I am a tinkerer by nature. I studied Physics at LSU and Caltech, but learned creativity and fabrication as an experimental astrophysicist in the labs. I’ve worked at a startup, designing, building, and testing fuel cells. I tested batteries and EV equipment at AeroVironment. In my free time I work on projects such as my 1964 Triumph Spitfire Electric Vehicle and a Burning Man Mutant Vehicle. Now I work with an awesome group of engineers and artists at Two Bit Circus. I have a lot of ideas, I just need the time to make them happen!
If you need to reach me, you can email me at busby [dot] daniel [@] gmail [dot] com.
I wish I had time too. Am painting the eaves and trim, piecemeal, in 1-2 hr increments, before heat returns. Hall’s across street have dumpster bin in driveway as they are having kitchen, family rooms gutted and new sunroom added in back. Meanwhile, our front door is now red. Hey, when you can, email us your new address. Love, Mom
I am following your solar planning with great interest. As a nearly 25 yr waterbed veteran, I know if our heater goes out or we refill the bed, it takes considerable time to re-establish a comfortable sleeping temperature. How much longer it must take to heat an entire pool! When I change sheets, I never leave the plastic mattress exposed during the day, but keep it insulated with blankets and comforter. Years ago when we lived in Michigan, I noticed the owners of the indoor/outdoor pool used a floating thermal cover on the outdoor portion of the pool during the winter. Have you thought of adding a floating “bubble” cushion to your pool when it is not in use? Mom
That’s definitely a great solution. A lot of heat is lost due to evaporation, and minimizing this will yield a much warmer pool. But, the problem is that the pool cover is in the way, which keeps people from jumping in. It’s literally a barrier to entry. This will be a great solution during the winter, but for the summer months, I want to keep the pool as accessible as possible for spontaneous swimming. I’ve got some more posts coming up, don’t worry!
I’m reminded of a party when a certain somebody threw foam pellets in your toilet (and stuffed them in your bed). Maybe you could experiment with different sized floaty insulators on your pool? Some intermediate size that isn’t difficult to round up, but wouldn’t impede an impromptu jump in the pool? Flashback to plastic ball pools at Chuck E. Cheese’s…