Solar Blankets....really worth the trouble ????

[pool newby]

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has a solar cover. I'm looking for one to fit my 18 ft above ground pool to boost water temps a bit and to cut down on some of the evaporation. How hard are these to put on and take off ? I'm wondering if they are really worth all the hassle, I do not want to get one of those reels, because they look tacky, IMHO. Would it be easy enough for the wife to take off or put on, as I work shift work.


thanks


Bob P
Pool newby
E Tn

[medvampire]

Bob
I have a 24 ft and have found the troublejust not worth the extra 2 to 3 up temp. Where are you in E.Tn and I will let you haul mine on and off a few times and see what you think. I have been testing a liquid solar blanket I picked up in Pigon F. and have seen solar cover like proformance. I am only loosing 1 to 3d at night and picking it back up each day. I have been able to hold 83 to 85 for the past few days. Where you running?
Steve

[Poolsean]

without a blanket, you retain approx 50% of heat.
with a liquid solar blanket, you retain approx 65-70%
with a solar blanket, you retain approx 80%

There's newer type "solar" cover in the form of MANY small circles that floats on the top. Add enough and you can cover the surface, or at least retain more heat than without anything. AND anyone can handle them.
I'll have to find the manufacturer name...

OK, found it, http://www.solarsunrings.com/index.html

[pool newby]

I like the idea of these solar rings, seems like alot easier to put on and take off and to store. I wonder how much they are?

Med vampire,

I am in the Knoxville area, and usually my temps are about 78 at night and 80-82 during the days, unless it's in the 90s like it has recently, the highest temp reading I've gotten so far is 86.


thanks


Bob P
pool newby
E Tn

[JohnnySixString]

The solar rings are about $30+ each piece. My 24' round would require about 12 of them, costing almost $400 total. Seems like a more convenient but also more expensive alternative to the blankets.

[CarlD]

I take the different POV. I'm in North Central NJ and in the spring and late summer early fall the solar cover is VERY helpful. Having tried the opaque blue-on-top/black under, the transparent blue, and the transparent heavy-weight clear, I like the last best. I find it insulates when you are looking at days of rain, or cool nights. When you are not using it on sunny days, it really helps warm the water--very useful when you open the pool.

However, they collect a lot of junk in the spring, that you either have to wash off all the time, or falls in the pool--but it least you can skim it quickly.

For a small pool, like an 18' round, I see a reel as pointless--one person can remove or replace the cover, but it's far easier with two. On a larger pool, like my 40'x16', without the reel the cover would be impossible to manage.

[Watermom]

I have a 24 ft AG and a solar cover. It is amazing the difference in the water temp when the cover is used. I had one a few years ago that got destroyed thanks to my two dogs. (The edge of it was hanging off the deck and they managed to get a hold of an edge, pull it into the yard, and have a party.) It didn't take too many days after I no longer had it on the pool to realize how much heat we were losing at night. Yes, they are somewhat of a pain to take on and off. I am still thinking about the easiest thing to do for my pool, but in the meantime, I just drag it off my pool and put it on my deck. I can pull it off easily myself - takes about a minute. (Granted, I am not folding it and covering, etc. like I should. I just pull it off the pool and drag it under a large umbrella to shade it during the day.) In the evening, I usually put it on right before I get out of the pool. Again, not hard to drag back on the pool - 2-3 minutes to get it all spread out. If I'm not in the pool, it it easier to have somebody on the opposite side of the pool to help me put it on.

A little bit of a pain, but definitely worth the couple of minutes. My water is currently about 86 degrees. Without the cover, I struggled to keep it at 78-80 - and that is even with my solar heater. Like I said, still trying to find a good way to roll it up and remove it from my pool. Don't really want to pay $150 to buy one of the reels, but ultimately may have to if I can't figure something else out. Anyone with a large round AG with a good idea, please share and show pics.

(Carl noted that the cover collects a lot of stuff in the spring. That is true, but without it, the stuff would be dropping in the water anyway.)

[Poconos]

Something I just thought of after reading about the rings. How about a plain round cover, then you cut it in 3 sections. Jump in the pool, roll the center one up, then the end pieces. Each would be 8' long and the center one 24' long. That would be the heaviest but should be relatively easy to handle. Better than trying to roll up or drag a single piece.
Just a crazy thought.
Al

[matt4x4]

I have a 30 foot, before I bought the reel, I would roll the cover up while getting into the pool myself, it was a bit of work since it's so cumbersome and big - a lot of side to side travel, then i would just toss it over the edge on the far end where I mounted about 6 large hooks on the uprights on which it would sit, to get it back on, from inside the pool I would reach over, starting on one end, get it back up on top and unroll it.
With the reel, my life has become really easy managing this mamoth plastic sheet.
I would have to say that an 18 foot cover would be REALLY easy to roll up and unroll since it would only weigh about 1/3 of mine, judging from how mine rolled up, I would have to say that side to side travel while rolling it up would be very minimal on an 18 foot.
I would NOT live without it, it raises the temperature enough to get about 2-3 weeks extra out of a season. It keeps enough heat in over night so the pool is nice and swimmable early in the morning. It pretty much stops evaporation which is a REALLY important aspect for me, being on a well.
We don't have any trees nearby, so dirt collecting on top is a non issue.
For some reason, it also really cuts down on the birds using my pool as a toilet.

[tenax]

got mine about 3 weeks ago for 18 x 28 IG pool and i'm a big fan. with the reel, it's a 5 minute job to take off, 5 minutes to put back on with one person..honestly...and the water evaporation saving is visible along with the heat retained. i'm still burning through the chlorine pretty quick when it's off, but not using stabilizer (i get that today)

short story- i wish i had spent the $400 canadian for reel, cover and casters when i got the pool 3 years ago.