Heating The Slate Bed

fathomblue said:
So, does anyone have any info or a link regarding retrofitting tables for heating systems?
Click to expand...

One person in Britain said he would just put a 60 watt bulb under the table
and leave it on all night.
I kinda like the price....
 
Ghosst said:
The 10' Brunswick in TAR20 was heated, but I've only seen it on billiard tables outside of that. As for why it's not common place, radiant heating is expensive and most poolhalls are just scraping by as is.
Click to expand...

I was there in person for that match. Earl put a bunch of space heaters under the table. They were not heaters specific to tables.
 
Costwise: i paid around 1200 to have it installed when i bought my table: it looked a lot like the system in the link from scaramouches post. Took around 20-30 mins for the slate to warm up.
 
Pidge said:
Yeah, I've played on many heated tables in the past and can't understand why they wouldn't use them in pool especially in the States where temps fluctuate from state to state.

As StraightPoolIU says, they used them at the snooker world champs this year. I'm not sure about the videos on Youtube but you can deffinately see a black box on the underside at the black ball cushion with the temp clearly visable if you go to watch it live.

Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Stuart Bingham at this years world champs; Ronnie was complaining about the table and requested the temp to be adjusted because the table was playing slow. I think they refused and he then wanted the table to be re-fitted.

I honestly don't know why they heat the table but would love someone to chime in with an answer. If what Ronnie wanted was true, and they do make a difference to table speeds, why don't they use them in sticky and humid climates?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.

Its probably a cost thing. The tables would cost more, and the pool rooms would need an electrical outlet under each table. That would be a ton of work to run those wires, especially if the floor is concrete. My local room acquired two heated European carom tables a few years ago, and had an electrician chisel out a channel in the cement floor (under the carpet) to run the wires for the outlets. I'm sure you can do it in other ways, such as extension cords, but if you don't want bumps all over the floor, you need an outlet under each table.

If you are handy and want to heat your home table, I bet you can come up with a few inexpensive and effective ways to do it, just walking around your local home improvement store.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Thanks for the info.

Its probably a cost thing. The tables would cost more, and the pool rooms would need an electrical outlet under each table. That would be a ton of work to run those wires, especially if the floor is concrete. My local room acquired two heated European carom tables a few years ago, and had an electrician chisel out a channel in the cement floor (under the carpet) to run the wires for the outlets. I'm sure you can do it in other ways, such as extension cords, but if you don't want bumps all over the floor, you need an outlet under each table.

If you are handy and want to heat your home table, I bet you can come up with a few inexpensive and effective ways to do it, just walking around your local home improvement store.
Click to expand...
I've never noticed any power cords on the floor or any under the surface. I'm sure I would have felt them whilst making my way around tables. If I ever get chance I'm going to just stick my head under the table and check what's going on. Drop my chalk maybe. I've always just assumed they were run off high power batteries.

I'm not sure I've got it in me to come up with a quick cheap fix. The table would have to me cooled down slightly at this time of year and drastically warmed in the winter and I'd need some way of measuring the slates temperature.

I've got a few friends that construct snooker tables for televised events so with a bit of luck they can pick me up a used heating system and fit it for nothing more than the price of the heater and a few beers! Got to love "mates rates".

I've not seen them in a while so ill give them a call sometime and see if I can get the low down on whether they're worth it and how much it would cost at standard price. If they can get cheap heaters and fit them on the cheap, then anyone wanting one ill pm you their phone numbers and try get them to do it cheap. Would have to be in the UK, obviously :)
 
Last edited:
fathomblue said:
So, what's the "optimum slate/cloth" temperature?
Click to expand...

Snooker tables - 50 degrees Celsius

The main problem with some of the bargain basement solutions is that the slate will not be heated uniformly: there will be hot spots.
 
Last edited:
I believe the reason a heated table plays faster than the same table cold is that rubber becomes more elastic/ lively, as temperature increases.

The old suspension forks- front shocks- on mountain bikes often used elastomers (pieces of rubber) to provide compression/ rebound/ travel. The difference was like night and day, riding the same fork in winter vs. summer.

I believe the pro way to add a heater to a table is to use waterbed filament/ control and run it through styrofoam that is attached to the underside of the slate. The cheapo way is to lay an electric blanket over the cloth prior to play.
 
pt109 said:
... A warm golf ball was worth roughly 30 yards off the tee, for me, on a cool day....they sell golf ball warmers.
...
Click to expand...
Aren't golf balls mostly rubber? Heat makes rubber more elastic, I believe. Before they figured out vulcanization they had to heat the cushions. I think there is still some effect. I think the effect on pool balls would be negligible. They are already pretty good.
 
I use 10 25 watt light bulbs under my 9' Gold Crown 2 table 24 hrs a day 360 days a year, Table is in my garage.
 
years ago I would heat up a pool slate that was in my cold garage with a old waterbed heater.now if I heat my table ill leave a space heater on low underneath it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top