Comment Retroussez une couverture solaire
Reel systems for swimming pool solar covers make the job of covering and uncovering your pool so much easier than manoeuvring by hand. An essential part of any swimming pool owners equipment is the use of a good quality solar cover. The main advantages of a solar cover, the increase in pool water temperature and the prevention of costly heat losses through evaporation, are far greater than the disadvantages, which are cost and the awkwardness of daily handling. For this reason it therefore sensible to make the job of covering and uncovering as easy as possible.
Basicly there are two types of swimming pool reel systems, manual and electric powered. We will look at both in turn. Both types of reel comprise a set of telescopic tubes, which when assembled will open up to the required width. This distance is usually the width of the pool, plus an overlap of about one foot each side. Rather than the telescopic tubes it is possible to buy a one piece tube, for some systems only, but the matter of transport often makes this a costly alternative. The two most important characteristics of the tube are the diameter and the thickness, or gauge, of the metal itself. It is best to have the largest diameter and gauge that you can afford. Whilst any tube will bend, the extent to which it does so is dependant on the load it carries and the diameter and gauge. If a tube has too much bend in it, it becomes difficult to turn, making covering and uncovering the pool very hard work.
These tubes are then supported by an end stand. These end stands vary enormously from manufacturer to manufacturer, but are generally made of stainless steel.The exact design of these stands vary greatly from supplier to supplier, but are generally manufactured with a long life stainless steel. Some plastic systems are available but although cheaper, they tend to be fragile and have a much lesser lifespan.
For manual handling, the basic reel is a post bolted to the ground, connected to the tube and with a hand wheel at each end to allow two people to operate it at the same time. Care needs to be taken when siting these reels as obviously they are then fixed in place, and could cause obstructions.
Most reel systems are designed to form a supporting stainless steel tripod. The tripod gives a good solid base, whilst the stainless steel gives a good lifespan. Some of these reel systems are capable of having castors fitted, which means that the reel can be wheeled away from the pool when required. Whether the reel has castors or not, when the cover is being handled there is a tendancty for the reel to slip and move. This can be overcome by the use of holding down bolts, which are supplied with most sytems. These bolts consist of a threaded bar, screwed through the stainless tube into a socket held in the ground. These should always be used as the reel then becomes firm and secure, but they can easily be undone when you need to move the reel.
Electric reels are usually either mains powered or increasingly, solar powered. The mains powered require installation by a qualified electrician, which adds considerably to the cost. In addition, a cable will need to be laid to the pool, preferably underground, again at some expense. It is for these reasons that solar powered reels are usually the easiest and cheapest installation solution. They are powered by a battery, similar to a motorcycle battery that is recharged from the sunlight via one or more solar panels. Obviously it requires a reasonable amount of bright daylight to operate effectively.
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