Solar cover....which one

Have a 22x42 AG. Need a new cover this year... see clear, blue/clear, blue/black(?)/ and good old blue.

Blue is cheapest...

Any real difference??

I wish the search function was more functional. However, if you do an advanced search of this forum, 'pool eq and op' with the words "solar cover" you'll get a bunch of hits and you can pretty easily filter the ones you want by the title of the thread. A lot has been discussed as to the merits and drawbacks of each type. My only comment is I have an IG pool and roll my cover on a piece of PVC pipe while in the water and lift it out. I tried a cheapo 8 mil cover once and that just didn;t want to roll easily because it was too flimsy. Got a 12 mil and rolls nicely.
Al

IMHO, 12 mil blue/clear or blue is the most cost effective in terms of lifespan, durability, and effectiveness. Don't waste your money on the heavier stuff. It doesn't last for a longer enough time to justify the added expense and the blue/clear or blue color is usually the cheapest and works just as well as the others. You want to have to cover on at night to retain heat and remove it during the day so the sun can heat the water. An uncovered pool heats better than one that is covered and the majority of heat loss happens during the night from evaporation. I have an IG pool also and cut my cover into pieces that are small enough for 1 person to handle since my pool shape does not really permit me to use a cover reel.

Realisticly, expect maybe 3 years out of a 12 mil cover. the 8 mil usually only last one season and the thicker ones MIGHT give you 5 years. If you leave the cover exposed to sunlight while it is off the pool it will degrade a lot faster then if you keep it out of the sun or covered!

I went for a thicker, clear cover last season (16 mil). It was on sale for less than the 12mil. I'll stick with the 12mil in the future, the thicker covers are really hard to handle, they don't lay on the pool as well and they weight a lot more. Hopefully, I'll get a lot of years out of this one.

BTW, the clear does look nice as the pool liner shows through. It looks more "natural" than the bright blue. But, I wouldn't make a buying decision based on that.