Keep your swimming pool warm with a solar pool cover.
A swimming pool solar cover (or solar blanket) increases the pool temperature without the added cost of a pool heater.
What is a solar pool cover?
They are lightweight covers which float on top of the water to keep the pool warm. The solar cover looks like a giant sheet of bubble wrap. Be sure to remove the solar cover completely from the pool before anyone goes swimming. Make sure to put the bubbles down into the water.
A bonus to having the cover on the pool is unwanted debris such as leaves and dust won't fall into the pool water.
How does a solar cover work?
Swimming pools lose energy in a variety of ways, but evaporation is by far the largest source of energy loss. Evaporating water requires tremendous amounts of energy. It only takes 1 Btu (British thermal unit) to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree, but each pound of 80ºF water that evaporates takes a whopping 1,048 Btu of heat out of the pool.
Outdoor Pool Energy loss can be broken down to 3 factors:
Loss to ground: 10%
Radiation to sky: 20%
Evaporation: 70%
The evaporation rate from an outdoor pool varies depending on the pool's temperature, air temperature and humidity, and the wind speed at the pool surface. The higher the pool temperature and wind speed and the lower the humidity, the greater the evaporation rate. In windy areas, you can add a windbreak—trees, shrubs, or a fence—to reduce evaporation. The windbreak needs to be high enough and close enough to the pool that it doesn't create turbulence over the pool, which will increase evaporation. Pool covers minimize evaporation from both outdoor and indoor pools. Covering a pool when it is not in use is the single most effective means of reducing pool heating costs. Savings of 50%–70% are possible.
How to install a solar cover?
The cover needs to be place on the pool water, bubble side down. Since the cover has air bubbles on it, it floats.
You don’t want your cover hanging over the sides of your pool or up on the deck. If the cover you have is too big, cut off the excess cover so that it fits inside the pool.
If your pool is a free form shape, buy an oversize rectangle pool cover. Let the cover sit on top of the pool for a day or two allowing wrinkles in the cover to straighten out and trim with a pair of scissors .
The Benefits of a Solar Pool Cover
One benefit to having a solar pool cover is the price.
Solar covers are a very inexpensive way to control the temperature in your swimming pool. You can pick up a cover at your local pool store or online for under $100, depending on the size of your swimming pool.
Solar covers can conserve water by reducing the amount of make-up water needed by 30%–50% and reduce the pool's chemical consumption by 35%–60%.
Another benefit is they are light and easy to take on and off your pool.
If you have a larger pool, you may want to invest in a swimming pool cover reel to make this process even easier.
Why buy a solar cover?
1. Solar Covers Heat Your Pool
By putting a solar cover on your pool everyday, you can increase the temperature of your swimming pool depending on how much sun your pool gets.
2. Solar Covers Save Energy
If you have a swimming pool heater, then you should ABSOLUTELY own a solar cover. Using a solar cover keeps the heat in your swimming pool that you already paid for. Why heat a house and leave the door open? Putting a solar cover on your pool is the same as closing the door.
3. Solar Covers Keep Your Pool Clean
A cover is a cover. That means, a solar cover acts as a debris blocker for your pool. So, you’ll clean your pool less by using a solar cover, also saving energy.
What About Liquid Solar Covers?
If you’re one of the many people who don’t own a solar reel and hate putting on and removing the cover, you can opt for a liquid solar cover. However, there are some downsides, including the fact that a liquid solar cover will not help keep debris out of your swimming pool and reduce chemical consumption.
Liquid solar covers work by decreasing evaporation. As written above, 70% of heat loss is due to evaporation. The good thing is you don't have to take them on and off everytime you go swimming.