cover keeps water warmer or cooler?

[engrav]

Outside temp now in 60s and 70s. Still have the cover on the pool (it is a black, pervious, safety cover).

Does having the cover on
1) keep the water from warming up or
2) promote the water warming up

ie
1) take it off now to warm up the water or
2) leave it on longer to warm up the water

thank you

 

[JasonLion]

A covered pool warms up more than an uncovered pool. There are a few hours on calm (not windy) days when max sunlight shines directly on the pool when there is a slight advantage to uncovering the pool, but much of the day and all night you are better off with the cover on.

 

[engrav]

Thank you
Will leave it on for a time.

 

[RenegadeT]

This is our first season with a solar cover ( blue bubble wrap) and I'm gonna say covered keeps it warmer. Ours has been covered all the time except when we're swimming or cleaning, temp was 81 a few weekends ago. My friends inlaws pool of similar size and sun exposure was only 71. We saw temps up to 88 recently, now it's pouring rain and down to 81.

 

[Casey]

I don't have an in ground pool but I think, with the pump and solar cover off, the sun warms my pool all the way through better than with the cover on and making the first several inches hot and the bottom 3 ft of water cold.

YMMV

 

[gtemkin]

From my previous setup where I only had a solar cover, it was the best, it let the sun's warmth in, blocked cooling evaporation and insulated from heat loss at night.

My current medium gray colored auto cover, does not allow the warming sunlight in and is a poor insulator for night time heat loss. It does limit evaporation. As Casey mentioned, it may give a little top surface warming, but most of my pool's depths remain frigid.

For me the best compromise is to uncover the pool during the day and close it at night, although that's only minimally better than leaving the cover closed all the time. I miss my solar cover!

 

[PharmerAnthony]

Keep it covered, however you should run your pump right around the time the hottest period of the day is over to circulate the warmer water with the colder water.