Geo Bubble Solar Cover

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barejewels

barejewels

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May 19, 2015
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Attica
For those of you that the words "solar cover/blanket" leaves a bad taste in your mouth, like they do for me. I wanted to share my fresh new experience so far with a solar cover/blanket just recently available to purchase in the US called GeoBubble Solar Cover. I have researched this solar cover over the past couple years, in my yearly endeavor to actually find a solar cover that lives up to it's promises! Up until recently it was only available to purchase in the UK, South Africa, etc. Just this year I found one distributor/manufacturer, Weather-Beater in the US that offers the GeoBubble technology and that is the only product they sell. They are not a online "pool store". So, after contacting the distributor via email many times with questions, concerns, past solar cover experiences....... all being frustrating failures I took the plunge and purchased the GeoBubble Sol+Guard Solar Cover. As I just purchased this I am only going to speak on my thoughts this far of the solar cover and plan to update my experience periodically if there is interest from other members here. So first it arrived promptly, well packaged and in great condition. When we opened the package it contained a box with a Cool Guard technology reflective over cover protective sheet, straps to hold cover and protective cover securely on solar reel, warranty, instructions, and care information. Wow, never received anything like that before with any of my other YEARLY solar cover purchases from other manufacturers! Next, I have never seen or felt a solar cover with the type of density this GeoBubble soar cover material uses, it is flexible but stiff/thick feeling, it was easily trimmed to fit our pool and the "bubble" shape GeoBubble uses is not like the packaging material "bubble wrap". It has been cool and rainy here in Indiana over the past week or more and even with the use of our solar panels (when sky permits) our pool water has been consistently 70 degrees, but only after 2 days with this solar cover on our pool (both days it has rained, but not all day and the sky has been partly sunny at times) the temperature has raised to 76 degrees, yes, still cold but a 6 degree increase in 2 days with the weather we are having, I think is great! I don't know yet if this solar cover will last for years as it is stated, but I have high hopes and expectations of this solar cover, it is just unlike any solar cover I have ever purchased or touched and we generally buy 16 Mil solar covers yearly! I will update as time passes, I hope this information helps others looking to invest in another or a first solar cover. I am attaching a few pictures, some will show my DIY leading edge tow assembly I made for our solar cover, I found this leading edge idea on websites selling them in other countries, but NOT available in the US and I thought "I can make one of those", so I did, just by going off the pictures I seen online. This is an awesome idea that the US needs to "catch up on" my DIY leading edge assembly works Marvelously, a must have, especially if you try and cover your pool by yourself!!
Weather-Beater also offers a very nice, high end leading edge option for their GeoBubble cover orders as well, so that is another option for those interested in a lead edge and would prefer buying instead of making one.

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For $625 and 16 gauge plastic, I believe I will give it a big pass. The thing would weigh a ton and I can buy a new cover every 3 years and get the very same performance in a lighter material.
 
Which cover did you price? I did not pay anywhere close to that. The GeoBubble is about 20 Mil thick, I was concerned about the weight as well on our reel as it is not rated for higher than 14 MIL but it reels up nice and smooth with no sag in the rod at all. I was able to pickup the cover by myself before attaching it to our reel, so weight wasn't terrible but would be a pain trying to remove without a reel or second person to help fan fold it. I have never had any luck with a solar cover lasting beyond one season let alone 3 years and replacing our solar cover every year at $130-$160 adds up quickly and is very frustrating, so if this cover lasts only 2.5 years it would be the same amount I've spent on other solar covers yearly, however I really believe this cover is going to last 4-6 years (I hope anyway) and if that is the case I will be saving money. Time will tell, that is for sure. I've taken a chance in investing in this cover, I know that, but it is a chance I was willing to take to try and find a durable and lasting solar cover versus throwing $130-$160 away on a "disposable" type solar cover yearly. As far as your statement as "very same performance in a lighter material" I don't know about that as I have had many "brands" of solar covers and none performed the "very same" as another. It's really about preference and I'd prefer to purchase something that is going to last years as "promised" and not "promised" to last years to only last a season. Have I found that in the GeoBubble? I don't know yet, but I for sure will keep everyone updated, at least those interested in finding a product that actually lives up to it's promises and for those that prefer not to have to invest yearly on solar covers. I think it is wonderful that you have been successful in keeping a thin, cheap solar cover in tact for 3 years, I wish I had been able to be that successful in the thicker, pricier 16 Mil covers I have purchased yearly, over the years!
 
I hate all the little blue bits of plastic all over my pool and backyard! I am curious to see how this holds up under the sun, but yeah, at $480+ for 16x32, you could have a new cover every year for 4+ years. The sun here in SoCal is nasty on pool covers, for sure, so if this holds up and doesn't shed, then it's an option, so keep us updated!
 
All these covers really do is maintain heat by reducing heat loss to evaporation and radiation to the night sky. They do not add heat as the "solar cover" name implies. I could likely get very similar performance with a thin sheet of plastic. The bubbles just make it more likely to float on the surface.

TFP general recommendation has been to buy the cheapest cover you can find since none last more than a few seasons anyway.
 
Hi Dariushd, I will post updates on how this solar cover holds up. Our pool is in full sun all day and I think that has been part of the problem with our solar covers, even though I always have taken exceptional care of them all. I also despise all the deteriorated broken bubbles floating everywhere in our pool and clogging our skimmer basket! I am also curious which cover you priced as our pool is 15x30 and we went with the sol+guard GeoBubble cover (not the cheapest and not the most expensive optioned cover) and our solar cover that also came with (they all do) the Cool Guard protective sheet (not like those thin white pieces of plastic we are use to), straps to hold cover on reel when not on pool, taxes and shipping cost under $400.

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toofast said:
no offense....but this sounds like a sales scam
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Lol, I am not affiliated what so ever with ANY solar cover product! I driver a school bus for Attica Consolidated School Corporation, a wife, mother of 2, and grandmother of 8!! I have no other job other than driving a school bus (which I am off now for the summer, Yes!!):kim:
 
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I am aware of TFP recommendations on solar covers and I believe their recommendation is partially due to the inferior materials solar covers are made with today. I also know that solar covers reduce heat and evaporation loss but I do not agree with you that solar cover "do not add heat" as the name "solar cover" applies. That is my opinion on that matter.
 
barejewels said:
I am aware of TFP recommendations on solar covers and I believe their recommendation is partially due to the inferior materials solar covers are made with today. I also know that solar covers reduce heat and evaporation loss but I do not agree with you that solar cover "do not add heat" as the name "solar cover" applies. That is my opinion on that matter.
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Before I invested in a solar heating system, I tried a solar cover to add heat to the pool. I found that I actually gained 1-2 degrees more during the day without the cover, on bright sunny days with clear skies. I discovered this by logging my temperature rise over an 8 hour period for two weeks.

On overcast/gray days the covered pool would gain a bit over uncovered, but I think that is because it held the heat better when covered.

This is my data backed conclusion on the subject.
 
Great information! I disagree that solar covers do not add heat based on the fact that this is only our second season with solar panels installed on our roof. Prior years the only heat source for our pool water was a solar cover. Without a solar cover our water temperature reached about 80-82 degrees if the sun was out (our pool sites in full sun when it is shinning) lower if sun was not shinning. With the solar cover our water reached 84-88 degrees depending if the sun was shinning and of course these temperatures were easier to maintain day after day with having the solar cover on to help maintain that heat at night and cooler days. I believe pool water is heated by the sun w/o a solar cover but I also believe that a solar cover does help increase the temperature of the water as well as help increase the temperature a little quicker then the sun alone.
 

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I would also just like to add that I am just trying to help others looking for a better solar cover solution/option. If you don't like the cost of this solar cover or think it is a waist of money, no problem and no sweat off my back. I for one am just fed up having to spend $130-$160 yearly in replacing solar covers, as I am sure there are other pool owners out there that feel the same way. If you are not one of them, that is just fine as well. I am not selling anyone anything, nor am I making a dime or a penny for that matter by sharing my thoughts/experience thus far on the solar cover option we chose to purchase. Just offering my thoughts/experience to those that may be interested in it. I'm not trying to debate, only trying to help other pool owners interested!
 
That is great. And the reason why TFP is here. For pool owners to help other pool owners manage their pools better and cheaper. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I paid 150 bucks for a 20x40, 8 mil cover last spring. I had to cut my cover in half to make it more manageable. I can only imagine how much more difficult a 12 mil or 20 mil cover would be to handle. 8 mil is plenty of work. I don't see any signs of deterioration yet. My cover is kept out of the sun all winter and all summer. It is on the pool 24x7 in spring and fall. We'll see how long it lasts. Right now it seems like 2 years will be no problem.
 
Interesting comments on the idea that the cover doesn't increase temperature beyond limiting evaporation, and that similar performance would be obtained with just a sheet of plastic. That may be true, however... I read from a pool owner who used a solar cover and then switched to a coverstar type cover that the solar cover seemed to produce a somewhat warmer pool.

Additionally, I used a solar cover in north florida for a number of years. Usually when taking the pool cover off for the warmer months I'd lay it in the driveway to dry, then roll it up. One year I laid it on the grass instead-- for about an hour or two, and it burned the grass horribly. It's not scientific-- I didn't compare this to a simple sheet of plastic, side by side, but it was much faster than I expected (obviously). I do have some experience with putting plastic sheets on vegetation though-- years earlier I lived on a lake with a sandy beach that would get weed growth on the sandy beach, so we'd use a sheet of black plastic and lay it down over the weeds to kill them, and it did not seem to work nearly as fast.

This is all anecdotal information that doesn't prove anything, but leads me to suspect that, in the absence of good contradictory data, the two ply bubble wrap style cover likely retains heat better than a 1 ply sheet. Willing to be proven wrong though.
 
Wow, I paid 150 bucks for a 20x40 8mil cover. So, to be worth it the geocover would need to last 4-5 times longer than mine. I'm up to a year and a half so far with no signs of deterioration yet. It doesn't need to work better than my cover because my cover works great. The water has been in the mid-upper 80s and we've been swimming since March 13th. And we swam through the end of October last fall. Im guessing that my cover will last 3 years so the geo cover needs to last 14-15 years to be worth the extra cost.
 
Hi Terryking

Here is the link to the only US seller I found Quality Solar Pool Covers | WeatherBeater I bought the Sol+Guard cover but they do have a Standard cover as well. A quick update: I am very impressed and happy with this cover so far, however, it is still my first season owning it. I see no signs of deterioration, no rips/tears, all the "bubbles" are still in tact and "inflated", it rolls up super smooth and easy onto our solar reel, which I don't know what the difference in this would be compared to previous solar blankets except maybe because it is denser but all my previous solar blankets were difficult to roll up, I was always having to walk back and forth to each side to straighten solar cover out and pull it up over the rails of the pool because they would get caught underneath them, this doesn't happen with this cover. Anyway, it still looks as new as the first day that I received it, no complaints or buyers remorse, so far. lol!
 
Please keep us updated on this cover. My last cover was 16 mil. Very heavy. Barely lasted 3 seasons. Third season I was skimming plastic round pieces out of pool every day. Ordered a new, lighter 12 mil. one this year. Cheaper. Can really tell that it's lighter. I'll see how long it works for. But I'm VERY interested to see how you are doing with this one by end of this summer of 2018. Thanks!
 

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