Solar Pool Covers – Are They Worth It?

Do solar pool covers really work? Well yes they do, however conditions must be right for a solar pool cover to be effective. Solar pool covers, also called solar blankets, absorb sunlight and thus transfer the heat to the pool water.

Solar blankets are tinted blue with air pockets that are designed for maximum absorption of sunlight. If you get at least five hours of sunlight on your pool per day, you will receive a benefit from your solar pool cover. In fact, your water will heat as much as 1° per day! Another reason solar blankets are so effective is that they also help to trap heat in the pool water at night when it is cool. And not only does it trap heat but it also will aid in keeping your pool chemicals from evaporating out. If you are using a pool heater, you can expect to cut your bill in half with a solar pool cover.

So, all this sounds so incredible, then why doesn’t every pool owner have a solar blanket? Well, the honest answer is that many pool owners do not want to trudge out to the pool and crank the solar cover on and off every day. People want to enjoy their pools, not add to their chore list. Keeping a pool clean is enough maintenance for most pool owners, so absorbing the extra cost of not having a solar cover is an acceptable trade-off. However, in these economic times it is looking more and more tempting to save on pool heating costs.

A solar cover reel makes the job much easier, and you can even get an automatic reel that you can hook up to your water hose, making the work involved very minimal. The only trade-off is the initial cost of the solar cover and reel, and perhaps the space the cover and reel will take up in your yard.