Do round "solar discs" really help heat a pool?

[AmyJo]

We have a long narrow lap pool and cannot imagine dealing with a long bubble wrap type solar cover. Do the round disc-type panels actually work?


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[Drmtesta]

We have a long narrow lap pool and cannot imagine dealing with a long bubble wrap type solar cover. Do the round disc-type panels actually work?


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We used to have them before we went solar and they heated our pool about 5-7 degrees more. They really helped with evaporation. Some issues to consider:
-you need many, about 80% plus of your pool
-they warm the surface more than the bottom
-they get dirty and do make it a bit difficult to skim

Overall worth a few hundred dollars.

 

[AmyJo]

Thank you Drmtesta. I had not even considered how difficult cleaning might be. However a 5-7 degree change in temperature would be wonderful.


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[jblizzle]

Re: Do round "solar discs" really help heat a pool?

Covers do not add heat to the pool. They retain heat by reducing heat loss due to evaporation and radiation at night. Therefore the more you can cover, the better. Many threads discuss these rings with far from great feedback. They are expensive and have a tendency to move and pile up is there is wind.

 

[Donldson]

I stopped using them. They bunch up in the wind and are a pain to put on and remove. The biggest annoyance, as mentioned above, is that non-chlorinated water pools on top of them. This causes plenty of algae to grow. So when you take them off you get algae and other crud falling in to the pool.

They just became far more of a pain than they were worth.

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[AmyJo]

Yikes. Thank you all for your feedback! I guess I will wait to have solar installed!


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[duraleigh]

Amy, this post is a classic example of the benefit of keeping your post under one thread. I have seem pics of your pool in that thread so I know what you are talking about. A solar cover (one piece) would be perfect for that pool and easy to manipulate but the rings would be a PITA.

 

[AmyJo]

Duraleigh - I apologize. I thought it might be easier than reading through a long post. Duly noted! [emoji4]


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