Unless you are one of those polar bear people who love the thrill of jumping into cold water, you probably want to ensure your pool stays heated at all times. However, before you run out and spend money on a gas or electric heater, have you considered a solar pool cover. Perhaps the most crucial factor to consider when covering your pool is the clear vs blue solar pool covers debate.
A solar cover might easily raise the temperature of your above ground or inground pool. More so, it will also help reduce energy costs, water loss and even your chemical needs. Surely, all these factors make solar covers worth the look.
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It has been a long day at the office. You have copious amounts of responsibility that constantly weigh you down. But the small strain of hope that gets you through the day is when you get home and jump into your pool as the relaxing chaser to your day.
You get home and you go to jump into the pool…you jump…and….IT IS BITTER COLD! Instead of a relaxing swim, you now have hypothermia.
It is important to enjoy your “you” time at the end of the day. Which is why we have come up with the top 5 solar blankets for pools, keep debris out, and reduces chemical consumption.
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What is a Solar Pool Cover?
In the past, you have probably owned a safety pool cover. So, why is it vital for you to get another type of cover? Well, this type not only keeps dirt and debris from your pool, but it also helps to heat it.
With no cover at all, your pool might absorb a tremendous amount of light. A white plaster pool with a depth of 4.5 feet will consume well over two-thirds of the sun`s energy. This energy will heat the pool by an average of 0.7°F per hour, especially in the evening.
But the process of evaporation might also counteract the accumulation of the heat. Usually, it’s a process which is dependent on the presence of water, and the temperature of the air. More so, other factors such as the wind on the pool surface and humidity levels also play a vital role in the use of solar covers.
Solar pool covers will capture energy from the sun and convert into heat in the water, which helps to keep it warm. Depending on the areas you reside, a solar pool cover may not be as effective as when using electric or gas heat. That said, the main tradeoff is that it will help you save money by controlling evaporation.
The Process of Heating Pool Water
There are various vital factors, BTU (British Thermal Unit) is the measure of the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of a pound of water by One Degree Fahrenheit. It’s the amount of energy which is produced when you light one matchstick. Yes, the heat of one match can heat a pound of water. What if the water puts out the light? Well, this is a process which will have to figure out on another guide.
But at this point, this implies that heating a pound of water by one-degree Fahrenheit might only require one BTU.
Let’s say you want to maintain the temperature of your pool at 90 degrees Fahrenheit. When one pound of the water evaporates, it won’t take away the BTU heat with it. On the contrary, it may take well over 1,000 BTUs of heat from the pool water.
At such a point, you have to figure out useful techniques which you can use to recover the lost heat. This means that evaporation not only consumes the heat and water from your pool but it’s also costly. We also have to consider the amount of heat your pool might lose through the process of evaporation.
Well, various factors come into play at this point, such as the place where you live. For instance, the Arizona Department recently mentioned that a pool might lose close to four to six feet of water each year – due to evaporation. Solar covers help to reduce the loss of heat in two ways.
Is the Color Important?
A blue colour cover is perfect because it allows only a small amount of light to pass through the cover and to the water. Since the light finds it hard to penetrate through, it gets trapped underneath the blanket. Thus, blue colour has this property because it absorbs the lightest, and also lets the least light penetrate through.
However, even if blue light absorbs the most light, this does not mean that it’s best for heating purposes for your pool.
Clear Cover Absorbs A Small Amount of Light
A solar pool blanket will absorb less light and let it pass through the water under it. Thus, this simplifies that a cover won’t heat up as much as the blue or dark cover. Instead, the water is the aspect that receives the most heat, which might be trapped below the cover.
A blue cover that absorbs more light might also get hot. The heat is quickly released to the air when the sunsets. Thus, a significant amount of heat loss gets to the water and later rises into the atmosphere.
Who Wins? Clear Covers
Just as you can see, a clear solar pool cover has many benefits over the blue types. These types will heat your pool much more efficiently and evenly.
With a blue cover, the heat transfers to the water will leave some water just under the cover. Using a transparent cover ensures the heat distributes evenly for the best results.
Even more, a blue cover also absorbs a small amount of heat, so it won’t have heat to transfer to the water. It lets the sun rays pass through the water, without leading to heat loss or interference.
An Excellent Example
A clear pool cover is similar to a greenhouse which is made using plastic or glass material, which sits on the ceiling or the walls. These aspects let the light pass via and to heat a greenhouse. Then, the heat gets trapped under the structure, which leads to the greenhouse effect.
Why Use A Solar Cover?
Heat Retention
Pools that have solar covers on top can be well over 10 degrees warmer than pools that don’t have a solar cover. The solar helps to prevent the heat from evaporating. Also, it helps retain heat from the sun, as well as to raise the pool temperature. Installing a solar cover over your pool is like placing a lid on a pot- it helps maintain the temperature levels.
Also, factors that affect the temperature differences that a solar cover introduces are many. These include the intensity of the sun`s UV rays, the shading of the pool and the cloud cover intensity. Also, if you have trees close to or around the structures, these might block the amount of direct sunlight. As a result, the solar cover won’t be effective at gathering heat, and it will also help reduce evaporation side effects. If the rays of the sun have to force through the cloud cover, or if the sun fails to heat the cover at the correct times, then it’s apparent that it will absorb less heat.
Reduce Evaporation
Most of the covers listed on this guide will reduce evaporation side effects by as much as 90%, which helps trap heat undercover. It then heats it and redirects it to the pool. The reduced evaporation levels are perfect for the environment because the pool uses a small amount of water to refill. Plus, it’s also ideal for your chemical consumption, because it controls the chemicals which are added to balance the pool levels.
Keep Bugs and Debris Out
There are a few situations that are worse than splashing around your pool in the summer when you come across lots of dead bugs or debris. It can be uncomfortable and even embarrassing when you have guests over. While you may have a pool with a filter and chemicals that help remove such impurities, a solar cover will improve the results significantly. Thus, the result is that you have a cleaner pool, with a durable filter and with less dirt floating in your pool.
Reduces Chemical Costs
A solar cover will reduce the consumption of chemicals significantly, and due to various factors. For instance, by reducing evaporation, you want have to add new water to your pool as previously. Thus, this helps reduce the amount of chemical required to restore or maintain the pH of your water. Also, if you have a saltwater pool, then you won’t need as much salt to regain its original salt levels.
Furthermore, by keeping the pool warm, you will reduce the strain and reduction of your chemicals at low temperatures. The hotter a pool is, the more effective chemicals will be in the pool.
Maintaining the quality of water in optimal conditions is crucial if you want to enjoy a good dip, and without any risks or contagious issues. Generally, a home pool might have a filter, which helps perform the filtration process. However, in some cases, such as in small volume swimming pools, a water treatment plan won’t be required for maintenance.
It’s not important for you have to a treatment plant for you to enjoy using crystal clear water. There are various factors and cleaning products that are suitable for maintaining your pool.
Water Treatment
To achieve the ideal balance of water and maintain the condition of the pool, ensure you continuously regulate the pH level.
Remember that pH refers to the acidity and basicity of the swimming pool water. This level should average between 7.2 and 7.7, which is a neutral pH, and suitable for applications such as bathing. Also, an alteration in the pH of the water will compromise the effectiveness of the chlorine.
Overall
Being able to regulate the functionality of your solar pool should be an important priority. Thus, this guide on the clear vs blue solar pool covers should be the perfect place to get you started. When you have the correct solar pool cover, you will enjoy many benefits. You will save energy, and you even protect your pool from issues such as debris or insects. Therefore, use this guide to help make an informed decision when you want to maintain the performance and functionality of your pool. They are simple to install and suitable for your modern pool management needs.
#1. Amerimerc’s Blue Solar Cover
When it comes to solar covers there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. The first is the shape of your pool. The first item in our top solar blankets for pools list is the Amerimerc’s Blue Solar Cover, which is a round blanket made for above ground pools. At 12 feet, this is the smallest cover in their product line.
Amerimerc has been around the block as far as pool equipment and manufacturing goes. They make fantastic solar and pool covers that can be used for a wide variety of pools. They are your “garden variety” type manufacturer of pool equipment.
If you are looking for a specialty product, you may need to look elsewhere. Amerimerc makes a middle of the road general product that you will be happy with.
The reason why you will be happy with your product is that they have done the research when it comes to solar covers. Their science speaks for itself.
The science behind their patented bubble technology is that with a blue plastic cover, the blue color will absorb the UV rays while the plastic will insulate the water, naturally heating it all day while you are at work.
The science has been proven time and again. You can take a look at this following video.
With any pool cover, it is important to know what kind of cover that you need. An important distinction with any purchase of a pool cover is knowing if you are buying for an above ground or in-ground pool. Another important distinction that should be made is the shape of your pool.
Some manufacturers will specialize in certain types of covers (i.e. aboveground and inground). So it is important to do some further research into a company to see what kind of cover they specialize in. Remember…not all covers are made equal.
Amerimerc has been in the pool industry for over 20 years, and provide some of the best pool covers on the market, and they provide some of the best pool products in the industry.
Their pool covers have been noted for being among the lightest, meaning that one person can easily take off and put the cover on a pool of any size. If you have the intention to buy one, check it here.
Another bonus of this pool cover is that it will stay on your pool even if there is wind. Because it is textured on the bottom with bubble-wrap like bubbles, this means that it “grips” the water, so it won’t go flying on those especially windy days.
Finally, this pool cover is an absolute deal. This pool cover is ideal for anyone with an above ground pool and who is operating on a modest budget, but for those with an in-ground pool, who don’t mind spending a pretty penny, your cover is coming up.
Another item in our top 5 solar blankets for pools is the Blue Wave; it is another company that has been in the pool business for a significant amount of time. During that time, they discovered something; that if they made their pool covers clear the water in the pool heats up significantly faster.
Think about it. If you have an umbrella that does not allow the sun to get through on a sunny day, will you be hot? No! That is the point of having an umbrella on a sunny (or rainy) day.
Nothing, rain or UV rays, will get through. Thus, protecting whatever is underneath it.
However, let’s say that you have an umbrella that is clear. What do you think will happen? Basically, what happens is that you boil because it is like being in a greenhouse or a microwave.
The clear plastic lets in UV rays and traps heat within. Therefore, Blue Wave thought that they could do the same thing with pool covers.
They thought, “If we make pool covers that don’t easily let in sun and trap heat, then pools will continue to be cold, algae will continue to grow, and people will be unsatisfied with our products”.
They have this picture to demonstrate the effectiveness of their pool cover:
The chart above is very helpful when it comes to making the proper purchase for your pool. They are trying to do some of your homework for you when it comes to making the right buy.
It is important that you buy a solar cover that will heat up your pool to an adequate temperature and not overheat your pool.
It is a real bummer to jump into a pool that is too hot to swim in. Therefore, buying a cover that fits the proportions of your pool will be an important factor in making your purchase.
Because their pool cover is clear, this means that the Sun is like a magnifying glass on your water.
They argue that the blue cover on most pool covers only heats up the top 2 feet of water. But with a clear solar cover, you effectively double or triple the heat distribution through your pool.
Plus, those geniuses at Blue Wave have done the math for you, so you can easily figure out how big of a cover you really need. They offer covers for the round above ground pool and the Olympic sized in-ground pool, alike.
The silver lining on the weight is that this cover won’t float away during windy storms and will be highly effective at maintaining chemical levels. Definitely a good buy for anyone with an extended budget.
Don’t be alarmed, but this solar cover is not for the faint of heart. This cover is for your bigger pools and for pools that are not straight-lined. Meaning that if you have a curve in your pool, this is the cover for you.
All you have to do is send Doheny’s a picture of your pool and its dimensions and they will send you a cover that meets your needs.
The prices vary depending on color and size. For the blue you will pay around £109.99 for the blue/clear you will pay around £119.99 and for the all clear you will pay around £134.99 and up.
However, while this is a quality pool cover, as you can see by this woman, the installation of such a cover is not like throwing a blanket on your bed. The installation cart is obviously going to be a necessity here, but certainly not laborious.
Any of these covers are great to have and own because they will last you a long time and they are built with the utmost quality, making sure that you get years and years of use out of them. And while at the top of the price point list, this product is sure to please
Doheny’s BlueBlue or BlueClear or ClearClear covers are a great investment. They come with a phenomenal warranty and are a quality product. While Doheny’s does focus on more of the bigger pools, this pool cover will certainly do the trick and heat up your larger pool to just the right temperature.
Poolcenter has done a significant amount of work to keep up in this industry. They are a younger company looking to make a name for themselves, and here they have certainly done that. In addition to this 12-foot solar blanket designed for above and belowground pools, Poolcenter has a patented Solar Reel, but we will get to that in a second.
As you can see, the indented bubbles on this blanket look a little different than the rest of the blankets listed here. That is because Poolcenter has designed these blankets to give you the best possible yield on the Sun’s heat. In addition, this blanket lets no water evaporation through, leaving you with extra water and chemical savings.
Now on to one of the best inventions in the pool industry in a long time. The Solar Reel is a patented invention that takes the work out of the installation of your solar blanket. All you have to do is mount the reel and attach the blanket and there you go! Once you are ready to swim, you reel in the solar blanket, and when you are done, you put it back.
This has taken a once laborious task and made it a joy. You cannot go wrong with either the blanket or the reel. They are sold separately. But with this high-quality blanket retailing for only £39.99 the reel becomes a little more affordable. The reel retails at around £184.99.
While on the spendy side, it is sure to save you time and effort when it comes time to roll out and roll in that solar blanket.
One way to save on the effort of the installation of this solar blanket is to purchase what you see in this picture. It is adaptable for above-ground pools only. This is an attachment that is sold by a variety of pool equipment manufacturers and makes the installation and reinstallation of your solar cover an absolute breeze.
Since there are more multiple patents of the same idea on the market we will talk about it in general terms.
Solar cover reels can really save on time, energy, and space. They can retail for a wide variety of prices, but a good rule of thumb is that the cost is a good reflection of quality. When it comes to this kind of accessory, it is important to know what you need and what you are willing to pay for it.
In this case, if you can afford one, go buy one. But if you can’t none of the solar blankets listed here will be too hard to install.
This solar blanket is ideal for those irregular swimming pools. Whether your pool is curved, angled, or just plain strange Leslie’s can make it for you. They make a wide variety of pool covers at a wide variety of costs, but this is by far one of their greatest products.
Their pool covers are 100% clear, and their solar covers are truly that clear. You see, the clearer the solar cover the more rays get through to heat your water. So while some companies say they have the clearest solar cover, if it is even a little bit cloudy you are not getting your money’s worth. However, with Leslie’s, you are getting what you pay for.Leslie’s does a good job at making products that are quality while keeping the price point at an average. The weight of this solar cover is not that would make you throw out your back when trying to move it or install it. They make a simple lightweight product that will do exactly what it is made to do.
Having one of the more unique textures, the cone-like bubbles on this blanket shoot the Sun’s rays deep down inside your pool, offering maximum penetration in the depths of your pool. This cover will be yours for a very modest price of £64.99 and Leslie’s offers free shipping.
They regularly have sale’s going on, which make them a great company to monitor when the hot summer season rolls around. This pool cover is available in 15 different sizes and has a 7-year warranty. Making this pool cover one of the most ideal on the market.
We hope that you now know a little more about pool covers and the effect that they can have on your pool. Solar covers can be a useful investment to keep water from evaporating, maintain or increase the overall temperature of your pool, and/or keep chemicals from being wasted. As well as utilizing the cleansing power of the sun.
Hopefully, now you know which pool-cover you will choose as the hot summer months approach.
We hope you really enjoyed our “Top 5 Solar Blankets For Pools” list. Our goal as always is to inform you of the best products that are out there and help you make the most informed decision. If we missed a solar pool cover that you were hoping we would cover, please leave a comment for us, so that we can put it in the next article that we write.
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