Beachcomber issues 2023

[Charles Adwell]

Good morning gents, we’ve been blessed with a couple of weeks of better than average weather for this time of year and it looks like today and Friday should be very sunny though somewhat cool. I know that people are anxious to use the pool but unfortunately the nighttime temperatures in the 50’s and lower 60’s will not allow the heat pump to warm the pool. This morning I put the pump on a timer so the pool should stop running about 8pm and come back on at 8 am. I think that the still water in the pool overnight might reduce the inevitable heat loss from the outside air just because the water is less exposed to the air. The heat pump will not run when the pool pump is off but we have actually experienced loss of water temperature at night with the heat pump running at full capacity. Luigi and I pulled out the old solar blanket which has now been cut into 3 easier to manage pieces though it still pretty much requires a couple of people to put them on and take them off. While we were not thrilled with the new pool liner, the dark blue does contribute rather well to the warming of the pool especially if the day is sunny, so I would recommend leaving them off during the day, however, if they are floated on the surface they will significantly reduce the evaporative heat loss at night when the water is still, I know the solar blanket is offensive to some but I think is worth using it until the days get hotter and the nights warmer if we want to use the pool, we then can fold them back up , put them in clear storage bags under the house and not be bothered with them till the fall when temps fall. The pool guys come on Tuesday and Thursday and having the blanket off is very helpful to them and allows the water to benefit from heat absorption by the dark liner. If you want to turn up the heater on the weekend, please remember to turn it back down to a reasonable temp when you leave.It is quite expensive to pay the electric bill and is especially so when the effort is to no avail. Likewise, the hot tub was left on this weekend at maximum heat for several days and only discovered late yesterday. The guys at perfect pools recommend a resting temp of 97 to 100 degrees and we’ve been using 100.

If you are going to put the solar blanket on in the evening or before tea, it is easiest if you put one on either the deep or shallow end then put on the middle section at the opposite end and glide it up to the center position abutting the first section then move the third section and put it over the uncovered end.

A week ago, we found the propane tank empty when we started dinner on the grill, this was only 2 or three weeks after putting a new tank on the grill, looks like someone forgot to turn off the valve at the tank soil beget in the habit of turning the grill tank off before turning off the burners it should reduce the incidence of the tank being left open after grilling and we should be able to use each tank for a couple of months, I think we pay close to $90 for each one.
Our arrangement with Daniela is the we will attempt to have as much laundry done as possible when we leave the house on Sunday or Monday. Please strip your bed and run a super load with your sheets and bath linens and return them to your room, preferably folded, if they are on the bed unfolded they will be assumed to be clean, if they are dirty, take them to the laundry area and leave them on the floor, hopefully the person who is staying the longest, can get them washed and returned to your room. She reduced her rate by 450/week for us to reduce her laundry duties and she is still more than we paid Francisco, but the cleaning is clearly superior.

Thanks guys, good summer ahead!! //cea