Patent ID: 7043341

Claim:
A method for controlling the heating of a swimming pool having a heater with a control mechanism, comprising the steps of: establishing and recording a minimum temperature, a maximum wind speed, pool water temperature and a plurality of times and dates in the future that will permit use of said pool; checking the forecast weather for a first future time period and comparing the forecast air temperature and wind speed against said air temperature and wind speed from said establishing step for said time period to determine if they will not permit use of said pool for any of said times and dates established in said establishing step within said first future time period and recording the first said unpermitted time and date; determining the next time and date in said first future time period that is after said first unpermitted time and date recorded in said checking step that will permit use of said pool by comparing the forecast air temperature and wind speed for the remainder of said first future time period to said air temperature and wind speed from said establishing step and recording any said next time and date; calculating the time required for said heater to heat the pool water to said temperature from said establishing step prior to said next time and date that will permit use of said pool from said determining step and predicting the temperature of the water in the pool for all times between the current time and date and said next time and date that will permit use of said pool from said determining step utilizing the forecast weather for this time period; measuring the temperature of the pool water; periodically comparing the measured pool water temperature from said measuring step and said predicted pool water temperature from said calculating step for the same time; overriding the heater control mechanism and causing the heater to be turned off if said checking step records a first unpermitted time and date and said measured pool water temperature is greater than said predicted pool water temperature and thereafter causing said heater to be turned on if said measured pool water temperature is not greater than said predicted pool water temperature; and returning control to said heater control mechanism at said next time and date that will permit use of said pool from said determining step.