Above Ground Pool Cover Reel Questions

[jbilliel]

I just had my 27' above ground installed last last week and only after 3 days I hate dragging the heavy 8 mil solar cover off the pool. I keep looking online and I also hate the reels with them splitting the round pool directly in half and then you need to remove the entire assembly or move it to the side. Has anyone created a reel for round pools that can be mounted at the end of the pool?

Second issue - My wife wants to put a fence on the pool to make it safer as we have a little monkey who is always trying to get in, but is not ready to swim 100% on his own. If I put up the fence is there any way to have a solar reel at all? Do people just give up on the solar blanket in this circumstance?

Any opinions welcome!

This is my first time owning a pool and finding out so much. Thank you!

 

[mariane]

Welcome to pool ownership and TFP.
Some people have cut their solar covers in smaller pieces to make covering and removing much easier. Here's a thread showing it:

Just cut solar cover to fit!

I just cut my 25x45 solar cover to size and installed it. I am doing a test and running my heater until 9:00pm tonight, turning it off, and seeing how much heat I lose by tomorrow morning. I'll post results back here! Temp when I turned on the heater was 55. Low tonight is supposed to be 41...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[jbilliel]

That's an interesting idea.... Any other thoughts?

 

[Newdude]

Search for DIY solar cover reel / roller. Many people have made their own out of pvc and store them off the pool on a fence or 4x4 posts. The fence issue will be hard to work around. Monkey saftey is priority #1. Cute little buggers.

 

[splashpad]

Here is a recent discussion on this What the heck do you do with your solar cover?

 

[phonedave]

I have a 27', just like you

This is what I used to have

I have since moved to a center line reel and think it is a lot easier. I move it off of the pool completely onto two 4x4 posts I have in the ground. I think it is very easy to move, the rest of my family not so much. I think it is a height thing, not a strength thing. I'm 6'4" and can easily take it off and put it on the sockets on the side of the pool, the other struggle a bit

Do you have any sort of deck on your pool, and if not do you plan on a deck? That may help with your fence issue. If you have a top rail fence all the way around, it is going to make putting on, and taking off any sort of cover a bear. If you had a deck, with it's own railing and self closing gate, you could pull the solar cover off onto the deck. In that case, I would cut it into 2 or 3 strips. A 27' cover does not fold nicely and does take up quite a bit of space.

 

[jbilliel]

We are going to be putting on a deck next month. I think I am going to cut the cover in half and then try the Solar Roller. I can get one half the cover off easily from a deck. The question I need to answer is how to get the second half off. I think the only way to do it is to get in the pool with the above ground fence in place.

Thanks for all the ideas

 

[PoolBrews]

How about installing 3 Posts - 2 across the center of the pool, and a 3rd that allows you to just pick up one end of the reel and swing it over to the 3rd post? Only takes one person. See below.

 

[phonedave]

How about installing 3 Posts - 2 across the center of the pool, and a 3rd that allows you to just pick up one end of the reel and swing it over to the 3rd post? Only takes one person. See below.

View attachment 147490

That was going to be my original plan as well, but the OP like myself has a 27' pool. The weight of a 27' cover plus the weight of the roller itself is not something I wanted supported by the sidewall of my pool. It is one thing when the cover is rolled out and on the water and the reels is across the pool - that is fine. When there are a couple of hundred pounds supported by two points, on of them my sidewall, and it's only 4 feet off the ground, I just had images of somebody running into it and it taking out the pool. Also, when the cover is rolled up around that reel, a 27' cover is pretty fat. That cover and reel is about 2+ feet in diameter. It does not set well in the position you drew. The thickness of the cover on the reel does not let it easily sit on the sidewall bracket.

The solution I have is to have two posts. I first pivot it as you drew, and then I have a second post that I pivot the second end to

The OP also has the added issues of wanting ti put a top of rail fence around the pool. That fence would get in the way of swinging a reel off.

-dave

 

[jbilliel]

I agree Dave - I entertained that idea, but with a fence attached to the pool this plan is rendered impossible. The second issue is the sheer weight and bulkiness of the cover. I am 6' and strong, but its just so dang bulky that it require me and my wife to man handle and my wife is already getting very tired of dealing with it.

 

[phonedave]

I agree Dave - I entertained that idea, but with a fence attached to the pool this plan is rendered impossible. The second issue is the sheer weight and bulkiness of the cover. I am 6' and strong, but its just so dang bulky that it require me and my wife to man handle and my wife is already getting very tired of dealing with it.

I hear you. A lot of people around here seem to have 16 - 18 ' pools. They say, oh you have a 27', that is awesome. Yeah, you come over and vacuum this thing, or drag covers on and off of it. It is nice to have, and I don't want to give up the size, but there are drawbacks.

-dave