Does color of vinyl cover affect degradation rate?

[chuckchuck]

Greetings all!

I currently have a vinyl Coverstar pool cover which is navy in color. I thought that cover aged and degraded rather quickly, and now am on the verge of replacing it. I am wondering if perhaps a tan colored cover would last longer than a darker color cover since a lighter color presumably would reflect (rather than absorb) more UV rays than would a darker cover. Any thoughts on whether...other things being equal...lighter-colored vinyl covers degrade slower, faster, or at about the same rate as darker colored vinyl covers?

For the record, I live in a hot part of Southern California, USA, and my pool is an in-ground fiberglass pool. Also for the record, my existing cover is made of Ultragard II material, and replacement would be of Ultragard III material...not sure how much diff there is (if any) between those materials. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Chuck

 

[waste]

Chuck, welcome to TFP!!

I've seen the degradation you speak of, but haven't seen enough of them to form a hypothesis as th why it happens What I've noticed is that the degradation occurs where water has puddled for 'some time'. I, unfortunately, can't tell you how different colors would react to whatever causes this :?

I do, however, want to welcome you to here and am waiting for more responses as to the cause and cure for this, so I'll better understand it and deal with the 3 -5 pools I service that also have the same issue.

Thanks for the post