Solar cover?

[hanau]

Trying to figure out of blue vs clear is better?
8mil vs 12 vs 16 is better?

I have a 18ft AGP with a 4x20 Solar panel hooked to pool.

SolarCovers.com recommended a 16 mill blue cover for my pool.
Would there be much difference in the 12 mil vs 16 mill besides the $35 difference in price?

 

[Molson]

The 16 will be a little heavier than the 12, and both heavier than the 8. The 12 and 16 will last longer than the 8, presumably. Clear vs blue is a personal choice IMO, I go with blue.

 

[Pool-creetin]

I have the 16 gauge and it is a big bulky heavy thing to put on and off. It works very well at keeping heat in though. A fair trade off, But it sure is a pita to put on and off. I am considering cutting it in half.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I have a 12mil clear because supposedly it allows the pool to gain heat if left on during the day. It's heavy and if we didn't have a reel it would be a real pain to don and doff. I can imagine that a 16mil cover would be even worse.

As for colors the dark colors are supposed to help with FC loss when they're on and I can attest that the clear cover makes no difference in the amount of FC I lose during the day when it's on.

 

[Pool-creetin]

I can attest to the dark blue holding in chlorine. I have to monitor because if i don't the pool go's into shock with the pool tab chlorinator.

 

[joenj]

If you do not have a reel, then I would think the 8mil would be fine,,,easier to get off. I have a 12mil with a reel system. The 12mil cover rolls up nicer then the 8mil did.

My cover is blue for two reasons:
1- Cuts the FC loss from the sun.
2- Rather look at fake blue water then clear bubble wrap.

I believe the main advantage of the solar cover is to help stop the evaporation and keep the heat in.

 

[hanau]

Thanks everyone.
I order the 12 mil Blue cover.

Since the only chlorine i use is the shock i like the cover help keeping all the chlorine in the pool.

 

[xrayman]

I prefer the clear. Seems to heat the pool a little quicker. Blue is like putting a shade over your pool.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Since the only chlorine i use is the shock i like the cover help keeping all the chlorine in the pool.

I hope I'm reading this wrong! How do you normally chlorinate your pool? In order to have a sanitary pool you have to have your FC above the minimum level for your CYA all the time. Even a cover won't protect the FC but so much.

 

[mtw]

hello,
how much of a temp rise do you see in pool with a solar cover?
thanks,
mike

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Mike, it depends. Since a solar cover works by preventing evaporation, areas with lots of evaporation will see a much greater temp increase than areas with little evaporation. Here in Tucson, I get about 15 degrees using the solar cover! I think that is about the maximum; most areas are not so hot and dry so will have much less of an increase.

 

[svenpup]

I wanted to add here, my cover looks awful after a week. Between dust, pollen, and bird poop I have to clean it waaay more than I anticipated. Anyone else have this problem? I cut it into 3 pieces so I can hose/brush it in the driveway. It is easier to handle, but now sometimes the wind blows it around and pushed it into a corner.

 

[dmanb2b]

yup...every two weeks or so (before rain is expected), I put a 50/50 mix of bleach/water in my lawn sprayer and spray the solar cover...keeps it nice and blue and kills any lurking algae

 

[hanau]

Since the only chlorine i use is the shock i like the cover help keeping all the chlorine in the pool.

I hope I'm reading this wrong! How do you normally chlorinate your pool? In order to have a sanitary pool you have to have your FC above the minimum level for your CYA all the time. Even a cover won't protect the FC but so much.

only thing i do to mine is add about a 1/2 lb of shock( i do this about every 2-3 days) to my pool and occasionally adj the ph.
I use test strips and also use the drops that test the ph and chlorine.

Pool stays clear, no algae, no slimy feeling on the pool bottom or sides.and about once a month i take a water sample to the store and have it tested.


So don't know if i am doing something wrong? Been treating my pools like this for a couple years.

 

[Bama Rambler]

What's the ingredients in the shock you're using?

I recommend getting a good test kit and read pool school.

 

[mickey4paws]

The way I keep our cover clean is as I'm rolling it up on the reel, I use the hose to spray it off. I'll roll it up a couple of feet, then stop and spray a section off, and then continue until it's all rolled up.

I've found that my solar cover doesn't really heat up the water during the day very much, but makes a big difference at night as it holds the heat in (and keeps most of the bugs out).