Solar pool cover and reel suggestions

[fatcat07]

Hello all,

I'm looking for suggestion on a solar cover and reel, all I know about them is what I have read. Most of the stuff I have read is not good, how they only last 1 to 2 years, how they fall apart in your pool and leave pieces all over the place.

I have done some searches and see that they come in different thickness, different colors white or blue. I was wondering what makes a good solar cover thickness, color, specific company etc.

And I guess a reel is just a reel, no way you could go wrong choosing one ?

My pool is oddly shaped, it is a lazy "L" 20 x 40. Should I buy a cover that covers all the water, which would mean buying something like a 24 x 46 (just a guess) ? or just cover the water best I can maybe leaving a little portion exposed ?

Thanks for the opinions .....

 

[jblizzle]

Don't consider them a "solar" cover ... think of them as an "evaporation preventive" cover. They do not really add heat to the pool, but more retain the heat overnight by preventing evaporation and radiation. So, even a very thin clear sheet would retain just about as much as a thicker darker cover.

Often you will add more heat to the pool when the sun is shining with NO cover on the pool, and then want to have the cover at night. If you want to leave the cover on during the day, then a clear cover will let in more of the suns rays.

Since they do only seem to last a few seasons, that is why we typically recommend the cheapest cover you can find. The thinner covers are also easier to handle as they are lighter.

For a Lazy L, often people use 2 pieces to cover all the water. Although then it is not easy to roll them both up.