An uncovered swimming pool loses 1.0 inch of water off its 1,000 ft^2 surface each week due to evaporation. The heat of vaporization for water at the pool temperature is 1050 btu/lb. The cost of energy to heat the pool is $10.00 per million btu. A salesman claims that a S500 pool cover that reduces evaporation losses by two-thirds will pay for itself in one 15-week swimming season. Can it be true?

Question

Jamie Stone

Engineering

18 September, 06:15

An uncovered swimming pool loses 1.0 inch of water off its 1,000 ft^2 surface each week due to evaporation. The heat of vaporization for water at the pool temperature is 1050 btu/lb. The cost of energy to heat the pool is $10.00 per million btu. A salesman claims that a S500 pool cover that reduces evaporation losses by two-thirds will pay for itself in one 15-week swimming season. Can it be true?

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Answers (1)

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Barr · Answer 1

The affirmation is true, the cover will be worth buying

Explanation:

The equation necessary to use is

E = m*cv,

Where

cv: the heat of vaporization.

Finding the rate at which the water evaporates (m^3/week).

The swimming pool loses water at 1 inch/week off its 1,000 ft^2

Than,

1000 ft² * 1 in/wk * 1 ft/12 in = 83.33 ft³/week

To obtains the rate of mass loss it is necessary to multiply it for the density of water

83.33 ft³/week * 62.4 lb/ft³ = 5200 lb/week

Knowing the vaporization heat it is possible to find the rate of heat which is leaving the swimming pool

5200 lb/week * 1050 BTU/lb = 5460000 btu/week

Over a 15-week period, the pool loses 81.9 million BTU.

Knowing the cost of energy to heat the pool is $10.00 per million btu

The price = $819

This way, the affirmation is true, the cover will be worth buying