Clear Solar Cover

[simsjim]

Hi Nater

Yea, my aunt does the fold-it method, and her lawn has "blanket spots" all over it. And her BIGGEST complaint, year after year is that she doesn’t use her pool as often as she would like because the blanket is such a pain in the tush to get on and off. So she bakes and sits on her deck and looks at her covered pool! Yuk...

By Texas standards my pool is tiny - 16x24 - 12K gal IG vinyl. - With your 16' wide pool, you should be able to handle unrolling and rolling yourself. I sometimes have to "work" both sides of the reel to aid even rolling, but that's easier than dragging a water-logged, folded cover around the deck.

I went for the "commercial reel". It's the lower profile - "Pro 1000" all aluminum and steel reel. It actually costs more than the cover. (around $250 I think) I thought that price was steep - but, I LOVE the simplicity and portability the reel allows. Roll it up to swim = about 5 minutes - and a quick skim of the debris that falls off of the cover when you roll it up. Unroll at night to save chems, water, and heat = 3 minutes. PLUS free heat and chemical savings during the day when nobody is using the pool.

I did not get the optional casters, IMHO it's light enough to move out of the way if you need to do so. But I suppose that your specific pool configuration will determine if you need them.

One caution - If you have a diving board, take into account the size of the cover rolled up on the reel to see if you will have fitment issues under the dive (if you plan to store it on the deep end of the pool). They sell "low profile" reels to fit under dives, but they are plastic I think. So shorten the lifespan accordingly.

Many on-line merchants offer "Reel Deals" where you buy the solar cover and the reel together and save a few bucks. I got mine at InTheSwim.com.

Here is a link to the site and model I purchased:
http://www.intheswim.com/Pool-Covers...le-Solar-Reel/

Another caution - the mail order reel comes VERY unassembled, and is not for someone who is opposed to some intermediate-level DIY. Allow a few hours to put the reel together, there is quite a bit of measuring, aluminum cutting and fastening to be done. It helps (read - is required) to have an extra pair of hands. A battery operated drill with an aluminum drilling bit, and screwdriver attachments, and a SHARP hacksaw or jigsaw with aluminum cutting blades makes the job much easier.

Even with those hefty cautions - I can testify that I LOVE my reel/cover combo. It's hands-down one of the best accessories I've ever bought for my pool.

Go for it! Once assembled and in use, you may wonder why you didn’t get it sooner.

[nater]

Good to hear, thanks for the input!