solar cover(blanket) reels - opinions wanted

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Yeah that roller System is based on splitting your cover and a max size of 20X20.

Mark - 3/4" PVC really? I was thinking at least 2" with reinforcements ...

I found extruded aluminum tuning online - ordering two 16' sections was ridiculous. However ordering four 8 foot sections plus an 8 footer to make a bridge section with shipping was about $96. That was using schedule 40 tubing at 2" for the center section and 1.5" for the rest. There's a metal supply shop near me that I'll be visiting at lunch this week too.

KenandShari I'm sorry if this became a tangent I'll create a new thread when I try this out.
 
You can use 2" but it will be much heavier and larger to lift out of the water. But the reason I went with 3/4" is so that I could put a foam core in the PVC and it would float. One thing I noticed with the aluminum and the PVC is that they are heavier than water will sink pulling some of the cover downwards in a little dip. With the foam core, basically 3/4" backer rod, the PVC now floats and keeps the cover from sinking in the middle.
 
No worries on the tangent carlscan 26. We appreciate tangents on this topic since it makes a good discussion and we're learning from it. We've already ordered our solar cover, but never used one so we have no clue what to expect for weight and @$$ pain associated with using it. We're just taking baby steps here. We're only planning to use the cover for early spring and late fall. Around here we won't need it to keep the pool warm in the summer. I'm sure the "what to do" part will become obvious once our cover arrives and we use it a few times and it's great to learn from the experiences of others who have already been there.
 
The cover will also help with evaporation...

I'm in the same boat. First pool that we've owned (had a hot tub and pools in the family that we've house sited with) but first time doing it all on my own. I kept thinking this can't be this hard and shouldn't have to cost A fortune and luckily I found this site my first night searching. :)

So regarding the solar cover I knew a roller would be unlikely but wanted the benefits of the cover but even with it cut in half it's a pain to remove and more than my wife wants to deal with. So this floating roller definitely has me intrigued. I'm definitely going to try building one - just ordered some stuff today for my first attempt. I'll post back when I have something to show.
 
I have used a cover on our pool for years and think they work very well and as advertised. The only problem is the longevity. I think if you look after them properly they will last three maybe four years before they start to disintegrate. I tend not to look after mine and it gets left out in the sun, rolled up on the reel for most of the day. The last cover only lasted two seasons before it became brittle and started to tear. This year I just purchased a new cover, a "crystal clear" version as opposed to the traditional blue that I have always owned before. I don't know what difference it is supposed to make but it is 12mil anyway.

My reel is one I got off e-bay, an Odyssey of some kind. Meh, it's ok I suppose but I had to duct tape over some bolts on the reel as they rusted and stained the cover. Two of the casters have broken off and can't be put back on because the plastic has broken off the frame. It remains usable and so I did not get a new reel.
 
Our cover arrived today and we installed it after the kids got out of the pool this afternoon. Water temp when cover was put on was 65F. The cover was lighter than expected and pretty easy for 2 of us to install. Of course we had to cut it to fit the shape of the pool, but all in all, a relatively simple process. We'll be gone for the next few days, but air temps here are forecast for upper 70's and low 80's through the holiday and weekend. I'll check temps after we return home and post any gains. Typically we see about 62-66 in the day depending on air temps and we lose about 5 degrees at night, so there's this game of catch-up that's been taking place every day with our water temp. Hopefully the cover will maintain the 65 or very close to it and the full sun most of the day on these warm days combined with the solar cover will bring the temp up above 70.

Oh, as posted earlier, we ordered the cover with the grommets that let the water drain off of the top, well the way they advertise that is somewhat misleading. Basically we got a standard 12 mil cover and an envelope with grommets in it. Of course there was an instruction sheet for the DIY project we had unknowingly purchased included. The advertising never mentioned that these were a DIY thing. Not a huge issue, just misleading. If we had known that it was just a DIY kit with plastic grommets, I think we could have saved some $$ and foregone those. I'm pretty sure I could have created my own DIY solution for less.
 
The best aspect of the pool cover I find is that it stops the pool cooling down at night so we are pretty stringent about putting the cover on when we are done swimming. Typically the top 4" of water is really quite hot, like a bath really. When you remove the cover at say, 1:00pm after a few hours of CA sunshine it can be almost too hot. If the pump is running the pool doesn't heat up that well so I tend to let the top 4" get hot and then either let the kids jump in and disperse the hot water or run the pump.
 
Sorry I've missed this thread!

I still like my solar roller, going on my third year and no issues - I just covered the pool this week for the first time this season... Heating the pool for a birthday party. It was up to 84 yesterday; love my heat pump! Anyway, My cover was originally split into two sections for my L shaped pool - one was approx 18x11 and the other 18x18. I had it like this for a year, and found the short section so much easier to deal with that when I replaced the cover, I split it into three sections instead of two - now I have one 18X11 and two 18x9. These short sections are very easy to manage, both in the pool and out. I understand that this won't work for everybody, fortunately it worked out for me. I really had no good way to place a traditional roller on my deck, so my options were pretty limted.

As far as a diy stick, pvc will certainly be too flexible. I think that the solar roller was closer to $150 instead of $200 when I bought it; and while a really clever solution and product, it's probably overpriced either way. Hope the diy extruded aluminum tubes works out - post back and let us know how it's going!
 
I also made a similar design out of PVC 2 years ago. My pool is irregular and about 20 x 40. I did it in two pieces, then 4, but I think 3 pieces would work best for my shape and size. It is easy to role up and a bit more challenging to role out. I'll reiterate that it is easiest to remove from the pool if you take a few extra secs to let the water drain out. 16 x 30 would be difficult with just one piece, I suspect.
 

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We bought this solar cover reel last year.
http://www.amazon.com/Presto-Stainless- ... B003IBTM4I
It looks like this particular one might not be carried anymore.
But i can say we love it. My wife was able to get the cover on and off by herself during the summer while i was working. Easy to wind/unwind, lift and move around. The only issue I have with it are the cover clips. They seemed to pop off. I found much better ones (for tarps) that I'm going to throw on it this year.
 
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