Managing the solar cover - our solution

[AnnaK]

Our pool is 15 x 33. We had cut the solar cover to fit the surface but putting it on and taking it off was still a nasty undertaking. Bottom line: I wasn't using the cover, the water got too cold, I'm not using the pool. Not good.

Out came the scissors and we cut it into five sections: two rounded ends and three middles, cut across the width of the pool. Ten feet in on the rectangular pieces we installed 3 inch styrofoam balls, one per piece. We stuck small squares of Gorilla tape on both sides of the cover, put a grommet in, put the styro ball inside a piece of nylon stocking, and threaded it through the grommet. On the back we stuffed a small snippet of left-over solar cover to act as a washer of sorts, and knotted the nylon.

Why the balls? I float one of the approximately 3 foot x 15 foot sections on the water surface, then use the net pole to gently push against the ball and thusly manoeuver the section across the water to the other side. Piece of cake! First I put on the rounded piece near the steps, then the three long rectangles, and then the end by the water return. Even with the pump running that end doesn't move because . . . well, it bumps up against the rectangular piece and there it stays.

Removing them takes about 2 minutes. As they come off the water surface I sort of accordion-fold them into a nice, tight package and hang them over the holders my husband put on the outside of the deck railing.
Works for us!

[ShelleyAnn]

Picture please!

[matt4x4]

I think we'd ALL really like to see some pics of your design as well as the pics for the proceedure. Sounds like you made a cumbersome task (for one person) relatively easy.

[AnnaK]

Here are the pictures:

http://ellerbach.com/Pool/Solarcover/Solar.htm

The URL is also posted in the long thread "Solar Blankets....really worth the trouble ????" I apologize for the duplication. My mistake for starting a new thread when a perfectly fine discussion about this very thing was already going on.

[RavenNS]

Hey, that's brilliant!
good for you for inventing this...
I love the idea of the balls for pulling the cover with a leaf net.

( btw, love the view that you have too! )

[AnnaK]

Thanks!

Our view is truly spectacular. We're already up on a hill and put the pool on the ridge behind the house. Oh yes, it was tricky getting the sand truck up there but they managed. The water delivery had to be piggybacked, big 18 wheeler on the road at the bottom of the hill dumping water into a smaller truck which made it up the driveway and then laid a loooooong hose up the hill. They had to refill the little truck twice.

Where in NS are you? We have friends in St. Margaret's Bay. Gorgeous place!