There’s a lot involved in maintaining a pool. Once you clean and fill your pool for the season, you need to check the pH and chlorine levels regularly. You skim off leaves and bugs, vacuum it and check the filters. You keep an eye on the water temperature and level. But do you cover your pool?

Not every pool owner uses a pool cover - and maybe not every pool owner needs one. However, there are several good reasons to use a pool cover.

Why Use a Pool Cover?

Reduce Evaporation

Pool temperature, air temperature, wind and humidity all affect the amount of water that can evaporate from your swimming pool. By covering your pool, you limit exposure to the elements. That, in turn, reduces the amount of water that evaporates from your pool, so you don’t have to “top it off” as often. That hose water is cold!

Regulate Pool Heat

Pool covers help insulate your pool, keeping heated water warmer. Most pool owners who use covers do so partly to keep their pool at a more constant temperature. By limiting your pool’s exposure to cooler nighttime temperatures and reducing the amount of evaporation, you limit your pool’s heat loss.

Reduce Maintenance

Reducing evaporation and regulating pool water temperature helps keep your pool chemistry under control. Swimming pool covers also keep debris from entering the water. Less cleaning and easier pool chemistry maintenance means less work for you!

Save Energy

Keeping your water temperature steady means your pool heater (if you have one) doesn’t have to run as often. “Covering a pool when it is not in use is the single most effective means of reducing pool heating costs,” according to The U.S. Department of Energy, which estimates possible energy savings of 50%-70%.

Pool Covers vs. Solar Pool Covers

So far, we’ve looked at the advantages of using a standard pool cover. However, especially in cooler climates, many pool owners use solar covers.

A solar pool cover, also called a solar blanket, is designed with small bubbles that trap heat from the sun and transfer it to the pool water. Sure, the sun heats your pool water even without a cover. However, because of the bubbles, a solar cover has more surface area to absorb heat. Conversely, it also insulates your pool water to keep the heat in when the temperature dips.

Advantages of a Solar Pool Cover

As with a standard pool cover, solar pool covers reduce evaporation, regulate pool water temperature, keep debris from entering the pool and help to keep your pool chemistry more consistent.

A pool solar blanket heats your pool naturally and provides significant savings over a pool heater.

“It costs an average of $4,500 to install a traditional pool heater, which will also increase energy costs and will likely require an additional pool cover,” notes Forbes.

The Pros and Cons of Solar Pool Covers

There are a few reasons you may not want a solar pool cover. For instance, pool solar covers will not offer as much control over the water temperature as a standard pool heater. Also, solar covers for pools may be less effective at heating pools that receive a lot of shade.

Before your purchase, consider other solar cover pros and cons.

Pros: 

Solar blankets are excellent at: 

1. Heating pool water and keeping it warmer
2. Preventing pool water evaporation
3. Maintaining water chemistry levels
4. Keeping out dirt and debris
5. Saving on pool heating costs
6. Extending your swim season

Cons:

Some disadvantages of a solar cover: 

1. A swimming pool heater keeps water at a more consistent temperature
2. Solar covers are bulky and need to be stored out of the sun when not in use
3. A custom solar pool cover could be prohibitively expensive for large or oddly shaped pools
4. If you don’t watch your water balance, the warmer water can promote algae growth
5. A solar cover is not a replacement for a security cover

Weigh the pluses and minuses when considering a solar pool cover. A solar blanket could be a budget-friendly way to get a few extra weeks of enjoyment out of your pool.

SHOP POOL COVERS
SHOP SOLAR COVERS

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