Cheapest solar cover

Jump to latest Follow Reply
I’m finally going to cut and place the solar cover this week because I noticed that the sun and warmer weather is starting to deplete my chlorine at a slightly higher rate. I can’t hold out any longer. Ugh!!!! It was nice to not have a cover while it lasted.
 
It will probably stretch after a week or so and need a trim. They retain their folds from the factory until the sun heats them up good and they then lay totally fat. If you do need to trim it just use a good pair of scissors for a clean and even edge. It won't hurt anything if it's got some rough spots, but they'll bother *you*, which hurts more. 😁
 
  • Like
Reactions: kul
Several questions I'd like to put out there:
A. In an attempt to use the sun to heat and overnight retention as our heater gas line is down, I bought a 12 mil clear cover last year (Sun2Solar 1200 series). Is this the optimal approach? Id say our biggest issue is heat loss at night (days are in the 80's but nights usually mid 50's in SoCal, Agoura Hills). not looking for cheapest, but warmest waters as kids will get a-lot more use. I have a reel as well so the weight isn't a concern.
B. Due to the odd shape, there are portions that remain uncovered, is it worth my time to "patch" those areas to get close to full coverage?
C. optimal time to run the pump, i.e. does circulating the water when the sun is out vs at night induce better heat gain/retention?
D. I have had issues with water pooling on cover when I deploy it, is it worth buying those grommets to drain out excess?
 
I believe we live in areas with a similar climate. My pool has been covered for about 6 days. My water temp now is 81 degrees. I'll gain a couple of degrees by the end of the day.

The more coverage you can get on the pool the better. I don't think it would be worthwhile to try to patch every uncovered section though.

Pump run times have no bearing on heat retention.

I get some pooling on the top of my cover as well. I'm not sure what type of a device you are describing.
 
Asherk74 said:
Several questions I'd like to put out there:
A. In an attempt to use the sun to heat and overnight retention as our heater gas line is down, I bought a 12 mil clear cover last year (Sun2Solar 1200 series). Is this the optimal approach? Id say our biggest issue is heat loss at night (days are in the 80's but nights usually mid 50's in SoCal, Agoura Hills). not looking for cheapest, but warmest waters as kids will get a-lot more use. I have a reel as well so the weight isn't a concern.
Click to expand...
We prefer the thicker solar covers personally (granted we only have a 15' round. But our solar covers have lasted us 3yrs+ with multiple per week removals during swim season and using them as part of our winter closing routine.

Asherk74 said:
B. Due to the odd shape, there are portions that remain uncovered, is it worth my time to "patch" those areas to get close to full coverage?
Click to expand...
It's always better to cover as much as you can, but this may be a personal test & see if the difference is noticeable. If you were covering for cleanliness, that would be a definitely yes!

Asherk74 said:
C. optimal time to run the pump, i.e. does circulating the water when the sun is out vs at night induce better heat gain/retention?
Click to expand...
We prefer to NOT run at night (unless cooling the pool) as the water will "insulate" itself (not the technical term). Do run during the daylight/sun exposure to move (mix) the low, cooler water :D

Asherk74 said:
D. I have had issues with water pooling on cover when I deploy it, is it worth buying those grommets to drain out excess?
Click to expand...
We don't worry about the collection, but we also use our solar cover to keep our pool "clean" :) It could be siphoned off very easily (what we do).
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Asherk74 said:
What thickness/color is your cover?
I should buy a pool thermometer to track, any reccs?
here's a link for those drainage grommets: Quick Drain Grommet System - Set of 6 - SolarCovers.com
Click to expand...
I have the same cover as you, a blue Sun2Solar 1200 series.

I use a Sonoff TH-16 switch with temp probe to control my heater and monitor temps. Before that, I just turned on my heater to track temps.

I'm not sure the grommets will prevent water pooling, but they will help drain the cover when removing it from the pool.
 
Yes, that makes sense regarding the grommets.
I forgot to ask as well, when putting out the cover, I usually get some large bubbles from trapped air, do you try to get the air out (I use my brush to attempt to get the air out as well as the pooled water on top)
 
Asherk74 said:
I forgot to ask as well, when putting out the cover, I usually get some large bubbles from trapped air, do you try to get the air out (I use my brush to attempt to get the air out as well as the pooled water on top)
Click to expand...
I always did for both. I think it's impossible to get every bubble under and every drop on top, but i gave it a fair try with the brush. (y)
 
redturboeclipse said:
is it better to leave the cover on 24/7 when trying to heat and use the sun's rays? Or remove the cover during the day and only put it on at night
Click to expand...
Anecdotal, but I find I get the best results when I leave it on.

In theory, having the cover on during the day blocks some of the heat from the sun, so you’d think it would be better to take it off when it’s sunny. But I’ve found that the amount lost due to evaporation/wind/etc cancels that out.

I just leave it on unless we’re swimming. If I take it off to swim early on a nice warm day, I’ll leave it off all day in case we want to swim again later and just put it back at night - but I won’t take it off just for the sake of taking it off if we’re not swimming.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mdragger88, splashpad and Newdude

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply