Solar Cover?

canjones · Apr 22, 2019

We live in a forest, basically! The pool is surrounded by trees. Even with the extreme heat here in North Texas the pool water will remain really cold until July. I would love suggestions on what to get to make the water warmer or if it would just be easier to trim or cut the trees.

I thought I saw some solar panels that are smaller than a full sheet that way maybe I could buy a few of those and it would be easier removing them from the water.

CJadamec · Apr 23, 2019

Solar cover work by stopping evaporation of the water. They have to cover the surface of the water for this to work. This the major problem with the small circular covers. One or two of them floating in the pool will have almost no effect on your water. If you have enough of them to cover the water surface like a solar cover would than they would work ok, but that will get expensive and tedious to deal with all of them.

You can always get a full size solar cover and cut it into one or two smaller sections that are easier to handle.

A solar cover and a cover reel is typically the most effective, easiest to use, and longest lasting solution. A full solar cover will also help reduce the amount of leaves and tree pollen that get into the pool.

Pool_Medic · Apr 23, 2019

If a solar cover and reel system is too unsightly for you, people have put covers on, cut them into manageable size squares so they can easily be placed somewhere out of sight when not on the pool. Then you just place them into position when needed and get closed to 100% coverage.

PoolGate · Apr 23, 2019

I'll tell you from experience that solar covers do very little to keep debris out of the pool. It all just dumps in when you remove the cover. I suppose you could really carefully remove it using 2 or more people but you will get tired of that really quickly. I stopped using my solar cover the 3rd time I had to take it off.

CJadamec · Apr 23, 2019

PoolGate said:
I'll tell you from experience that solar covers do very little to keep debris out of the pool. It all just dumps in when you remove the cover. I suppose you could really carefully remove it using 2 or more people but you will get tired of that really quickly. I stopped using my solar cover the 3rd time I had to take it off.

I have had the opposite experience with my cover it has done a great job of keeping leaves and pollen out of my pool over the last 3 years. Not to mention the excellent job it does at keeping my pool warm.

splashpad · Apr 23, 2019

CJadamec said:
I have had the opposite experience with my cover it has done a great job of keeping leaves and pollen out of my pool over the last 3 years. Not to mention the excellent job it does at keeping my pool warm.

Agreed, ours works great for keeping the rural dirt & tons of tree leaves OUT of our pool (we'd be forever cleaning, not swimming without a cover!)

One person, pull one side over the edge, then fold the other side over to it and haul the whole thing out, why would anyone dump that stuff in their pool?!

canjones said:
We live in a forest, basically! The pool is surrounded by trees. Even with the extreme heat here in North Texas the pool water will remain really cold until July. I would love suggestions on what to get to make the water warmer or if it would just be easier to trim or cut the trees.

We did both of these, 3rd year with pool and the tree limbs had to go... the pool just couldn't warm up enough (with a black tarp AND solar cover) for use more than in the middle of the afternoon (when everyone is at school/work)

I do recommend the MESH leaf nets and the solar cover, we LOVE it when leaves are falling!!!

Amazon.com : Doheny's Economy Leaf Net for 18' Above Ground Round Pool : Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com