Will a Solar cover work?

[sunny beach]

Okay, stupid question.
Our water temp has dropped from the 82-90 we enjoyed at the height of our first season.
(No chemical issues thanks to this site).
The fun seems to be over now, with the temps falling. We're at about 75-76 now.
That does not appeal to anyone at my house!
We have the auto cover and we keep it mostly closed to keep the winds from blowing stuff into the pool.
We don't expect to actually "close" the pool as we don't get cold weather typically, and it's always above 32 by 9am each morning.
So for the real question: what are the chances that a super good quality solar cover, floated on the surface with the auto cover open, will extend our use?
I guess I'm asking what kind of heat gains do folks get with their solar covers in the spring time?

Would putting the solar cover on top of the closed auto cover do anything?

Right now, daytime temps are 80-85 with drops to mid 60's or so at night.
Being in the Mojave Desert, we get plenty of sunlight.
These ranges seem to be what springtime openings might be like with the temps and sun times, hence the request for spring results.

A good bet or a fruitless waste of time?

Thanks.

 

[jblizzle]

Generally a so called "solar" cover's biggest benefit is reduced heat loss at night due to evaporation ... your auto cover also does this.

Assuming zero wind, you gain the most heat into the water by having no cover while the sun is shining on the pool and then retain the most by covering the pool when the sun in not shining on the pool.

BUT, some members claim to get more heat by using a solar cover even in the sun. This would be especially true if there was some wind or you are in a very dry climate where heat loss to evaporation is high.

You current cover should be doing a pretty good job retaining the heat at night, but a solar cover during the day "may" help you gain more heat from the sun.

That said, it is hard to fight the air temperature. With only covers, you will never get the water temp > high air temp and generally the water temp is going to settle near your average air temperature I think.

 

[sunny beach]

Thanks for your quick reply.
From talking to other local pool owners around here, they all say that they use floated solar covers during the day in the spring to raise the temps more rapidly than without. Since these comments were my only source of information at the time, I assumed everyone did this, and was in fact, the sole reason for a solar cover.
Thanks for getting me straight on this.

 

[jblizzle]

"Solar cover" is a bad name in my opinion. With one of the bubbled covers, the top layer of the water certainly gets warmer and thus people think they are warming the pool (which they are some) ... BUT the water down at the bottom of the pool is much colder. With no cover, the sun is able to better penetrate the water and actually add more heat to the entire pool ... but the top of the water will not feel as warm as if you had a bubble cover on.

The bubble covers allow some of the sun to pass through (unlike your auto cover), so you add some heat, but not as much as with no cover.

Again, this all assumes no wind and not very low humidity. If these are not true, then no cover may result in a net loss of heat even in the sun. So, they can certainly help, but they are not going to result in some huge temperature increase for you I do not think since you already are using a cover at night.

 

[sunny beach]

Well, we have both wind and low humidity, so it seems to be a fruitless journey at this point.
Thanks for your help with great answers.

 

[jblizzle]

So, with wind and low humidity, the solar cover during the day may help some ... just do not expect a miracle

 

[KrisIL]

I just installed a new above ground pool. There is not much sun yet. Should I keep pool uncovered then? Or it is better to place solar cover over the water?

 

[PharmerAnthony]

I would cover it but have your pump recirculate the water at least 2-3x during the day to avoid the hot
Water just sitting on the top.

 

[woodyp]

There is now a thread on solar covers under further reading in pool school.