How do you store your solar cover?

[luvapool]

How do you out there without a solar cover reel store your cover while swimming? I am thinking I could throw it over the fence and add some privacy as well. Would this stretch out or distort the cover? I'll have a black vinyl chain link fence.

[cleancloths]

I would not do that, unless you are super careful I will bet the top of the chain links will tear the cover when you take the cover off the fense.

[Poconos]

I roll my 16x32 cover onto about a 15' piece of 2" PVC pipe, then lift it out of the water, set it along the fence out of the way, then cover it with white bedsheets. It's a 12 mil and somewhat heavy but manageable by myself. Only disadvantage is I have to get in the pool to roll it up. Whatever you do don't leave it exposed to direct sun when rolled. Infrared penetrates to the middle and you can melt the plastic. Also voids the warranty. I can post pics of the process if anyone is interested.
Al

[matkot]

I have an irregular shaped pool & also keep toys around the pool that makes it difficult to have a solar reel nearby. What we did is cut the solar cover in half (voiding the warranty, but making it so much easier to handle) and cut it to fit the shape of the pool. Me and my wife or even my 7 year old daughter will each grab an end and pull the cover up on the decking folding it accordian style (similar to a tarp). Fold the cover in half (and half again) and store it along the fence (out of the sunlight and hidden behind some shrubs. When we need to put it back on the pool, we just reverse the process. It's worked for me for the last 2 years and the benefits of having a solar cover outway the 5 minutes that it takes us to remove the cover. I've attached a picture of the pool (minus the solar cover).

[NWMNMom]

When we had a smaller pool (18' round), we would fold both sides in on the middle, then roll as we pulled from the end, then store in a really big Tote with a hinged lid at that end of the pool. It wasn't too bad, but like I said, pool was smaller, so cover was smaller. Now the pool is larger - we are getting a reel and mounting outside the pool at the back end. Check out Matt4x4 posting where he has pix. I think thats the way to go.

[sleater]

follow up question
we have an irregular shaped pool very similar to matkot
and didn't want to deal with the hassle
but ...
if you put a solar blanket that covered, say, only 50% of the water surface, would this help keep the pool warm or would it be a waste of time?

[CarlD]

I have a solar reel, and a solar cover cover to protect it when rolled up.

For the winter I dry it, fold it up, and put it away.