Do Pool Solar Covers Work?

Pool solar covers — also known as solar blankets — really are the ultimate invention for pool owners and offer many benefits. Frankly, they are little more than a roll of bubble wrap, but they work amazingly at warming pools and extending your swimming season. Requiring no electricity, solar pool covers can warm the pool by anywhere from 5 – 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pool Solar covers can work alone, or alongside a pool heater. Significant savings in heating costs — some estimate up to 70% — have been noted by pool owners that use a solar cover with their pool heating system. Additionally, there are now several solar water heaters now on the market that have been designed to work with pools.

In addition to warming a pool, pool solar covers have several added benefits:

• Reducing evaporation, which means less water has to be added
• Reducing chemical evaporation, which saves money on chemicals
• Preventing debris from falling into the pool, keeping the water cleaner

The blue or clear color of the covers enable sunlight to pass through and warm the water. The air bubbles then form an insulation barrier to prevent that heat from escaping.

There are two major types of solar pool covers: 
• Solar pool blankets



These are large sheet of 12 mil “bubble wrap”. Made of heavy vinyl and uv-coated to ensure a long-lasting life, these blankets are simply rolled out along the length of the pool. For ease, it is suggested that one also purchases a solar pool cover reel to store the solar blanket on. That means when one is ready to swim they just take few seconds to crank the reel and remove the cover.

The inground pool solar covers typically use this design as it tends to provide the best coverage and can be easily used and maintained when the pool solar blanket reel is also included as part of the setup.

• Solar Pool Floatation Objects



The most common and effective form of this type is the  solar pool ring. These large solar rings of vinyl with magnets on their edges are deployed in the pool. The magnets connect the pool’s solar rings together, creating an efficient cover. Benefits of these types of covers include their smaller size for easier storage and also no need for an extra apparatus for storing the solar rings.

Additionally, since these solar covers are simply held together with magnets, devices such as pool cleaners can continue to operate easily by gliding between the rings.  Parents of smaller children can also rest easier since it is much more difficult to get trapped underneath a pool solar ring that a cover would be.

Plus, these pool solar rings come in a variety of shapes and decorations such as fishes and palm trees in order to add variety to the pool and better match the yard’s decor.

Common Questions About Pool Solar Covers:

Solar Pool Covers Bubbles Up or Down??

And just to answer one of the most common questions about solar pool covers — Do you install it with the bubbles facing up or down in the water?

The simple answer is: Bubbles Down.
This allows debris to wash off of the smooth top more easily. Additionally, the bubbles side is the “more fragile” side of the solar pool cover and having the bubble side facing down into the water helps to protect them better.

Attaching Solar Pool Blanket to Reel

Most solar pool cover reels should have clips which will attach to the solar pool blanket.  Some of these have straps that extend from the reel to the solar pool cover as well.

However, most of the solar pool reels will require physically attaching the clips or screws directly to the solar pool cover by poking holes through it.  Of course, these holes should not affect the life or function of the solar pool cover since they are at its edge.

Longest Lasting Solar Pool Covers

These pool solar covers sit out in the hot sun all day long which will inevitably lead to breakdown of some sort.  Which solar pool covers will last longest?

The average life of a 12 mil solar pool cover has been estimated to range from 2 years to 7 years depending on the manufacturer and  how well the pool cover is stored .

Tips For extending the life of your solar pool cover:

• Protect the solar cover from frost and cold winters. A heated garage is a good place to store it.
• During the hot summer months when it is not in use, store the solar cover in the shade or under a protective tarp or white sheet to reduce its exposure to UV rays
• Maintain a healthy pH in the pool and do not use the solar cover whenever the pH is imbalanced.

Thicker pool solar blankets also tend to last longer.  A 16 mil solar blanket will stand up longer against the beating UV rays, and it will also provide even more warmth against the cold of early spring and late autumn.