Best Solar Cover Reel for IGP

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T

thadius65

LifeTime Supporter
Jul 30, 2011
450
Bloomsburg, PA
Getting SPRING fever in Central PA!!!

I have a task in cutting my rectangular solar cover to fit this 18x37:

photobucket-3783-1318451922947.jpg


Not looking forward to it..... Also, I need some input on a good solid solar cover reel. Ease of use for small wife as well as good life. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Ted
 
This is exactly why I have not gotten a solar cover. The idea of getting it to fit my unusually shaped pool seems like a pretty tough job. If you learn a trick to doing it, please let us know.
 
thadius65 said:
Is the Rocky Reel worth the price?
Click to expand...

I think so. It's really tough. I had a cheaper one but it didnt hold up very well, especially with a heavier cover. The Rocky has better castors and the added feature of having the ability to screw to the deck. When i had the other one that didnt screw into the deck, i woke up twice to the reel off in the pool!! :shock:
I was freaked! The second time it happened, I ordered a Rocky that day.
 
This is the one I bought about 2 seasons ago.
So far its been great. It's easy to use/move around. My wife can get the cover off by herself. Typically takes 2 to put the cover back on, But I can do it myself if i have to.
For the winter, I disassemble the 3 sections for storage in my shed.

Oh I did replace the cover clips, since I didn't like the ones it came with.

As for cutting the solar cover to fit, make sure you leave it lay out for a day or so so it fully expands before cutting it.
And I've also heard for odd shaped pools, some people cut them into multiple sections for easy removal replacement and skip the whole solar reel.
I have a Grecian shaped pool, so I can't comment on if that is accurate or not, just what I've heard.
 
@westsidepool

How fast was shipping and how did the purchase go for you? I too am looking at a new reel, and that looks to be a great price.
 

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carlscan26 said:
Check out this page for ideas on how best to cut the cover for odd shaped pools and a pretty cool roller solution for those pools. I made my own out of 1" PVC and it works well - my wife can roll up the covers and pull them on and off the pool (though of course she prefers I do that).

http://solarfactory.com/solar-roller-de ... ement.html
Click to expand...

I saw this product awhile ago and thought it would be the route I would go if I decided to try a pool cover again (certainly are a pain with no roller ... and old house have the floor jets which bubbled the water on top of the cover which then evaporated and turned into a white dirty mess.)

Any tips on how you made yours? Like how you attached it to the cover itself and what you use for a handle?
 
jblauert said:
carlscan26 said:
Check out this page for ideas on how best to cut the cover for odd shaped pools and a pretty cool roller solution for those pools. I made my own out of 1" PVC and it works well - my wife can roll up the covers and pull them on and off the pool (though of course she prefers I do that).

http://solarfactory.com/solar-roller-de ... ement.html
Click to expand...

I saw this product awhile ago and thought it would be the route I would go if I decided to try a pool cover again (certainly are a pain with no roller ... and old house have the floor jets which bubbled the water on top of the cover which then evaporated and turned into a white dirty mess.)

Any tips on how you made yours? Like how you attached it to the cover itself and what you use for a handle?
Click to expand...

Check out my
remodel thread; page 1, the post at Nov 30th 11:48 pm. I tried to make a removable handle but didn't figured out a good solution. I tried a threaded connection but it got too tight as you rolled it up and was hard to remove. I tried a friction fit but it would slip once the cover was 2/3 rolled up. I played with some quick disconnect stuff but didn't find anything strong enough. I'll get back to that at some point though because I'm not a fan of the handles sticking out.

A tip on the retainers to hold the cover: get ones that don't need a big diameter opening; they're easier to drill. I think I have two different sizes and the thinner ones were easier to work with and have never slipped.
 
carlscan26 said:
A tip on the retainers to hold the cover: get ones that don't need a big diameter opening; they're easier to drill. I think I have two different sizes and the thinner ones were easier to work with and have never slipped.
Click to expand...

I guess this is the part I don't "get" yet ... what are the retainers? What do they look like and where would I get them?
Thanks
 
Have you ever seen those plastic push pin things in your car that hold a car panel on or maybe the carpet in place? They have a kind of cupped head with a ribbed stud. There's a ton of types with different names. I got mine at Lowes in the misc hardware drawer (same aisle with screws etc) but you can find them at some auto supply stores too.
 
carlscan26 said:
Have you ever seen those plastic push pin things in your car that hold a car panel on or maybe the carpet in place? They have a kind of cupped head with a ribbed stud. There's a ton of types with different names. I got mine at Lowes in the misc hardware drawer (same aisle with screws etc) but you can find them at some auto supply stores too.
Click to expand...

Ah-ha. got it :hammer:

Although now I realize that with my electric robot ... a pool cover may not work for me anyway :(
 
Leebo said:
@westsidepool

How fast was shipping and how did the purchase go for you? I too am looking at a new reel, and that looks to be a great price.
Click to expand...

I just looked up my order.
I ordered it on July 8th of 2010, and it shipped FedEx.
I think I received it within a week, no more than two.

I had no trouble with the purchase. Added to cart, put in my info, received confirmation and done.
Like I mentioned, I changed out the cover holders with a clamp kind (tarp clamps), since I didn't like the ones it came with.

It's been a great reel. The wife has no trouble getting it off. We have a 17x33 ft Grecian pool, so the cover is fairly large and heavy, rolling it with this is pretty easy. I normally move it out of the way of the pool though due to weight.
Then I dissemble and store it in my shed for winter.
 
cutting the liner is was simple. Put it on the pull and then use a box knife to cut around the edge to fit. I cut so that the cover is about 1/4" smaller then the pool so it isn't touching the edges. It needs to lay perfectly flat on the water or wind can get up under it and then you need to ask you'll to neighbor for your cover back.

At my steps my pool was bigger then my cover. I tried to combine a piece of the cut off scrap to the cover to make it one piece. I tried several different glue types with no success. I ended up using a torch to heat the two piece and then squeezed them together. Do a few inches at a time. It isn't pretty, but it is holding great. Practice on scrap first - if you get it too hot it will burn; not hot enough and it won't hold. I didn't try this - but an alternate to the torch might be a really hot iron? Unless it melted all over the iron? Try that when the wife isn't home.
 

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