solar blanket alternatives

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dayhiker

dayhiker

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Jun 6, 2008
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Pell City, AL
It's time to replace my solar blanket, so I've been doing some searches to price them out. I came across some hexagonal discs that you put out, but they are either discontinued or on backorder, as they are listed as not available. I like the idea of isolated items that would be easy to place. I found some discs that are pretty similar. These had mixed reviews. I then came across some black discs about 4' in diameter. The material is only listed as Coast Guard approved UV insulation. It seemed like a good system but was pricey at $40 each. I would need 35-ish. I did a couple of searches and found closed cell foam insulation like you would use for a backpacking mattress. I doubt that this is the exact material, but I bet it's close. I am very tempted to buy sheets of the closed cell foam, cutting it into shapes and giving it a try. It's more expensive than a blanket, but the thought of being able to place and retrieve them easier along with easier storage is very attractive.

Does anyone have any experience using disc type products in lieu of a solar blanket? Am I nuts for thinking what I described above might work?

Here's a link to the foam: http://www.foamorder.com/closedcell.html

Here's a link to the hexagon stuff that's no longer available: http://www.inyopools.com/Reviews/NS7912-6
 
The main function of a solar blanket is to reduce heat loss due to evaporation. If you do not cover most of the pool, then you will still loose heat. From what I have read, the floating disks do not stay in place if there is wind and certainly do not cover all of the pool surface.

I had one of the HEX bubble covers and found that in the corners of the bubble, the material was thinner and they would fail more quickly in the corners.

Stick with the cheapest blanket you can find as they all seem to fail pretty quickly anyway.

EDIT to add link to relevant thread:
does-clear-solar-covers-realy-get-the-water-warmer-t51988.html

Unconfirmed aside:
You could probably get most of the heat retention benefit from putting a clear plastic sheet over the pool. The blankets really do not "heat the water" very much.
 
Also realize though that the heat is added to the pool by the sun. If you put foam on the water, the sun will not be able to heat the water as you have now insulated it.

I suppose you could pull the foam off every day and put it on every night.

Have you tried to cut the blanket into a few smaller pieces? That is pretty common.
 
Yes, I'm just trying to hold the heat in at night and realize it won't add heat. I do have solar panels for that.

I may wind up trying getting one and cutting it into strips. As-is, I can put the blanket on and take it off by myself, but my wife cannot, so that's part of the issue too. I only need them in April, May, late Aug, and Sept. Once school starts, the pool doesn't get used much because if the blanket is on over night, then when she gets the kids home from school, they can't really get in until I'm there to deal with the blanket.

The system that triggered the thoughts on foam was pretty neat, they had about a 2" dia. hole in the middle of the disc and then you took a pole to grab the hole. They then had a storage rack that was a base with a dowel sticking up and you just stacked the discs on the dowel. It seemed very well thought out. Enough 1" closed foam to cover the pool is knocking $1000, so that isn't the ultimate solution, but something similar sure would be nice. Heck, that's not much cheaper than just buying their system. The convenience isn't worth $1000 price difference.
 
have you considered the liquid pool stuff. I am in the process of building and researching. A coworker said he is using the liquid pool cover and it appears to be working. maybe some input from other as i am technically still a newbie and still learning. wife would not have to.remove it. sorry, sent from my phone. think it is heatsvr.
 
The liquid only works if you have basically zero wind. Add a little wind and the alcohol is blown across the surface of the pool leaving only the downwind side covered.
 
The reason that I've never gotten a real is that it seems like it's in the way. You'd pretty much limit access to the pool at the deep end from the diving board only. It may not be as big of a deal as I'm making it, but that's why I've resisted it.

It sounds like getting a new blanket and cutting it at each seam is the way to go. I think that would leave 4 long strips. I guess you can just roll each one individually for storage and when it's time to place it, you just unroll one, push it out into the pool, unroll the next in the same spot, then you have 2 down, then repeat on the opposite end. The rolls are then narrow enough and light enough to more easily manage.
 

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I think someone mentioned this earlier in the thread, but what about using plastic sheeting or a tarp. 1 or 2 mil plastic sheeting is probably durable enough to last the season, could be folded up into a much smaller size than a solar cover, and will prevent heat loss due to evaporation. You would probably get something for less than $20.
 
faby3003 said:
I think someone mentioned this earlier in the thread, but what about using plastic sheeting or a tarp. 1 or 2 mil plastic sheeting is probably durable enough to last the season, could be folded up into a much smaller size than a solar cover, and will prevent heat loss due to evaporation. You would probably get something for less than $20.
Click to expand...

The thing about a sheet, is no bubbles to pop that then grow algae.
 
I still have not covered my new-to-me pool at all due to the pita factor, Grecian shape and awkward footprint of decking area.
I am using cover free, but I have nothing to compare it to.
It does make quite a difference, though, compared to without it. Eg. After a cold night if I swim in the am as soon as I "break" the surface tension by diving in you can watch the steam rise, but prior there is very little. Last night it was down in the low 60s and this am pool is 81 degrees, down from 83 last night. However, if it had been in the 50s, id have expectedMeire like a 5 degree drop. At night I turn off the filter so that the water stays calm, which is when the cover free seems to work the best.

Ultimately, someday I'd like a retrofit built-in automatic cover (I think) but even with higher heat costs I'm not sure I'd get much of an ROI on it...but ask me again after I battle leaves this fall ;)

Hope that helps.
 
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