DIY Solar Cover Roller

[shoff1]

We have had a 33 foot round for about 6 years, and the solar cover has been the biggest PITA of the whole thing. The cover reel was just something that the salesperson forgot to mention when he sold the pool to my wife...

Here is what we have tried:
-Put on the whole thing in one piece - way too heavy and awkward
-Tried cutting in half, tried to roll it up with 1 inch PVC - too heavy to move for one person and too flimsy to roll
-Tried cutting in Quarters - used solar roller - Worked ok until the breeze flips the pieces of cover into the air like a kite, ends up shredding the aluminum pipes of the solar roller that are connected together. Also can't get to the middle of the pool to straighten it all out.
-best luck was with 10 foot sections of a pvc wrapped corrugated tile we got from Home Depot that we used fittings to hold together. Put a person on either end and it could be rolled in away from the deck and just flopped off the end - cover is all in one piece. I put "T"s on the ends so we had something to hold on to. Once you get the whole contraption in place and get the end secured, you can actually walk and roll it up OK. Then they would wait for dear old dad to come home from work to lift it back up and unroll it. The problems were with the tile getting "kinks" since it was not permanently fastened to the cover, and leaving a 35 foot white pole in the yard when the cover was on the pool This option was actually reasonably cost effective and efficient, and didn't make me hate the thing as much, but no where near the simple vision that I have when I see the 27 foot and under reel cover rollers that span the middle of the pool.

I have always been tempted to buy one for a 30 footer and just fold in the extra 18 inches on each side, but don't want to spend $400 on something that may fall apart in short order.

I am now on my yearly internet search for options to see if some company has entered the brave world of reels above 30 feet, or if anyone in the TFP universe has the solution that will bring peace to my frustrated mind. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[LFrankow]

I use 4" PVC drain pipe myself.
No fasteners just wet the pipe before rolling and friction will hold the cover on.
The weak link is the couplings, which break when removing the winter cover, but the pipe was free and a new coupling is 2.99 + glue once a year.

 

[DeanP66]

mas985,

I built a roller two years ago, but I used metal screws and they are all rusted. I got a hold of some of the clips that the Solar Roller uses and want to try them like you did in your original post. How did you make the hole so the notch will fit in correctly and be tight when you turn it 180 degrees to lock it in place? Also, is the depth of those clips just right when using a 1.5" pipe with the cover and top piece of pipe or is there some play up and down?

 

[mas985]

I drilled a hole the size of the main part of the plug without the tab and then used a rat tail file to create the notch. And yes, the depth is just about perfect for the latch. Only the pipe clamp was necessary as a spacer.

 

[DeanP66]

Perfect, I will give it a try.

 

[maggiesfan]

I am getting ready to make my own solar roller based on mas985 excellent posting, my pool is free form
I'm thinking of two 14 feet lengths any other thoughts or will they do the trick.
Thanks

 

[Mintypool]

I read through this thread a couple times trying to figure out what’s best for a rectangular pool. I have a 16 ft wide x 32 ft long mostly rectangular pool except for the cutout of the stairs. If I cut the cover in half like the thread has said I would have 2 16x 16 squares.
1)Would you run the poles vertically the length of the Pool or horizontally? It looks like mas985 is pictured vertical so only one end of the pole potentially touches the liner. Do you make the cover hang a little bit over the end of the pole to prevent that?

 

[Dcookster]

I read through this thread a couple times trying to figure out what’s best for a rectangular pool. I have a 16 ft wide x 32 ft long mostly rectangular pool except for the cutout of the stairs. If I cut the cover in half like the thread has said I would have 2 16x 16 squares.
1)Would you run the poles vertically the length of the Pool or horizontally? It looks like mas985 is pictured vertical so only one end of the pole potentially touches the liner. Do you make the cover hang a little bit over the end of the pole to prevent that?

Mintypool, I have read all 10 pages and was thinking the same thing. My pool is 15’ wide so I’m thinking a 14’6”pipe or maybe even less so the foam core pipe doesn’t rub my vinyl liner? Hope mas985 replies his expert advice?

 

[shawnpepera]

I also have a 33' round and pulled the solar cover out of the bag and its still sitting on the deck while Im here searching ideas........... Thinking about putting in 2 posts on the "far side" away from the deck and making some sort of roller.... gonna hit up pinterest as well.

 

[shoff1]

I also have a 33' round and pulled the solar cover out of the bag and its still sitting on the deck while Im here searching ideas........... Thinking about putting in 2 posts on the "far side" away from the deck and making some sort of roller.... gonna hit up pinterest as well.

We may have finally gotten somewhere. Used 4 2 inch PVC pipes cut to 9 foot length for 36 feet total. To help strengthen the joints, I slid in 4 feet of 1 1/2 inch pvc and then bolted it all together with stainless 3 1/2" carriage bolts. My concern was that the coupler was just a little too small to drill into and still maintain strength. Still flexes, but hasn't bent like the drain tiles did.

We put t's on both ends and 18 inches of pvc in each one for a little leverage when spinning. Also added a little duct tape over the ends of the bolts to keep them from snagging.

We have been doing it from the end so far, but are trying some straps and hooking it to the middle this afternoon. The whole project is under $50. Hopefully we are on to something.

 

[shoff1]

Here is an update on our project: we bought a solar cover reel strap kit from Amazon to fasten the pole to the middle. Our cover is thicker, so I ended up drilling through the clips and holding them them together with a stainless bolt, lock washer, and nut. We trimmed the edges of the cover so it has no excess. We added 18 inch pieces to the end T's for some leverage and that really made a difference.

Yesterday was the easiest time we have ever had taking the cover off, and it was back on more efficiently than ever. Next hope is to make it through a few seasons, but I'll take the win for now.

 

[mas985]

Mintypool, I have read all 10 pages and was thinking the same thing. My pool is 15’ wide so I’m thinking a 14’6”pipe or maybe even less so the foam core pipe doesn’t rub my vinyl liner? Hope mas985 replies his expert advice?

The pipe can be smaller than the cover but I would not go more than about 6" on the far side (non roll-up side) and 3"on the roll-up side. You need to be able to grab the pipe under the cover to start the roll-up. Having the pipe a little shorter than the cover prevents the pipe hitting the tile and a bit easier to manage.

 

[h-man07]

This project worked our great. I fastened my cover to the pipe at the end of the pool for easier roll up and deployment. I used automotive fasteners I picked up on Amazon. The pool is 20x40 and I cut it into two 10' sections. Takes me about 4 minutes take down, 5 min to set up. I don't think I'll need it during the summer as the pool temp stays above 85 most days. My plan is to use the solar cover for early spring & late fall as the pool tends to loose too much heat during the cooler nights.

 

[h-man07]

Update from above. I've cut the cover again, now there are four 10x20 lengths. Takes a few more minutes to set up and take down but my wife and kids can now manage if needed.

 

[Rq120]

We did it! Looks so nice without a big ugly reel!!

 

[Paul B.]

Hello all, and thanks for all the wonderful DIY cover posts. I have been inspired and want to make a roller for my 20x40 free form pool. (Photo attached showing my plan for the cell core pipe placements.)

I was thinking of two 20ft long poles down the middle. (Two 10ft pipes joined with couplers). Then I was planning to split a 20x40 14mil clear cover down the center to have two equal size covers each measuring 20x20. Attaching the covers to the poles per the MAS985 method orthogonal at the straight end of the cover.

Questions: Will this be too heavy?
Will it be too cumbersome for one person to handle?
Would I be better off making 4 sections per h-man?
How many inches between each of the clamps used to secure the cover?
Recommended length of the automotive fasteners?
Any suggestions to prevent the cover from getting twisted during roll up and removal?

I would be most grateful for comments and thoughts. Thank you!

 

[DeanP66]

If you go with 20' length poles, it may get pretty heavy. I have a 15' and a 16' pole and I can manage it, but if you go any longer, I would anticipate that it may be too heavy for you. Now if you cut the cover into 3 or 4 equal lengths, that would definitely lighten it up. Also, be sure to let the water drain for at least 20 to 30 seconds once you roll the cover up and pull it out of the water. That water can really add a lot of weight.

Looking at your diagram, I think I would go with 3 sections. You may have a problem with the middle section though. How will you roll and unroll it? From inside the pool, or by grabbing it and pulling it to one of the edges? Not sure. With 3 sections, you would be in the 13' to 14' range for each one. That should make them way lighter than 20 footers.

As for the clamps, I try to space them evenly a couple of feet apart. That should be good enough. Removing the cover is easy. It pretty much just rolls right up. Putting it back is a little more tricky. You have to unroll both ends a little to get it started outside the pool, then you slide it right in and finish unrolling it slowly. With all those curves in your pool, this may be a little more tricky. Just take your time and it shouldn't take that long.

I would go with 3 sections and leave the middle section for last when you're rolling it up to remove. When putting it back on, I'd start with the middle section and go from there.

I'd definitely go with 1.5" ABS pipe. I tried 2" originally hoping that it would be less prone to warping over time. It didn't help, it just made the roll a whole lot bigger and heavier.

I tried an experiment this summer. I had a badly warped 1.5" pole on one of my covers, so I rebuilt it with new ABS. This time, however, I decided to use PVC couplers every 3' in hopes that the shorter length pipe would be less susceptible to warping. It turned out great and the pipe is still very true which makes spinning it much easier than a warped one. Do not use ABS couplers! They have very little depth inside the coupler and won't hold very well. Use the PVC ones with the special green Oatey's glue that combines ABS and PVC. The longer depth of the coupler will give you a much better coupling of the two pieces.

Good luck, and be ready to see your temps raise by 5 to 10 degrees next spring and summer!

 

[Rq120]

Mine are 12 ft long and I'm glad they are not any longer. I think the 1.5" ABS pipe would have trouble holding up 20ft + cover.

 

[Paul B.]

Thanks for the help! As a newcomer I really appreciate the advice!
As DeanP66 points out the 20ft pole length in my original plan maybe too heavy, so I am trying to establish the best pole configuration based on the recommendation for a 3 section DIY solar cover. Since my pool is 20ft wide I don't see an option other than to have least one pole being 20ft long and 2 poles of 16 ft. each.
Please see attached pictures of my current thoughts.

I would be most thankful for any suggestions and comments.

 

[Baltik]

So I’m thinking of taking the plunge, I presume that 2 pieces/rollers at 8mil is the best way to go?