Rose | 
11 14th, 2009| 
For those pool owners who are in the habit of regularly using their pool covers hats off to you for your energy-saving and planet-serving ways. For the not-so-dedicated, now is the time for you to bring out and use your solar pool cover if it is tucked away in the garden shed or rolled upon its reel languishing idly by the side of the pool. And if you don’t have solar cover as yet, may I be so bold as encourage you to invest in one soon.
If you live in the northern hemisphere, your solar pool heating system needs all the help it can get during the cold winter months just to keep in the heat; to prevent all its hard work coming to naught as the warmth of the water escapes into the surrounding cold air. A solar cover is essential as it reduces temperature difference by preventing the heat from escaping from your heated pool. It will not only prevent warmth from escaping, but it is also designed to absorb and grab hold of all the heat from the sun that it can manage even when the winter sun’s rays are weak. This heat is then transferred into the pool water and, let’s face it, in winter every bit warmth in the pool counts!
If you live in the southern hemisphere, then pool covers will prevent water loss through evaporation during the hot summer months. Evaporation is by nature a cooling process and plays havoc with the warmth of your pool. The ideal temperature for swimming is about 25 – 26 degrees C (77 – 79 degrees F) and in sub-tropical areas this ideal temperature is difficult to maintain without some additional help.
Heat is lost through evaporation and the constant topping up of pool water levels as well as through natural night-time cooling off. If you don’t want to add more heat to the pool water, then a regular non-solar pool cover will be adequate. If, however, you do want to increase the temperature, then a pool solar cover will do the trick nicely and raise the water temperature by a few degrees. Solar cover temperature difference needs to be experienced to be enjoyed!
Incidentally, should you decide to buy a pool cover from one of the links on my blog, I will be paid a small commission – not even enough for a small coffee!
