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Posted on Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 5:55 a.m.

High-tech liquid pool 'covers' coming to Ann Arbor school pools

By Danielle Arndt

101311_SPO_Skyline_at_Huron-1.JPG

Ann Arbor Skyline's swim team watches the diving competition during a meet last season at Ann Arbor Huron High School. Huron will have liquid pool cover technology installed before the summer is over. Skyline's pool could not house the equipment.

AnnArbor.com file photo

Ann Arbor’s middle and high school pools no longer will require a plastic cover to protect against heat loss and water evaporation.

A new system that pumps a vegetable oil-like substance into the pools will conserve water, maintain temperatures and reduce energy costs by creating a thin coating over the water, according to district officials.

Randy Trent, executive director of physical properties for Ann Arbor Public Schools, said it costs substantial money to constantly heat and fill the pools.

The district will spend a portion of $7.81 million planned for energy-saving projects to install the liquid pool cover technology at Huron High School and all five middle schools, excluding Ann Arbor Open, prior to the end of summer.

Mack Indoor Pool, which is attached to Ann Arbor Open School, is operated and maintained by the city of Ann Arbor. Pioneer and Skyline high schools did not have enough room for the pumping equipment that's necessary to make the automated liquid pool cover system work, Trent said.

The $7.81 million was earmarked in April to complete the fifth phase of an energy savings capital improvement program that Ann Arbor has been involved in for a number of years. Phase 5 will include upgrading mechanical and air conditioning units, boilers, hot water pumps, and replacing a variety of lights throughout the district. Every building within AAPS will see some improvements from the plan, Trent said.

Johnson Controls Inc. was awarded the contract for the work. Johnson Controls guaranteed the district an annual energy savings of $699,359. Phase 5 also is expected to generate a one-time savings of up to $400,000.

Lquid-pool-cover.jpg

From Ann Arbor Public Schools

The liquid pool cover is an isopropyl alcohol product that is filtered in and out of the pool. Trent said the product has properties similar to vegetable oil in that it will not mix with water and clings to the surface of the pool.

The product is biodegradable and its release into the pool is controlled using a programmable, peristaltic pump that connects to the main return line of the swimming pool, according to its website.

Trent said the technology Ann Arbor will install can be set to filter most of the product dose out into the pool when the pool is not in use.

However, according to information provided by the district, the pool cover product does not need to be removed from the pool for swimming. The product is said to “break apart” whenever the water is “sufficiently disturbed,” but re-forms when the water is calm again. But Trent said AAPS will run the covers from midnight to 5 a.m.

According to the product’s website, evaporation accounts for between 70 percent and 90 percent of pool water heat loss. Liquid pool covers can save up to 40 percent of normal heating costs, the website says.

Watch the video below to learn more about liquid pool covers.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Comments

all-blue

Sat, Aug 18, 2012 : 1:45 p.m.

I find this very interesting,,,,,,,,,Because I have been to every pool in this district at one time or another, and have NEVER seen a pool cover for any of these pools, or at least covering the water. So any kind of cover would save the district money. That is unless they spend more money on the new system then they can recover during it's use till it wears out. I also find it hard to believe this new system is going to be safe and healthy for all the kids.

ms24

Sat, Aug 18, 2012 : 10:56 p.m.

I have never seen a cover. And as a parent of a student who swims at Huron daily...it would have been nice to have information clearly spelled out to us. And also to not have the pool suddenly not working leaving coaches to scramble for their preseason practice schedules.

Charley Sullivan

Sat, Aug 18, 2012 : 10:14 a.m.

Yeah, but if it breaks, can you fix it with duct tape?

Beth

Sat, Aug 18, 2012 : 1:59 a.m.

AnnArbor.com - a lot of good questions about product safety and actual cost savings have been asked. Is there any way you can ask these questions of someone with AAPS?

Dog Guy

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 9:35 p.m.

A quart of Mazola a day costs how much?

J. A. Pieper

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 8:14 p.m.

Once again, AAPS has to be on the cutting edge related to things they try to do. Don't they know that one NEVER "buys" something brand new until it has been proven? Even people very interested in automotive issues remind us that buying a first issue of a new vehicle is a mistake, wait until all the kinks are worked out! Let's see how long this lasts, it might be on par with the 20 year bond and computers AAPS will be purchasing!

Ron Granger

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 6:20 p.m.

Quick searches on the topic of liquid pool covers reveal that this technology is not proven. Some people don't like the "oily" film on the water. It is also suggested that you evaluate the formulation to verify it does not irritate your skin. I'd really like to see some more data on how this specific formulation is expected to perform compared to conventional pool covers. Granted - pool covers for large pools are difficult to deploy, and probably expensive. I'm not sure whether it is clear that the pools are currently using plastic covers. If not, then maybe this is more of a win-win. There is also apparently an on-going cost, as the solution needs to be regularly added. I also wonder why they did not evaluate this approach on ONE pool as a test.

Ann English

Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:55 p.m.

Unproven technology? How about testing it on swimwear? I wonder if washing/drying directions will need to be special if the person swam in a pool with this formulation in it. Or if the swimwear should be washed separately, at least. If it actually passes all essential tests, then most of it should be sold in Arizona; they must and do get water from other states.

arborani

Sat, Aug 18, 2012 : 11:29 a.m.

Best idea expressed here.

Craig Lounsbury

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 6:58 p.m.

"I also wonder why they did not evaluate this approach on ONE pool as a test." Good point. Try it out and then make a decision.

CherylJean

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 5:31 p.m.

Watching the Olympics we saw Michael Phelps spewing pool water out of his mouth and Missy Franklin wearing a nose clip. Is this oil harmful to humans if swallowed or repeatedly gets into the mouths/noses and possibly lungsof the swimmers?

Urban Sombrero

Sat, Aug 18, 2012 : 1:45 p.m.

Ryan Lochte also admitted he pees in the pool when he gets in. I wonder how that measures up, harm-wise, compared to this stuff?

blueplatespecial

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 5:08 p.m.

This makes no financial sense. The cost savings provided in the article are bogus for two reasons. First, the savings shown are when compared to an uncovered pool which is not accurate since the pools are currently covered with a plastic blanket (see below for more on that). Second, the savings are for 24 hours a day of coverage (see the table) where the article states that the liquid cover would be used from mid-night to 5am and removed when the pool is in use (although it doesn't have top be). Now comparing plastic covers to liquid covers we see that plastic is BETTER at conserving energy than liquid covers. In the studies provided by the manufacturer, plastic covered pools had less temperature loss overnight than the liquid covers (4 degrees lost for plastic versus 6 for liquid). Using the manufacturer's number (and logic) of liquid covers being 75% as efficient as plastic covers, that would imply that plastic covers currently save $129/day. So we are giving up $33 per day in savings to use the liquid covers. Additionally, the switch to liquid covers will require a capital expenditure to set-up the pumps, etc. that will require maintenance and will also require ONGOING purchases of the secret sauce that makes up the pool cover since it is lost over time (per manufacturers website). Retail it is >$50 per gallon for the sauce and a gallon would last about a week for a 25 yard, 6 lane pool.

blueplatespecial

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 7:41 p.m.

Sorry Craig in trying to shorten the length of the post I made this unclear. Since I am not sure if the schools have the top of the line covers and I am unsure of how nicely they are treated, I figured it was conservative to guess that they would be replaced every 5 years. Although they could certainly last much longer as you note. My take from looking at the numbers is that, even if they only last 5 years, plastic covers will turn out to be cheaper and more energy efficient in the long run. With a longer usable life for the plastic covers it just makes it even harder to believe that the liquid cover is a viable option.

Craig Lounsbury

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 6:57 p.m.

"top of the line solar blankets have an 6-8 year warranty, so figure they need to be replaced every 5 years conservatively.' I'm not sure I follow. Most things outlast their warranty by a fair amount. Did you mean 6-8 year life span?

blueplatespecial

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 5:08 p.m.

To be fair, plastic covers will wear out over time and that has some expense associated with buying new covers. A quick search shows that top of the line solar blankets have an 6-8 year warranty, so figure they need to be replaced every 5 years conservatively. Also, these covers need to be manually removed every time the pool is used. That said, it is hard to imagine how the breakeven analysis for this would work and result in either energy or financial savings for the school system. Once again, the AAPS shows little common sense for how to spend our money. Hardly shocking, disappointing nonetheless.

ahi

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 3:15 p.m.

Why are we heating indoor pools? I swam competitively for many years and the colder the better.

Craig Lounsbury

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 4:32 p.m.

I'm no physics major but I'm pretty sure if the pools were not heated they would pretty much take on the average air temperature over time. So if its 72 degrees in the stands its going to be 72 degrees in the water.....on average....over time

widmer

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 4:16 p.m.

LOL! Something tells me most of the middle schoolers using the pools are not swimming competetively. I can only imagine how much more swimming in middle school would have sucked if the water was also ice-cold...

Sandy Castle

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 2:40 p.m.

Here is a link to a FAQ about liquid pool covers. I didn't find anything out there that wasn't put out by the actual liquid pool people. Hard to find objectivity with that! http://www.liquidpoolcovers.com/faqs.htm It says that compared to other pool covers - "Based on a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week comparison, the liquid solar pool cover is about 75% as effective as a plastic pool blanket."

Sandy Castle

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 7:50 p.m.

If the liquid cover is only 75% as effective as plastic and it requires added substance and pumps to work, how can it be more cost-effective? Are they getting rid of a pool maintenance worker or what to get that savings? This stuff sounds gross!!!!

EyeHeartA2

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 4:50 p.m.

Welcome to this forum Ms. Advocate, I see it is your first day here. I have seen similar testimonials detailing massive weight loss, physic readings and enlargement of certain body parts. I tend to discount those as well.

towncryer

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 4:42 p.m.

It's the internet, ANYTHING can be faked, lol.

Craig Lounsbury

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 4:28 p.m.

" I didn't find anything out there that wasn't put out by the actual liquid pool people. Hard to find objectivity with that!" My experience as well. I couldn't find any sort of independent "science" either. That would make me apprehensive if it was my money......wait a minute it is my (our) money.

EyeHeartA2

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 2:24 p.m.

OK, let me say this more directly. This is BS. The savings per day from the above graph seems to indicate the baseline is on an UNCOVERED pool. You can't tell me this is more effective than a plastic cover. WHY did we do this again?

EyeHeartA2

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 4:46 p.m.

Re: employee cost/month - I would ask the swimmers to cover the pool. Much like football player haul tackling dummies, track runners move hurdles etc. Cost = FREE. Re: Liquid pool cover time - Per AAPS statement, they will only run the cover from midnight to 5AM. The last swimmers out could re-cover the pool earlier than midnight. Re: Environment - You need to know the life cycle of the plastic cover and compare it to the constant re-charging of the isopropal alcohol based cover. I'm not a chemist, but I would be surprised if there wasn't a bit of evaporation and loss from this *alcohol* based cover.

widmer

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 4:20 p.m.

Seriously. The only benefit I can possibly come up with is that this system appears to be automated, so that no one is required to manually take the plastic covers off (I'm not sure what the plastic covers entail; they might be automated as well...) What I can say is that it appears to be LESS efficient than a plastic cover at conserving energy. What I can also say is that if this oil remains in the water, it's essentially guaranteed to attach to swimmers. And finally, what I can worry about is whether or not the oil would provide a protective barrier to blood-borne diseases, such that viruses etc could become encapsulated in the oil droplets that are left behind, and protected from degradation by the chlorine that's present in the water.

Ricardo Queso

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 2:34 p.m.

Because the decision was made by a bureaucrat.

dextermom

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 2:21 p.m.

It's hard to not think that this is going to be one of those things that turns out to be a bad idea. Will it affect swimmer's racing? Will the swim teams long term exposure be a problem? I'm glad we aren't trying this good new idea.

dextermom

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 2:40 p.m.

team's

Craig Lounsbury

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 2:04 p.m.

"Johnson Controls guaranteed the district an annual energy savings of $699,359. " where does the cost of the product and the product "control system" fit in that number? who is going to determine the savings and how? Is Johnson Controls " guarantee" a "we will make up the difference" guarantee?

15crown00

Sat, Aug 18, 2012 : 8:06 p.m.

guarantees are funny things though

Basic Bob

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 2:37 p.m.

That is the total savings produced by the program, including replacing steam valves on the boilers. The pool cover saves $97 a day per pie chart above. Possibly more when the pool is closed?

EyeHeartA2

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 1:42 p.m.

....and this is better than a conventional plastic cover because? It goes both Whiz and Bang?

Jake C

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 11:31 p.m.

From reading the article, it's better because it: 1) saves money 2) saves energy Good enough reason for me.

Ron Granger

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 12:31 p.m.

"However, according to information provided by the district, the pool cover product does not need to be removed from the pool for swimming. The product is said to "break apart" whenever the water is "sufficiently disturbed," but re-forms when the water is calm again." So the first person to dive in will penetrate the barrier and get it on their hair and face. Maybe if this stuff gets in your hair, you'll have "Dick Clark" hair forever? I wonder if this coating could work in the stomach to extend a day of game time drinking?

Allison Camara

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 6:16 p.m.

This is coming off of your stomach, I know swimmers should not be drinking the water but think of the young kids going swimming if they do take in a mouth full of that stuff how will it affect the stomach?

RUKiddingMe

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 12:18 p.m.

This is reported to save 40% of heat loss. Can you tell us what the existing cplastic overs saved? The ones being replaced?

Beth

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 11:59 a.m.

Is there any risk to having this material come into contact with swimmers' skin? Even "most" filtered out will still leave some. Could someone be allergic to the substances used, or could it irritate eczema or any other kinds of allergies?

A2comments

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 11:16 a.m.

"The district will spend a portion of $7.81 planned for energy-saving projects". Million...

Rich

Fri, Aug 17, 2012 : 12:19 p.m.

Gotta spell it out for them: "... of the $7.81M planned..."