby **bichonab** » Wed 27 May, 2009 20:59

If liquid solar covers are NOT effected by pool chemistry and I Backwash from the bottom drain, why would I need to replace it....wouldn't one treatment be enough?

deathdealer_01 · Postby **deathdealer_01** » Sun 31 May, 2009 17:40

Hi, to the brainiac that posted that the ingredients can not be I.P.A. ( isopropyl alcohol ) the m.s.d.s. states that the solar fish is I.P.A. and that the balance is fatty alchohol.
What the I.P.A. does is it reduces the surface tension of the water here is a link
( wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_tension - 148k -) now the trick is finding out your feed rate, percentage of I.P.A. to water per day. :evil:

deathdealer_01 · Postby **deathdealer_01** » Sun 31 May, 2009 17:47

bichonab wrote:If liquid solar covers are NOT effected by pool chemistry and I Backwash from the bottom drain, why would I need to replace it....wouldn't one treatment be enough?

isopropyl alcohol evaporates faster than water, also it is very soluble in water so if you take water out you take out the isopropyl alcohol

Postby **chem geek** » Mon 01 Jun, 2009 01:52

Yes, the isopropyl alcohol is just a carrier for the fatty alcohol, similar to how calcium hydroxide is used as a carrier for cetyl alcohol in HeatSavr. The isopropyl alcohol will mix with water and then evaporate and will not form a surface layer -- it's the fatty alcohol that does that.

sharon · Postby **sharon** » Fri 26 Jun, 2009 04:39

hi from uk cant find any thing over here could i make my own may thanks sharon

Mr. Money Saver wrote:For those of you who do not think the comercial brands of Liquid Solar pool Cover is very expensive, just wanted to let you know I make my own for $10.00 per gallon. You can learn more about how to make it

Spooky · Postby **Spooky** » Tue 04 Aug, 2009 10:37

These liquid solar blankets somewhat work. i mean they work well for the first while but then they kinda die (this example is of the fish you stick in your pool), but the kind where you pore an actual liquid in your pool EVERYDAY works better, just to let yalll know

pool pal · Postby **pool pal** » Wed 12 Aug, 2009 01:32

Can I use my solar cover with the solar pill, or does that use up the chemical since it floats on the top? In other words, does the solar pill chemical end up sticking to the blanket, thus wasting it. My husband thinks the cover does a better job, and I don't want to use both if it wastes the chemical.

islandlife · Postby **islandlife** » Thu 20 Aug, 2009 12:56

Well yes the composition of Heatsavr liquid is almost all IPA (isopropyl alcohol) .. but the active ingredient
is cetyl alcohol. The important fact is that plain cetyl alcohol is a solid waxy substance. (you can even get it on ebay) and harmless (used in cosmetics etc) - but SOLID. As such you can't easily disperse it on the top of your pool. :-)

So for swimming pools the trick is to dissolve the waxy stuff in harmless IPA. Once in contact with water the IPA floats and spreads out .. and evaporates leaving tiny molecules of cetyl alcohol near invisibly spread out on the surface. Whether there is any calcium hydroxide powder in there too I can't say. It might help disperse the stuff initially but it is not going to stay there forming a part the liquid layer - calcium hydroxide (lime) just dissolves so easily in water. So to sum up: if you want you could buy a small quantity of cetyl alcohol and dissolve it in gallons of IPA and try that out :-)

! You certainly don't need much .
How much? well if you pour out a glass of heatsavr liquid and let the IPA evaporate (which it will do quite quickly) you'll be left with the cetyl alcohol vax .. and then you will have an idea. My guess is there is a TINY amount of the wax - but you'll see it.