Solar Covers

[kelemvor]

Pool covers work primarily by preventing heat loss due to evaporation. Clear would allow the most solar energy to penetrate the cover and get into the pool during the day.

The U.S. department of energy has a good document on the subject that explains it in a way that's fairly easy to understand: http://www.energysavers.gov/your_hom.../mytopic=13140

[Spensar]

Does anyone know if the Ray-Maxx Gold Series solar pool cover works well. We just had our fiberglass pool installed in April and we are in need of a solar pool cover. We are debating the blue/gold vs. a clear cover. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Like kelemvor said, the biggest loss is evaporation at around 70%, which is effected by the difference in the water temp. vs. air, humidity and wind. The main thing is to seal off the water with a cover, and either one will do. Manufacturers try to make it look like a fancy one will be a huge benefit. I've bought the most expensive and moderately priced ones, and I didn't notice a difference. Right now I have a clear one and am very happy with it. The most expensive one also fell apart the quickest, and it was supposed to be a "7 year" cover. Posts on the forum indicate that 2 to 4 years is about the norm for any cover.