Category: Blog

Solar panels for RVs have become increasingly popular because they allow their owners to generate their own energy. When converting the house trailers into self-sufficient and self-sustainable vehicles, the installation of solar electric systems represents a great economic advantage since it reduces the expenditure on electricity and resources. In addition, it allows the traveler to move more comfortably by not needing to be connected constantly to a conventional electricity grid system.

At first, acquiring solar panels can be expensive; however, with the energy savings it represents, the investment can be recovered in a short period of time since the main purpose of the ecological technology is, mainly, the use of natural resources and the reuse of them, which leaves us a considerable reduction in terms of usage of expensive fuels and generation devices that must be replaced frequently.

There are many factors to consider when acquiring solar panels, among them, is to determine what type of system is better for our artifact. In the case of solar self-generation produced by panels, we have two types; the photovoltaic one and the thermal one. Photovoltaic solar panels work through the generation of chemical reactions and thermal panels function by means of reactions through the heating of water to create energy.

Photovoltaic solar energy is based on gaining power by the incidence of the sun’s rays on the panels’ surface, which generates a chemical reaction that consists of obtaining energy from the light, sending it to the electrons causing them to separate of neutrons and protons, and, then it is released in the form of electricity. This type of systems works better the more exposure they have to the sun, that is to say, they must be placed directly in front of the sun to get as much light as possible, and therefore produce more electrical charge.

The main components of these devices are photovoltaic cells, however, several types can be found within this category. Among them are the crystallines; monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous. The monocrystalline are composed of sections of a single silicon crystal, polycrystalline are created from a set of crystallized particles and amorphous ones have silicon particles that are not crystallized. There are also solar panels made of gallium arsenide, cadmium telluride, indian copper diselenide or tandem diselenide.

On the other hand, we have thermal solar panels; its method of operation is much simpler because these devices, on the other hand and as their name implies, work by generating energy through the heat obtained from the sun’s rays. Inside the solar panels, pipes that allow the circulation of water are installed, this water is heated with the warmth absorbed by the solar panels and releases energy that is, then, converted into electricity. This type of system can be manufactured by hand, which makes it cheaper than the photovoltaic one. In this case, the types of thermal panels vary according to the degree of heat that they can reach, so they are divided into those of low temperature, medium temperature and high temperature.

For these reasons, to choose which type of solar panel is the best for us, we must consider factors such as the investment we have at hand, the electric charge we need to generate, and even the climate of the area in which it will be installed.

A trolling motor is an independent unit with an electric motor and controls that allow the operator to have much more control over the fishing boat. This type of towing device is designed to reduce the resistance of the main engine of the boat and thus achieve a more versatile and light displacement and, in this way, avoiding spooking the fish. They are usually installed on the bow or stern of the boat.

The word “Trolling” is related to a fishing method that consists of carefully drawing a bait or decoy through the water to attract a bite of the fish that you want to capture. This process is generally used when it comes to catching fish that do not adhere to the bottom of the sea or make life near the coast; they are called pelagic fish, such as salmon, for example. From there, the name is given to the trolling motors, since they are specially designed for fishing.

There are two types of trolling motors available: the first one is the bow mount trolling motor, this one is usually located at the front of the boat and we also have the transom mount trolling motors which are manufactured for the posterior. Both types work according to voltage, they are even sold with different measures of electric potential, which means that the larger the motor, the more power will be generated and the more strength it will have at the moment of using it.

The power of a trolling motor is measured in pounds of thrust, which means that the higher the number of pounds is, the more power the engine will have. This is intimately linked to the size of the boat since it is not recommended to use very large engines for small boats or vice versa. For boats with lengths between 12 and 13 feet, an engine with 30 pounds of thrust is recommended; for boats between 17 and 18 feet in length, engines between 50 and 55 pounds are suggested; and for larger boats 22 feet in length, engines over 100 pounds are advisable.

Within these categories are the following types of engines. Manual motors: they are those that are installed in the bow or stern of the boat and are handled directly by hand. They are characterized for being much more maneuverable than any other type of engine, providing speed when operating or changing direction. In addition, it is the most economical type of them.

We also have mechanical pedal motors, they are easy to operate and consist of facilities that have a pedal that is placed on the floor of the boat, which allows the operator to have their hands free to engage in other tasks. Its system is composed of cables and pulleys that are directed with the foot and are very popular for boats. On the other hand, we have mechanical pedal motors. These are very popular ones because they provide smoothness when maneuvering and moving through water, they also have speed control and are the most controllable in terms of direction.

As a last point, to achieve a better performance of our trolling motors it is recommendable to use marine batteries or deep cycle batteries as they allow more cycles of loading and unloading than those of acid. In addition, there are chargers for marine batteries or deep cycle batteries that allow increasing their operating time.

Most of us love to enjoy the summer by taking a bath in a pool, however, we must be very careful when maintaining one since it is a container that stores large amounts of water for a long time, it tends to accumulate many bacteria and germs which can be harmful to health. When we think about carrying out a process of disinfection and purification of the water in a swimming pool, the first chemicals that appear in our mind are chlorine and bromine, powerful substances at the time of cleaning and sanitizing due to their disinfectant properties but which must be manipulated with so much care as they can be abrasive and dangerous for the human being.

For this reason, alternative methods for water cleaning that do not require these types of products have been developed. Among the most common currently used, we have salt chlorination. This is a well-liked system among the population nowadays as it is highly effective, its cost is low and accessible and, in addition, it could be automated. Saline chlorination is a method by which sodium chloride, or salt, is added to the pool water which passes through channels composed of titanium that will separate the chlorine from the sodium present in the salt through a continuous electrical current, called electrolysis, which will allow the sterilization of water. After disinfecting the water, the chlorine combines again with the sodium, creating salt again and the possibility of the cycle repeating indefinitely, and this will leave us with a permanent disinfection system.

Since the water with which the pools are filled is usually fresh, the salt must be added, for which it is recommended to add 35 grams of salt per liter of water. This combination will pass through the chlorinator and generate sodium hypochlorite, a substance that mixed with water turns out to be a powerful disinfectant for aqueous solutions. This leaves us with a type of free chlorine that does not degrade, contrary to that of chlorine tablets or commercial liquid chlorine, so you will not have to carry out the process frequently.

Although this process generates a type of free chlorine that does not degrade, it is recommended to add a chlorine stabilizer as well, since UV rays can alter its level, in addition, depending on the exposure to the sun, water can evaporate but the amount of salt would be maintained and this could generate much more chlorine than necessary compared to the volume of water that the pool has. In these cases, the most common advice is to use cyanuric acid.

It is also important to install water chlorinators that have built-in pH regulators, bearing in mind that the acidity and alkalinity level of the water directly influences the disinfection process and the quantities of chemicals to be used may vary accordingly. In addition, it is recommended to regulate the temperature of the pool water, for which there are different types of heaters and thus, in this way, help to potentiate the effects of germicides.

Weatherizing a swimming pool is one of the most frequent practices that are being carried out nowadays. There are many people who perform this action either to improve the environment when using it or to improve the methods of disinfection of its waters. A pool is considered heated when the temperature is between 27 and 28 degrees Celsius to be able to use it not only in summer but at any time of the year. Likewise, aspects such as the size of the pool, the climate of the place where it is located and whether it is covered or not should be considered.

There are many alternatives to carry out the heating of a pool, among them we have electric heaters, heat pumps, exchangers, covers and solar panels that allow us to increase the water temperature to get more comfort when taking a bath, swimming, submerge or simply to eliminate the creation of bacteria that cold water can produce.

The first advantage that this practice leaves us is the capacity to determine to our liking the heat degree of the water in the pool, no matter where it is. In addition, it permits to regulate temperature of the zone’s ambient in which it is located through dehumidifiers, which will offer the user the possibility of obtaining a much more satisfactory experience.

Another factor in favor of pool heaters is that they allow us to extend the bathing season. That is to say, people can use these tools and tips to make their pool functional even in seasons where the weather is very cold and even, at best, when they have complete equipment and their maintenance work is done frequently, they can be used all year round.

Also, the processes of cleaning and disinfecting the water of the pools and their components, is affected to a large extent by its temperature. Many people rely on the power of heat to destroy bacteria and attack germs, which is why, they choose to heat the water to high temperatures and thus avoid the formation of bacterial colonies and the spread of diseases. However, it is important to know that the higher the water temperature is, the faster the deterioration process becomes; so it is recommended not only to keep it warm, but to regulate it at neutral temperatures so as not to alter its composition.

Thanks to advances in ecological technology, we have solar panels specially designed to function as solar pool heaters. Devices that do not require high amounts of energy to perform their work, they also allow the use of the power and properties of the sun for the care, maintenance and regulation of both the state of the water and the pool in general.

Futhermore, it is important to carry out deep cleaning processes frequently, especially because water tends to modify its state and allow the creation of microorganisms when its temperature varies constantly and without control. For this reason, there are different devices such as robotic cleaners or automated filters, in addition to a series of chemicals and natural products that can be used for disinfection and sanitization of the area.

Safety at the time of swimming is one of the things we should pay more attention to. Statistics indicate that drowning deaths result from carelessness, especially those related to children or pets. For that reason, it is advisable to install alarms for swimming pools and thus have control over the use that is given to that space so loved by all of us.

In many countries worldwide, the installation of immersion alarms is mandatory in order to prevent accidents and to ensure maximum safety. As the name implies, immersion alarms for swimming pools are devices capable of sending us an immediate notification when someone enters it. This function allows us to know when someone is submerged in the water and thus prevent those who do not have the skills to swim or get out of it from suffering some kind of accident.

They are also known as immersion detectors; they are an extremely important element within aquatic safety measures and parameters because they optimize the security of the space and, therefore, increase the tranquility and confidence of the users. They record the movements generated in the flows when someone moves in the water and they also have a siren that indicates when this action happens. It should be noted that this type of technology is designed to detect if the movement it perceives comes from external factors such as rain or natural phenomena or, on the contrary, it is generated from within the facilities of the pool, so the margin of error that they have is very small and the chances of their reporting erroneously are slim.

In addition, there are several alarm models that allow the user to choose the one that best suits their needs. First, we have the perimeter alarms; these devices consist of sensors that indicate when someone has jumped into the water. Its use is very common in spite of being able to give false alarms if any object falls into the pool, for example, but they are highly recommended since they are the fastest warning and, if you have children or pets, it helps you to be aware of how they are.

On the other hand, we have floating alarms. These comply basically with the same function of the previous ones, that is to say, they give a warning before any type of immersion in the water. However, its installation is the simplest since they can be placed on the edges or simply left floating in a specific place in the pool. Furthermore, in more advanced models, they also control the perimeter of the pool, so they are able to detect if there is movement near it.

Finally, we have bracelet or anklet alarms; a much more advanced and technological option. Its function is the same as the previous ones with the difference that they are used directly by the person, which can be an advantage since it provides information from someone in specific but, at the same time, they can give erroneous results since we are in constant contact with water, factor that can cause their sensors to activate and send wrong signals.

All types of alarms are designed with a specific function; protect the safety of users. But, also, it is important to remember that there are other aspects such as the cleaning of the pools, which prevents the accumulation of bacteria and converts it into a healthier place. And, in addition, there are accessories and instruments that provide more comfort when swimming, such as water heaters for swimming pools.