If you have ever dived into a heated pool, particularly on a cool day then you know how nice it can be. On the other hand, if you have ever dived into an unheated pool on a cool day then you also know the shock that it creates. Unfortunately with the rising cost of energy, the cost of heating a pool has also become more exorbitant.
A solar pool cover is one option that more people are turning to, to help make their pool more tolerable on mild weather days. It’s simply a black pool cover that attracts the suns rays and then holds in the heat after it has entered the pool.
One item that you will want to give consideration to is whether to buy a manual or automatic solar pool cover. With an automatic solar pool cover the cover is retracted with the simple push of a button. However; a manual solar pool cover has to be pulled back by hand.
Another thing to consider, is that a solar pool cover is not going to warm up your pool to the temperature that a gas or electric pool heater will. Also, on cloudy days they have an even lesser effect on the temperature of the pool water.
However on a good sunny day they will bring up the temperature of the pool water seven or eight degrees, which is a very noticeable increase. Also, never forget that the energy that powers a solar pool cover is free, which is more than can be said for a gas or electric pool heater.
For many pool owners it is not an “either or” issue. They will heat their pool with a blend of technologies that offer the best of everything. These people will use solar power in conjunction with conventional less energy efficient methods such as a gas or electric pool heater. Many times they will even have a remote solar powered pool heater incorporated into their system as well.
Written by Joshua Wedelet. Now you can learn all you wanted about Solar pool covers as well as Solar pool heaters