Solar Swimming Pool Covers and Reels

by: Michael Peterson

If you are a swimming pool owner and would like to save money on heating costs and chemical costs, there's a simple way to do just that. By investing in a solar cover and reel for your above ground or in-ground swimming pool, you can enjoy slashed energy bills and significant savings. With their insulating and heat transference properties, solar pool covers also provide you with a number of other great benefits. When attached to solar cover reels, these solar blankets are very easy to use and handle, so you can take advantage of the many benefits of using solar pool covers without any fuss.

As their name suggests, solar pool covers are designed to use the sun's energy to raise the temperature of your swimming pool. They are able to do so as a result of their special design which incorporates advanced solar technology. In particular, solar swimming pool covers have thousands of tiny air pockets which serve to insulate and transfer heat. In other words, solar covers absorb sunlight and transfer heat into the pool water while also retaining heat once it is in the water.

Solar pool covers are available in different grades or thicknesses, with the most typical thicknesses ranging from 8 mm to 16 mm. Although the price will be higher for thicker covers, greater thickness also means better heat transference and heat retention. Solar covers are also available in different colors, with the most common colors being clear and blue. While color does not have any bearing on a cover's ability to prevent water evaporation, it does have an effect on its ability to transfer heat. This is because the color can affect how much sunlight is blocked and prevented from passing through the cover. For example, blue covers typically block between 20 and 40 per cent of the sun's solar energy while clear covers typically block approximately 5 to 15 per cent of the sun's solar energy. Accordingly, clear covers usually provide better heat transference than blue covers do.

As a result of their insulating and heat transference abilities, solar swimming pool covers provide a wide range of advantages. Since these covers can raise the temperature of a swimming pool by 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, you can open your pool earlier and close it later for an extended swimming season. At the same time, you can rely less on your gas or electric heater, thereby enjoying significantly lower heating costs. Furthermore, solar pool covers greatly reduce evaporation of both water and chemicals, so you will also spend less money on pool chemicals each season.

While at first glance, solar covers may seem too heavy and unwieldy to be convenient to use, solar cover reels can easily change that. There are a variety of different solar cover reels available to choose from, including reels with hand cranks and water-driven reels that attach to a standard garden hose. With the help of one of these reels, covering and uncovering your pool with a solar cover is both fast and convenient. Many solar cover reels also make it easy for one person to handle a solar cover, eliminating the need to have at least two people around every time you want to cover or uncover your swimming pool.

Top-quality solar pool covers and reels are constructed from first class materials and are built to last. The best solar covers are made from tough, UV-resistant resins that will withstand wear and tear as well as deterioration from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Super strong seams also enhance a cover's durability, allowing it to tolerate years of use and repeated folding. As for the best solar pool reels, they are constructed from strong, corrosion-proof materials that will withstand exposure to the elements and can fully support the weight of a solar cover.

As a result of their durability and the many benefits that they offer, solar pool covers and reels for above ground pools and in-ground pools provide an excellent long-term investment. While they may seem pricier than standard non-solar covers at first, the savings that you will experience in the long run will more than make up for that. Furthermore, longer swimming seasons and reduced reliance on non-renewable energy sources are additional benefits that make investing in solar pool covers and reels an even more attractive option. So for anyone who wants to save money on heating and chemical costs this swimming season, take a look at the many available solar pool covers and reels for in-ground pools and above ground pools and make the most of the sun's free energy.