Solar Cover Choices Chart - so which one?

[joseywales]

Here is a link to a chart on Solar Covers.com. I am starting with a cover, to see if I can forgoe the solar panels, etc. I don't expect miracles here, maybe a 5 degree improvement, between any heat production and heat retention..

Are their covers any good? They seem pricey, but I can live with it if they: A) produce "some" heat. B) retain heat. I know what to expect from these covers, just want to make sure I don't pick a dud.

These are the covers available for my pool:

Mil Style Warranty Longevity Heat Retention Heat Production
8 Blue/Blue 3 Year, 1 Year Full
12 Blue/Blue 6 Year, 2 Year Full
12 Clear Bubble 8 Year, 2 Year Full
12 Space Age 7 Year, 2 Year Full
12 Transparent Black 5 Year, 1 Year Full
16 Blue/Blue 7 Year, 2 Year Full
16 Clear Bubble 10 Year, 3 Year Full
16 Clear Diamond 10 Year, 3 Year Full

The 8s, according to the chart, have poor performance.
The 12s have good retention, but only decent heat production
The 16s, specifically the clear, have the best heat retention and production.
Again, all according to their chart.

The clear bubble versions seem to offer the best performance in any thickness.

The 12 clear bubble is $60
The 16s are from $75-100.

thoughts?

http://www.solarcovers.com/cgi-bin/Shop ... rison.html

 

[JasonLion]

I get the cheapest clear cover I can find. My experience is they all fail fairly quickly and thinner is easier to put on and off so you are more likely to use it. So, the more expensive ones aren't really worth it.

 

[da2434890]

I have a cover from first4poolcovers.com and it certainly seems to work. Using the black side the temperature goes up about 5 degrees during the day. However, much of this is lost during the night but there definitely is a gain over a period of days.

I also use the white side of the cover to prevent the pool from getting too hot. This also seems to work but I don't remember any numbers since it has not been used this way since last June.

The obvious disadvantage of these covers is that they are not cheap. However, after I figured in the price of the cover roller it did not seem so big.