Pool solar blanket

[nightvision]

Hi all,
A question for you pool owners. I have a 18 feet round above ground pool (Doughboy). I'm considing adding a solar blanket on it to reduce water evaperation lost, reduce chemical lost, protect from debries, and to increase the water temperature. I looked at a couple solar blankets and it's like those bubble packaging plastics that one would just put over the pool. I think it cost about $60-$80 for my pool size. I would appreciate any comments if it's worth investing in one.

Thanks.

 

[ajjacobs]

Re: Pool solar blanket

They work well. a bit of a pain in *** to take off and put on when you use the pool, however. We use ours mostly in the begining of the pool season to get the the chill out of the water then leave it offf for most of the summer. I found it will increase alge groath so it may need a little more cleaning when the cover is on.

AJ

 

[Mike722]

Re: Pool solar blanket

Aunt and Uncle used one for many years. Work great and made the water warm at the begining of the season. When you take it off, you can not leave the cover on the grass or it will cook it, in no time at all.

They ended up building a deck they could roll the cover up on for storage.

 

[tommays]

Re: Pool solar blanket

I had a good one one a 27' round pool with a center pole that cranked it up and you walked it off the pool and parked one end a 2 min job to use the pool

It did warm up the pool BUT all the dirt that it was keeping out falls in everytime you crank it up



Tommays

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Pool solar blanket

It is a pain in the @ss to use. Promotes algea growth, and if you keep the Chlorine as high as we did (the more stabilizer you use, the higher you can safely keep the chlorine) the algay will die and make a mess on the bottom. Plus a whole bunch of dirt gets in with it, and the dog doesn't see the water and walks across, ripping it and almost drowning.

BTW, we found out how to use bleach to chlorinate. It is a liquid version of the same stuff. Just visit poolsolutions.com
It saves money, and the only pool chemical you use is stabilizer. That allows you to have more PPM of chlorine safely in the water. For PH, you use baking soda and borax. But, with the bleach, you have less instability with PH and the water remains clearer. If you want more info, PM me and I will let my dad explain a bit better.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Pool solar blanket

Here in northwest Florida we used a mid priced blanket then a high priced blanket toted as "heavy-duty".
We were lucky to be able to get two seasons out of either due to sun damage.

The warmer the water, the faster the algae will develope and get away from you.

We also tried covering the pool with a winter cover for two years. Each spring the water was so grungy we had to empty it and scrub it down before refilling.
Now we keep it open and run the pump at 50% on year round.

I also created my own redneck riviera pool heater. Using 300 feet of the black plastic sprinkler tubing, I created a coil that is about 5 feet in diameter.
I then run pool water thru it via a submersible sump pump which is unplugged whenever anyone wants to swim and also at night.
Right now the water coming out of it is at 92 degrees and incoming water temp of 84 the air temp is 82.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Pool solar blanket

Here in northwest Florida we used a mid priced blanket then a high priced blanket toted as "heavy-duty".
We were lucky to be able to get two seasons out of either due to sun damage.

The warmer the water, the faster the algae will develope and get away from you.

We also tried covering the pool with a winter cover for two years. Each spring the water was so grungy we had to empty it and scrub it down before refilling.
Now we keep it open and run the pump at 50% on year round.

I also created my own redneck riviera pool heater. Using 300 feet of the black plastic sprinkler tubing, I created a coil that is about 5 feet in diameter.
I then run pool water thru it via a submersible sump pump which is unplugged whenever anyone wants to swim and also at night.
Right now the water coming out of it is at 92 degrees and incoming water temp of 84 the air temp is 82.

Yikes! 92 deg's? Sounds like you need a pool cooler.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Pool solar blanket

92 is what is coming out of the solar heater today.
It takes a lot of hot water to raise the pool temp. one degree.
Right now it will raise the 18foot round x 3.5 foot deep pool from 82 to 86 in a 10 hour sunny day. Then drop by 3 overnight then up again about 3.5 to 4 degrees the next day.
So on a series of sunny days my net gain is about 1 degree per day.

By June 1st we have to turn it off or it will be pushing 92+ pool water temps.
Thats when the sump pump gets hooked up to one of those soft spray watering wands to fountain cool back into the pool during the day.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Pool solar blanket

In Fresno the solar blanket will probably be worthless in the summer and do little good in the winter. The sun is not up long enough in the winter to really help much. Here in the north it is pretty manditory and it is most cost effective to buy as good a quality blanket as you can afford. The cheaper ones dont roll up well on the spools. Pool temps in mid 80 s will allow you to control chlorine levels much easier then 92 degree weather. At that high water temps you will be using probably at least one 3 inch puck a day if not more just to keep the pool at 8 ppm. Key with the algea is to make sure you keep PH, Total Alkalinity normal and be religious about shocks every week. We do a non clor shock one week then a chlorinated shock the next week. The cover will do little for keeping the pool clean. The crap will just build up around the edges.

 

[rwise]

Re: Pool solar blanket

Myself I found the outdoor pool to be to much work for Richard so I got ride of it! But while I had it I was looking at ways to keep the water cooler (hot sunshine heats a tub full or water fast) I found a lot of people using ping pong balls. I can see how they would be a pain in the ars to pick up (or maybe it could be a game for the kids ) but they would work well to hold heat in/out stop evaporation etc.