The Complete Guide to SOLAR POOL COVERS (Solar Blankets) | Swim University
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
- A solar pool cover (or solar blanket) can raise the temperature of your pool, reduce energy costs, minimize water loss, and even decrease chemical needs.
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⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Solar Pool Covers
01:03 - How Solar Blankets Work
01:58 - Do Liquid Solar Covers Work
02:27 - How To Use A Solar Pool Cover Properly
05:03 - How To Save Money And Energy With Your Pool Heater
05:33 - Pool Care Video Course
06:19 - How To Buy The Right Solar Pool Cover
07:06 - How Long Will Solar Covers Last
08:11 - How To Cool Down A Pool
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Do you use a solar cover to heat your pool?
I don’t think they work. I still lose more heat than I get
I do! Question how often should I leave the solar cover on? For example not just for heat but to keep it free from debris?
What about summer time? My pool guy said it shouldn’t be on all the time but he never said how many days hours to keep it on..
No way to much wind here in Texas, it just ends of bunched up at one end or the other
Much to the surprise of my skeptical disbelief, I found the liquid solar cover to not only prevent evaporation but actually retain heat. Heated water from the daytime of about 80°F used to decrease to 70 or less overnight, but only went down to 75 to 77 with the liquid solar cover, remarkably enough.
Hell no. I live in Texas. Nothing could be less useful than a pool cover.
Pool maintainence business owner in Jersey.... First pool blog that I found that is factual and honest.... And fun... I'm considering using your videos as tutorials for my employees then testing them afterwards... Keep it up... I'm very impressed... I will help you guys "keep the lights on" and purchase your online stuff... good work
Thanks! I recommend getting our Pool Care Handbook and Video Course because it's in order. Plus, I'm thinking about making an education product to help train employees in the near future :-)
You have the best videos! I wish you could go back and remake all your old videos this way.... most of the old ones are really hard to watch but you have SUCH good information and are really good at educating!
Great advice! Thank you so much
You have some great videos. You're helping me gain knowledge and a bit of confidence before my above-ground pool (wee one as my "starter pool) arrives.
I did grow up with pools but my mom was the water pro. She handled the different pools and also tons of fish tanks in our home. When Midwest summers led to bathwater temp pools - we'd wait until 5 pm and then go to Miner's ICE. They'd dump their unpurchased blocks/bags of ice outside - free for the taking! We'd grab a few blocks, take them home and chuck them in the pool. We'd have a nice, cool pool to swim in after supper :)
I used solar bubble blanket. It does heat up the water about 12" deep to where you cannot touch the water until you mix it. So it really helps to heat water and keep heat in overnight.
This video was great answered all my questions cleared up misconceptions I think I’m gonna go with the liquid solar cover cut out all the hassle of making sure it’s on or off just don’t run my filter at night unless I want the water cooler I’m a simple man that needs simple solutions I’m so glad I clicked on this one.
We live in Florida and have solar panels. However, I'm interested in checking out the liquid in order to stop some of the evaporation when we are on a trip. Thank you for this video!
Great video. We have a 12x24 inground pool. We bought a couple of Intex solar covers to cover most of the pool. After a week, we found a bunch of very tiny bugs with wings both on the covers and in our pool. We have a screen enclosure, too. Do the covers prevent the skimmer from taking these little creatures out of the pool?
Awesome video! 2 quick questions, how do you use a pool cover with an irregularly shaped pool and second, how do you use a cover with a waterfall feature? We have an attached spa that overflows into the main pool as a waterfall. Which makes me think of another question, would it be worth even getting a cover with a waterfall (bc evaporation would be high.)
First I want to say thank you for your videos. I live in Florida and have an inground pool inside of a screen enclosure. Even though I live in Florida, the water is actually too cold. Right now it is 74 degrees. Will a solar cover work well inside of a screened enclosure? The UV rays are definitely much less. Thank for taking the time to read this.
love your videos very informative
Thank you! And what about the immersion heaters? My above-ground pool is just 14' round, 4 ' deep. Will that be sufficient?
Thanks for the cooling tips
Here in AZ, my in-ground pool has an "aerator" for cooling. It's like an ugly fountain. Just a pipe cap with an angled slot that causes the water to spray out into the pool, like your thumb over the end of a hose. Definitely drops the temperature. It's on a separate line from the pump, with its own valve.
Great videos. What do you think of the blue covers with the aluminum heat shield underneath. You briefly mentioned this in the video but I find the ones I have found on amazon don't look very translucent, they almost look solid. Would this create too much of a barrier or do you like this style of cover. Thanks
Good vid !
Top tier, thanks. Does it matter if the bubbles are on the top or bottom?
I want to use the liquid solar cover. So you said you cant use the filter on at night but will it be okay during the day to turn it on?
Thanks, Matt!
Good job dude
Hello! Thank you so much for all of your great pool advice!! I couldn’t of done it without you!! For the pool heat cover choices…could you do the liquid with the ring covers at night? And either or I would need to put my pool pump off at night? Thank you in advance
Bloody good video mate you just solved a problem which I have with my above ground thermal cover.Just untie it in the middle and use it a two piece!!! It is a bastard to pull over and on as one 18ft round 6mm thick cover (it is joined by ropes in the middle so it can fold) but by separating them I can handle it so much easier!?! So simple but so bloody brilliant ! Thanks mate it’s early summer here in New Zealand with temps in the early 30s so the pool is in full swing 👍👍👍👍😎
What you think about solar arcs to heat up water inline with your pool pump? It's like a solar panel with tubes in it that the water runs thru and heats up.
I'm just wondering if the DE filter will take off the liquid solar cover. I just added some to my pool and realized DE filters stop between 2 to 5 microns and a typical molecule is under 1 micron so hopefully the Aqua blankets are on the small end of a one molecule deep lol
Have you seen those space age solar pool covers with blue/silver? if so how would you rate it compared to a nomral blue?
Do the covers help to keep algae from forming once you get it under control? Also, where do you stock up on shock? I feel like it was very hard to come by this year and right now (in Michigan) I'm having a hard time finding it to kill my algae problem that won't go away.
Do I put the 4oz liquid cover in the skimmer basket ?
Are pool cover that has mini bubbles any different vs normal ones?
What is your opinion on the transparent blue solar covers vs the ones that are blue but have a grey/silver under layer making them a little more opaque. I have read the grey layer reflects the heat and keeps it in your pool but also doesn't let sunlight thru and creates a darker environment for algae to grow. Thoughts?
Hey there!!! Can you recommend the best pool cover to prevent evaporation? Something we can cut to size. Cheers :).
Thanks for the information you supplied in this Visio. I found it helpful. I had a question, is it beneficial to use a blanket solar cover and liquid solar cover together and does that enable to run your filter at night without significant heat loss?
Great explanation of solar covers. I played with them a couple years on my 17x33 in ground. Gave up on them just because I didn't see enough of a benefit (Northeast US) for the trouble.
But what I understand about them, and you alluded to it a couple times, was the evaporative loss, because that's when the pool cools. Just as when you sweat you cool off due to the evaporative effect. I'm sure a highschool physics student could explain it better but the heat loss is directly related to, and due mostly to, evaporation.
Also I'd like to have seen how much surface area remains exposed with those solar rings, seems like simple geometry to calculate and I'm betting you only cover 60-70% if you an optimum number of rings arranged in an optimum pattern.
And liquid pool cover? Ugh, who'd want to swim in that? Sounds like an oil of some kind.
Can solar blankets hurt the pump or vinyl of an above ground pool. I live in SoCal and water temp is avg. 80 degrees with cover. Wondering if heat will ruin my pool and equipment. Thanks for the great pool info.
I’ve had several of these covers. Usually the 3year warranty blue ones. They last 1 year. The chain pool supplier let’s me bring in a piece of the cover to show them and I leave with a new cover
If you have solor panels, you can run it at night to cool down the pool water
Can you leave a solar blanket on in the winter all day long? Thanx.
Do you have any suggestions with a solar blanket reel for an above ground with a safety fence?
Regarding pool covers deteriorating ... I had that problem mainly when I removed the cover, it rubbed along the edge. I bought a roller and have not had that problem the past two years ... no bits/pieces of cover in the pool.
Are solar covers noticably more efficient at retaining heat than debris covers?
regarding getting rid of heat....fountains are great as evaporation effect...
Yes, outtake into a spray fountain cools the water & increases evaporation. Id suggest adding a sail cloth to block the sun from reaching the pool.
Great video. Question - I understand the longevity of the thicker covers (16 mil for instance) but I have a 27 ft above ground pool and I'm having a lot of trouble finding a reel system that can handle the thicker weights. The descriptions list info about rolling the covers up and removing the reel before swimming. It all sounds incredibly difficult. Any advice on the best reels to use for removing and rolling out covers on larger pools? Also, do you have a video that shows how the reels work? If not, that would be a great one for consumers. Thanks.
Reels are tough for above ground pools. I really don't recommend them, especially for larger pools like yours. Too much weight and low quality. I recommend instead cutting the solar cover in half or quarters so it's easier to take on and off yourself.
Hey Swim University. Do you use a green screen?
Thanks for the videos. My pool is now blue because of you.
Can I use the liquid solar liquid and the solar blanket?
I have a 16x32 inground. I disagree that solar covers do not actively heat your pool. Obviously what you said is accurate that it keeps heat in but that's the point. It's doing a job. Take a nice hot 90 degree day. Solar cover off. By about 3pm the top foot of water will probably be mid 80s. Same scenario solar cover....100 degrees top foot. Turn your pump on so it all mixes and you got a pool around 90. Best results is cover on all night and all day till swim time.
Sun cannot get through most solar covers due to the way they are made. The sun actually gets blocked.
Agreed, we have a clear solar cover and it really makes a huge difference to the water temp.
When I roll my cover up it has all the filth on it and it goes in to my pool. I guess I assumed this was going to happen but what can I do?
How do you clean the pool cover. Flakey chlorine sediment on top of cover
My question is how do you clean the leaves off of the solar cover before you roll it up? Can you use a leaf blower or it that too powerful?
I have a solar cover that is very heavy (I'm not sure of the ml), it's extremely hard for me to get on and off (I have a 20 ft., above ground pool). The cover has no holes in to let rain water seep through, so when rain water sits on top, it's even harder to get off. Also, it's brand new, I just purchased it a couple weeks ago. I'm almost sure that if I cut small holes in it, I may destroy it, but I'm not certain. Do you have any suggestions at all for me? Please help! The temp only gets up to about 74 right now, as I live in Northeast PA and at night we have had Temps as low as 40 degrees.
Any difference between a blue solar cover vs a clear/white cover?
I have a solar blanket, can i still run the filter over night?
We use a solar blanket and liquid solar cover in a semi inground pool. June temps in NYC have been in the 70's in the day, 60's at night. My pool temp reaches by early afternoon every day. Water temp only goes down to 80. I can only imagine how warm my pool water will get in July. We run the pump in the late morning. Blanket is left on when pool not in use day and night.
Why do you use both?
Where do you find a solar cover with a silver lining?
We have a lazy L shaped pool. Hard to find a solar cover for this shape. Any suggestions?
How often do you put the liquid heat shield in your pool
Great video very informative but didn’t cover a problem I’m having with my solar cover. I find after a good rain the water stays on top of my cover and gets gross in a day or two. Is there an easy passive way to keep water from pooling on top of my solar cover? Also I have noticed increases algae growth in my pool after using the cover for one season how do I keep that from happening?
You can buy a pool cover pump to pump the water off
Hi
i get white crusty stuff building up on my bubble pool cover. Is that normal? Its not too bad because i hose off the cover once a week, but lately its been sticking to the cover more and more not that big of a deal tho..
I live on a canyon and we have a lot of wind sweeping over the pool. I bought the pool cover to stop evaporation and it works great. I thought the strong winds make the pool water evaporate and never thought of the heat and nighttime evaporation. My pool evaporates most in the summer. Winter time I take the cover off and it hardly evaporates at all but the rain does fill the pool too when we get rain. San Diego Ca.
How in the world did you ever discover the evaporation at nighttime?
Love the Ask A Ninja look to your video!
Whoa! Throwback! And Thank you. That's flattering :-)
What micron is best?
Solar covers deteriorate in high heat and they get hotter when rolled up out of the water. Try covering with white plastic sheet to make it last longer.
Do you put the cover on while the pool filters are running during the day when you're not swimming?
The cover is mainly for evaporation for me. I'm tired of filling the pool every 2 or 3 days adding a inch. My 15x 30 pool is an irregular shaped pool so cutting to size is going to be a chore.
So I *shouldn’t* be running the filter at night to conserve heat, even with a solar blanket on?
I’ve always kept my filter running 24/7 during the pool season.
Can I have a solar cover and a regular pool cover on at the same time.. And can I have the filter system on while both covers are on the pool.. Thank you.
Did you find an answer for this ?
can i run my pump at night and use my solar blanket ?
Great videos! New unground pool (16Kgal) homeowner here and moving in within 30 days, so learning from you!
Will running a filter at night while a solar cover is on reduce the heat that is trapped?
From the video when you were answering questions it sounded like this is the case, but then was wondering when would be the opportune time to run the filter and still maximize heat in the pool?
At 3:10 he was referring specifically to liquid solar cover or the solar rings. So it seems like it's fine to run the filter at night if you have the one-piece solar blanket.
I see what you are referring to, at 8:27 he mentions running the filter and not using any type of solar cover in order to cool the pool down...hmmm.
Anything that you missed?
It's probably been mentioned already but I figured it won't hurt to mention it regardless.
When the blanket is off the pool (especially on a roller), do NOT leave it in direct sunlight. The center (Or core layers) can get so hot that the plastic can actually fuse together, hence ruining the blanket. During the day and when sunny out, store it in a shaded area.
Can I use a solar blanket and a liquid solar blanket together
Does using a solar cover increase chlorine level? I noticed since I've put it on my levels are 5.0. I'm using stabilized chlorine.
No. But they will keep the chlorine in your pool longer.
Can you use a combination of a solar cover blanket AND the liquid solar cover? Raise the temperature with the blanket, but then also reduce evaporation when using the liquid cover. The blanket works really well, but it can be a lot of work... Thanks for your time!
As someone mentioned, the physical cover might break up and remove much of the liquid cover during removal.
I have a pool with non standard dimensions 19’x36’. Standards are 18’ or 20’. Will the 18 still work if not completely covering or do I have to cut the 20’? No luck getting the pool cover companies to customize.
Blue vs clear cover? What is the difference?
Just to make sure during the day with a solar blanket and to keep the heat in, we should NOT be running the filter?
I have an oval 12x24 semi inground swimming pool, looking into heating pool with solar cover.. pool is in the sun pretty much the whole day but its always cold, I do not want to invest in a pool heater because its not a big pool. Whats your recommendation ?
Believe me, if you can afford it, there’s simply nothing like a heater to directly heat your pool. Furthermore, the smaller the pool, the less time and energy you’d need.
My pool is a 22 but I only found a 21 didn’t want to get a 24 it was gonna be too big will the 21 be okay ?
Will a solar blanket work if you use another cover over it?
I put a cover on my pool for 3 days when I remove it for fathers day weekend I was shocked there was alge ever were it has taken me 3 days to get it cleared up I've srub it and vacuum it and it's been hard to remove. But it's looking better.
I have a question, hopefully I can have an answer even tho I am watching this video 1 year after was published.
I am considering a pool cover not to keep my pool warm, but because I live in Florida, and it rains almost every day, I want to protect my pool from all the rain water and debris that comes with the rain. What types of covers you recommend best for rain?
Hi there, thank you for the great video! 3:05
Does it mean that I need to take off the blanket every morning to let the sun heat the water?
Thank you
I believe it also takes advantage of a greenhouse effect, letting light pass through but trapping the heat inside.
I have a question I live in Florida. I would like to use my pool on a daily basis. I don't have a heater so I want to get a pool blanket. Is it hard to roll up without the crank? Will it get damaged faster than other areas because of the heat in Florida? I guess it's more than one question. One more question, if I cut them into squares or rectangles like four pieces, will the heat escape in between the pieces or do I overlap them? Thank you!
How often should I be backwashing a sand filter?
After you backwash it properly, check the pressure gauge. That should be your normal operating pressure. But when it gets 10psi over the norm, then that's when you backwash. No more, no less.
Swim University love your channel! Thanks. First year opening a pool. I’ve had to backwash it once a day for 3 days to drop it back down to normal level. It’s still working on clearing up. Opened 4 days ago, is that why I need to do it so often?
Thanks! And yes, probably. A dirty pool will have to be backwashed more often because your filter is actually cleaning the water.
Will the solar blanket be less effective when there's some water sitting on the solar blanket?
As long as most of it is under, there shouldn’t be a problem,
My whole life I thought you used a solar cover to actually heat up the pool (I thought the bubbles worked like magnifying glasses). We just got our first pool last week (large-ish kiddie pool) and now I know if seems we should leave the cover off during the day so that the sun heats the water directly.
Can you run your filterat night with a solar cover on?
Yup!
5 yrs for 12 mil....no way. 2 years max
Do you need a solar cover if you already have a normal cover that comes with your pool??
I can only find solar covers that are a bit bigger than the size of my pool. Will it affect the working of the solar cover if i just cut it to the size of my pool?
no, cut it to the shape of your pool...it lasts longer if it is on the pool when the sun is full on the pool....they get ruined by sitting on the reel while the sun is out so if you can keep it out of the sun (hard to do) but it lasts longer...I have had better luck with thicker covers but they all last about 4-6 years before they break down
Brian Banks thank you for the advice! I have a small pool, so for it to last about 4-6 years is enough for me
There is not more evaporation at night when it is cooler. In practical terms, the only factor that controls the rate of evaporation is temperature. Higher temp, more evaporation. Lower temp (like at night), less evaporation. What is true is that evaporation is the main factor in cooling the pool. The conduction of heat from the liquid surface of the pool to the cooler night air is much less than the heat lost through evaporation. So the idea that controlling evaporation is the best way to conserve heat is correct. Your explanation is a little shaky.
Sincerely, a chemistry teacher
"My pool is too hot" I wish I had this person's problem
I know what you mean. My pool is 90 degrees today.
@@chuckschillingvideos I'm stuck at 72
Florida pool. Same problem in the summer. It can get too hot.
I keep my slide and water feature turned on seems to help cool the water
My pool is crystal clear at night and fogy in daytime why?
What if I don't have a pool....what should I do?
Get a sprinkler & a garden hose 😂
Just use ur neighbours they won't mind
Continue to be a l0ser
Find a pool daddy
O.M.G.😂 I have no idea why that comment made me laugh so hard, but it did.
Can I used both? The solar blanket and the liquid one?
Not at the same time. The liquid is a VERY thin layer on top of the water. The blanket will break it up.
I don’t think electricity is cheaper at night in the US is it?
Yes
I'd like to know if liquid pool "Covers" can damage my pool equipment, please.
They don't affect surfaces, equipment, or water chemistry
I had to get a cover for my pool after I discovered a dead critter floating in my small Intex quickset pool. Gross. At least it's small enough to drain, sanitize and refill. Will never be without a cover again.
I have one and only used it for the first month. Too much time taking on and off everyday. Time is more precious than water temperature
Try a liquid solar cover. Add it once a week and you’re good
What about black solar covers? Wouldn't that keep the algae from growing?
How long after you put chemicals or shock in your pool do you have to wait to put your solar cover on?
8-24 hours for shock, but only 20 to 30 minutes for most other chemicals
My pool cover heated my pool but 10 - 15 degrees
Thicker provides more insulation does it not?
You'd think. But in my research, thicker does not reduce evaporation any less than a thinner cover.
@@SwimUniversity The answer to the question is, yes it does. The question was posed as an insulating factor, not an evaporation factor.
You might be thinking it acts like insulation. For it to act like an insulating layer on top of the water it would need air pockets significant enough to trap the Heat. I think the thicker blanket just makes it last longer.
Chris M Theoretically, but the actual difference is minimal
No one has mentioned the pink algae the Solar Covers create!? I had one and just hated the pink algae it created! So work to put it on, work to take it off and then scraping and vacuuming the pink algae? Why isn’t there a mention of the algae these covers create??
If you have enough chlorine, you shouldn’t have any algae problem. I’d add chlorine vs assume it’s the cover’s fault.
In the 10 years I’ve had the swimming pool, I’ve never had pink algae again, once I got rid of the solar cover. In conversations with other pool owners, it was mentioned, the solar cover causes that. You’ve never heard this? I have a salt water system and I take my water to a Bioguard store on a weekly basis. It’s not the chlorine level.
Kermit Ferrer I’ve no experience with that, so I’ll defer to your experience.
Much to the surprise of my skeptical disbelief, I found the liquid solar cover to not only prevent evaporation but actually retain heat. Heated water from the daytime of about 80°F used to decrease to 70 or less overnight, but only went down to 75 to 77 with the liquid solar cover, remarkably enough.
Otherwise, fine video. Only one thing: Solar covers definitely have a greenhouse effect, letting light in as well as keeping the heat in.
Sun cannot get through most solar covers due to the way they are made. The sun actually gets blocked.
What is the best way to clean you solar cover/blanket?