Re-using a dead solar cover - still worth it if bubbles are broken?

[Saturn94]

...Threads like these kinda reinforce my decision not to try one. Mostly based on my "laziness factor." I know I wouldn't want to take that thing on and off everyday, for sure. And I know that I'd likely skip swims just to avoid doing so, so that means I'd use my pool less. And I know that I would rather look at my pool, the color, the pebble, the beautiful edge tile, the shimmer, etc. than a bubble wrap cover....

Same here!

 

[scdaren]

I hate my solar cover. It's ugly, a pain to take on and off even with a reel, and it dumps dirt into the pool when I do.

BUT I also have a heat pump I run in the shoulder seasons, that consumes about 7.5 kw when running. The cover is the difference between losing 6 to 7 degrees of heat overnight, or only about 3 degrees with the cover on - plus the pool warms up faster in the sun. My heat pump does about 1 degree an hour, so that's like 23 kwh per day of power, or 690 kwh a month. Here in California, that's a couple hundred dollars a month. So we grudginly use the cover the few months a year when we are using the heat pump.

 

[homegameroom]

I took my cover off and put it away for the summer (I bought the cheapo clear version). My water was getting too hot; the pool is at 88 today, and that's just fine for me! It tends to wander between 86 and 88 in the summer here in South Florida.

I do love looking at the sparkling water when the cover is off, but I also appreciate the warmth it retains in the non-summer months, even though its a little ugly to look at.

 

[Newdude]

So we grudginly use the cover the few months a year when we are using the heat pump.

This is what it comes down to. If heat was free *NOBODY*, Not one soul would use a solar cover. For anybody who heats and isn’t rich, they begrudgingly deal with it. I chose to stop using the heater instead.

 

[Newdude]

even though its a little ugly to look at

That’s like a parent saying that THEIR kid isn’t ‘that bad’. Just admit it. It’s Fugly.

 

[Jeff J.]

That’s like a parent saying that THEIR kid isn’t ‘that bad’. Just admit it. It’s Fugly.

Whenever we're in the yard, I take it off. I consider myself very lazy (although, to be fair to me, my wife disagrees ), but it literally takes seconds to put it off and on. And it makes a noticeable difference for temp and chlorine retention. I don't really need it mid-summer for temp anymore.

 

[Homebrewale]

I hate my solar cover. It's ugly, a pain to take on and off even with a reel, and it dumps dirt into the pool when I do.

BUT I also have a heat pump I run in the shoulder seasons, that consumes about 7.5 kw when running. The cover is the difference between losing 6 to 7 degrees of heat overnight, or only about 3 degrees with the cover on - plus the pool warms up faster in the sun. My heat pump does about 1 degree an hour, so that's like 23 kwh per day of power, or 690 kwh a month. Here in California, that's a couple hundred dollars a month. So we grudginly use the cover the few months a year when we are using the heat pump.

I pretty much agree with your post. I have a solar cover and heat pump. Without the solar cover, the heat pump would be running constantly in the spring and fall to keep us with the heat losses at night without the cover. Our pool is my wife's main source of exercise due to arthritis. She uses it at 5:00am each day which would be near the lowest water temperature without the cover. Yes, it would be nice without needing a cover but it is needed for how our pool is used.

 

[Dirk]

...and it dumps dirt into the pool when I do.

This is the part I don't get. I assumed it collected leaves and dirt (just as the pool would), but it completely negates the skimmer. Then as you pull or roll it off the water, it's one big "pull the table cloth out from under the dishes" trick and all that crud slides off into your pool. No?

 

[Newdude]

it's one big "pull the table cloth out from under the dishes" trick and all that crud slides off into your pool. No

Exactly. And whatever water that collected on top from dew, rain or sprinklers went stagnant quickly and used the leaves and debris to become icky tea. Shy of a shop vac there is no way to get it off without dumping it in the pool. The last 2 turns of the reel would destroy the pristine water as the crud cloud spread out. . It always dissipated in seconds but I still lost a little piece of my soul each time.

 

[scdaren]

This is the part I don't get. I assumed it collected leaves and dirt (just as the pool would), but it completely negates the skimmer. Then as you pull or roll it off the water, it's one big "pull the table cloth out from under the dishes" trick and all that crud slides off into your pool. No?

Pretty much. Basically, if we are going to use the pool, I take the cover off first thing in the morning, then let the robot and skimmer do their work for a few hours before we use the pool. The longer the pool is covered, the worse it is.