Solar Sun Rings

[JETTA]

I purchased 7 of these for my pool to try this season instead of the solar blanket. I got a good price on them. Anybody try them. I checked their site and they sound good.

http://www.skijay.com/DSC02442.JPG

Here is their site:

http://www.solarsunrings.com

[badutahboy]

I think there were a few threads about them last year and the general concensus was that they don't live up to their hype...

[JETTA]

I think that is the reason for the $12.99 price. I wanted to give them a try as I like the concept that they do let some of the pool to be exposed to let the chemicals gas out. The negative would be the temperature loss at night.

[MrSpeed]

I just bought 12 for my 24' round. We've had a crappy May so far so it's hard to say how well they work. However they are not as easy to put on and remove as I thought. I thought the ring was made out of fiberglass but you just blow them up. They tend to flop over in a good wind. Once you get them out of the pool they're a little tough to handle.

BUT....it is a lot easier than the full solar blanket. Once we get a break in the weather I'll report back how they work out during the swim season.

[JETTA]

UPDATE:

Day one - Installation no issues, the trick was not to overinflate the outside ring or it would not lay flat. Seven?? I think they are two short. There is a lot of uncovered surface. Two more would be tight, but it would cover more of the surface. Otherwise, the heat gain (if any) would be lost at nighttime. I have left over trimmings from solar blankets, so i formed a Hybrid solar cover: 80% Solar Rings / 20% Solar Cover

1 hour after inflating all seven - Two have lost air on the outside rings. The valve stem "covers" popped out. They are too loose fitting. Sent an email to the company per instructions enclosed within package.

I will let know the outcome, favorable / unfavorable. I will be unbiased and if the company does not honor the warranty, all of you will know.

[JETTA]

I received my replacement rings today from the company.

[JETTA]

Just an update, these do appear to work. It has finally been sunny (we have had a lot of haze) and the water temp has crept up to 86. I do have about 90% coverage thanks to using some pieces of solar cover to provide some more coverage.

They do lay flat and have not become airborne on a windy day. To store when swimming, I fold them up and hang over the fence. There are no sharp edges.

[JETTA]

I am getting ready to close my pool and figure I would give my update on the solar rings.

I think they are a good product. They do work, however in my application I think the traditional solar cover works better. I have gotten tired of the removal and installing each time I use the pool and stuffing parts of an old solar cover to fill in the large areas where the rings do not cover.

Sadly they will not make a return for the 2009 swimming season. I already bought the solar cover for next season.

[ChuckD]

Hey Jetta,
Just wanted to thank you for this informal product review. I kind of foresaw the tedium of adding/removing so I stay with my solar cover, but good to hear the report of a braver soul than I.
Thanks.

ChuckD

[MrSpeed]

I have and end of season report as well. I found the rings easier to remove than the regular solar cover. We would just stack them on each other and let them float in the pool . After the swim we would just spread them out again. When removing them from the pool it took a litttle longer than a regular cover but it was easier. So I guess it's a tradeoff.

They do work but not as well as a solar cover. They were great during the hotter months to keep the temp up. However in the cooler months the cover did a much better job of retaining the heat overnight. No surprises there I guess.

I will be getting a solar reel next season to make removing the regular solar cover easier. We will also still use the rings in the hotter months too.

[aylad]

Thanks for the reviews, and especially the follow-up posts. It's nice to hear "the rest of the story"!

Janet