Article provides information about solar pool covers and reels for swimming pools. This helpful buyer’s guide explains how to save money on pool heating by using solar pool covers and reels for natural swimming pools.
Solar pool covers provide a very economical yet highly effective way to harness the sun’s energy to heat your swimming pool. Also referred to as solar blankets, swimming pool solar covers are particularly ideal for sunny climates and offer a wide array of benefits including reduced heating and chemical costs. For those who are interested in solar pool covers and reels for swimming pools, it’s a good idea to know as much as you can about them before making a purchase. By being familiar with the different design features of solar pool covers and solar pool reels, you will be able to choose the right cover for your pool so you can make the very most of the cover’s solar heating capabilities.
To begin with, it’s important to understand what solar pool covers are and how they work. In appearance, swimming pool solar covers resemble bubble wrap and are most typically clear, silver or blue in color. The thousands of tiny air pockets that cover solar blankets transfer heat from the sun into the swimming pool and also trap heat in the water. By adding more heat to your swimming pool while preventing it from escaping during cool nights, solar blankets keep your pool at an inviting temperature without extra heating costs.
In fact, when you use swimming pool solar reels and covers, you can increase the temperature of your swimming pool by 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Moreover, since you will not be losing nearly as much heat through evaporation, your reliance on other types of heating systems will be significantly reduced. Obviously, this will greatly lower your heating costs. At the same time, reduced evaporation also means less chemical loss which, in turn, means that you will need to spend less money on replacement chemicals.
While all swimming pool solar covers will provide you with the above benefits to a certain degree, not all solar blankets are created equal. This is why it’s important to understand the differences between the various types of solar pool covers. For example, solar blankets are available in different thicknesses, with the most common thicknesses being 8 mm, 12 mm and 16 mm. While thicker covers cost more than thinner covers, there is a good reason for this price difference. Namely, thicker solar blankets provide greater durability as well as greater heat transference and insulation.
Color is also an important consideration when purchasing solar pool covers and reels for swimming pools, and not just for aesthetic reasons. While covers of all colors will prevent approximately the same amount of water and chemical evaporation, they will not all transfer heat equally. While blue swimming pool solar covers are popular among pool owners, they typically block somewhere between 20 and 40 per cent of the sun’s solar energy. Clear solar blankets, on the other hand, only block about 5 to 15 per cent of the sun’s energy, therefore providing better heat transference than blue covers. There are also some solar pool covers available which feature a silver coating that is designed to reflect heat back into the swimming pool for enhanced heating.
Another important consideration to keep in mind when you are shopping for solar pool reels and covers is whether your pool is an above ground pool or an in-ground pool. Typically, solar blankets can be used for either above ground or in-ground swimming pools, but that will not necessarily be the case with swimming pool solar reels. This is because solar pool reels for in-ground swimming pools are typically on wheels so they can be easily moved around on the pool deck. In contrast, swimming pool solar reels for above ground pools are usually designed to be mounted to a pool’s top rail. Either way, however, there are many different solar pool reels available that allow a single person to easily reel solar pool covers in and out.
One of the final factors to take into account before purchasing solar pool covers and reels for swimming pools is the size and shape of your pool. If you have a standard rectangular or round swimming pool, you should easily be able to find swimming pool solar covers in the exact size and shape that you need. However, if you have an oval, kidney-shaped or custom-shaped pool, there may not be solar blankets available that will be ready to fit your pool. Fortunately, most solar pool covers can simply be cut with scissors to fit your pool so you will simply need to purchase a blanket large enough to cover your entire pool and then cut it to the appropriate shape and size.
If you keep all of the above information in mind when shopping for solar pool reels and covers, you will be able to make a smart and informed choice. Then you will be able to enjoy the numerous benefits and advantages that come with using a solar blanket, including lower heating costs, lower chemical costs and an extended swimming season.
Brenda Masten is an experienced pool owner. She provides information about solar pool covers and reels for in-ground pools. She explains how to save money on pool heating by using solar pool covers and reels for swimming pools.