Solar cover suggestions

[coachhim]

Hey. I can't seem to find answers when searching so I'll come out and ask. Any suggestions on a solar cover? I have an 18x36 lazy L inground pool. It's 8' deep. Ive seen some on Amazon. Right now im about 70 degrees in the pool. Could the solar cover get it above 75 close to 80? Still 50 degree nights

 

[mickey4paws]

In my experience I've found that solar covers don't really raise the temps much during the day. However, they work pretty well at holding the heat in the pool overnight.

They seem to be making these solar covers more cheaply than they used to. We had one that lasted about 6 years. The last one we had within a year the bubbles were disintegrating and falling off the cover. This year I decided to buy one that was middle of the road, but I did get a 16 mm one. I've heard that these days they don't last more than a couple of years, no matter how much you spend.

 

[azaffiro]

I am under the same impression. I bought a heavier one last time and it lasted me about 5 years. I thought it would last longer. I am going tot buy a cheaper/thinner one this year and see how long it lasts. I also found that the heavier the cover, the more expensive reel you need. My reel is too small for my cover so it sags and makes it difficult to put on and take off.

 

[chiefwej]

As a general rule none last more than a couple years, and there is little difference in the performance. A cheaper, thinner, lighter cover is easier to handle, and will perform well.

 

[moore887]

Both myself and my father in law bought this solar cover (don't forget to select your closest size) and this reel. Although this is my first cover and reel, my father in law has had a couple in the past and the reel is far better than ones he has had in the past. I think the reel is important to avoid damaging the cover. It also make it extremely easy to put the cover on and off. Before I got the reel (it arrived in two separate packages on different days), I was getting lazy about putting it on. A $20 a day increase on my electric bill for running our heat pump soon motivated me to put the cover on every night. Time will tell how long the cover will last, but I don't see any damage to it at all and I have been using it every day since February.

If you buy this set on Amazon it does qualify for amazon smile donations. Search for Trouble Free Pool in the drop down list.

 

[Uncle Salty]

I just ordered a 20X40 16mm Sun2Solar off Amazon to replace a cheap 8mm I bought from Doheny’s last year. Also picked up new straps for my Rocky’s Roller reel.

Salty

 

[ryta1203]

I am under the same impression. I bought a heavier one last time and it lasted me about 5 years. I thought it would last longer. I am going tot buy a cheaper/thinner one this year and see how long it lasts. I also found that the heavier the cover, the more expensive reel you need. My reel is too small for my cover so it sags and makes it difficult to put on and take off.

I have the same problem. My cover is large and heavy. My reel is really heavy too but I didn't get enough sections to put the sections deep into each other (only about 10" in each other) and it causes the cover to sag. It's a huge pain to put the cover on (not so much to take it off except near the end when the cover sags I have to really use muscles on the reel lever).

Unless your pool is heated with some other source, either active or passive (roof solar heating) I can't see a pool solar cover doing too much. I use mine with a gas heater and it makes a HUGE difference in how fast the pool gets and how warm it stays over night with the heater off.

 

[chiefwej]

Even without any outside heating source, a solar cover makes a big difference. The water gains some heat from the sun during the day, but without a cover, most or all of that heat is lost a night.

 

[wmorge]

Hello! Anyone have any luck with the solar squares? I want a solar cover but can't afford a reel and believe it will be a real pain to drag a cover on and off by hand every night. I considered cutting a cover down to manageable sizes...but don't know how that would work.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Covers are no fun, but for me its worth the trouble. I can't comment on the squares, but I would imagine you would need near full coverage to realize the benefits. My pool is about 32' long and 16' wide at it narrowest point. You could cut the cover in half lengthwise and fold & roll two 8' sections. You'll want to cut it at a seam, so you may not end up with two equal-width sections. My cover doesn't move around, but if it did, I could probably find a couple of plastic clamps to hold the two pieces together at each end. The smaller sections are easy to manage alone and store...

 

[Teald024]

Heat retention with a solar cover is all about stopping evaporation. Like blowing on your coffee or soup to cool it off. You don't HAVE to cover every square inch, but the more area you cover, the less evaporation and less heat escapes. Cover also helps keep stuff from falling in the pool (leaves & pollen, etc). Definetly worth the trouble in areas that struggle to keep the pool warm enough. To help put cover on & off, I attached a long piece of nylon webbing, like the strapping on a backpack. This helps to pull the cover on with one person. A reel is great for taking the cover off and storing it while the pool is in use.