solar cover

[muundance]

We would like to purchase a solar cover to increase our swimming season. Could someone recommend if we should get clear, blue, or blue with a reflective side? Also what mil of thickness is advised. We have a fiberglass pool. Valerie

[doggie]

I haven't seen too many folks here talk about solar covers. But in my experience, from now on we'll always get an extruded one. Which means it's not 2 pieces put together such as a blue top with a silver underside.

We always used to get the blue/silver ones, but invariably it would start to bubble apart the very first year. Which would prevent it from rolling up on the reel correctly. And let me tell you, that's annoying!! Maybe it was some sort of chemical imbalance that made ours bubble, but we were never able to get one to last more than 2 years no matter what quality it was nor how much extra we paid for it. The new extruded one is holding up great and will last several years at this rate.

If you want to read more about the extruded ones, here's the link. They do cost a bit more, but they are WELL worth it in my opinion.

http://www.poolproducts.com/-p-solarblankets.htm

[muundance]

Thank you very much! I will check out the link.

[tenax]

this is the one i'm using:

http://intheswim.com/Solar-Blankets-...-Blankets-I-G/

first season i've had it and used for full season in various weather conditions..the price was right and it works very well in retaining heat on my in ground pool. i haven't noticed any damage including split seams etc. i'm careful to always cover it with the plastic white sheet that came with it whenever it's not on the pool to prevent bubble burts or melting of the cover. (it can get warm even if it's under a good shade tree!)

i figured to stay under the 100 dollar range after reading various opinions on the "lifespan" of solar covers. i decided that even if i went through a cover a year, a 100 bucks was not too much to pay.

it will be stored in my basement in the winter.

[doggie]

That reminds me, no white cover is needed on the extruded ones when they are on the reel. That was another selling point for us. As we get older, we need things to be more convienent.

Also, I paid $169 for our 18x36 and I'm guessing it will last several years.

[doggie]

Hmmm, I can't seem to get the edit to open up right. Oh well, new post.

Tenax, I'm glad to hear your cover worked out so well. Ours would always have basketball sized areas in several spots where the layers seperated by the middle of the very first year no matter what cover we got. I'm just glad we discovered the ones we did.

Anyone else have problems with the layers coming apart leaving big bubbles?

[matt4x4]

I have a relatively cheap 2 layer blue one, I don't use a white cover either since it became a real pain to continually put it on and take it off, so I only put that cover on over the winter. It's now lived 3 years and still going strong, so I assume the white cover really doesn't do THAT much for a longer cover life - I only expected 3 years out of this one, looks like I'll get 5-7.