Types of Solar Covers for a 30-Foot Aboveground Pool
- Solar blankets for backyard pools can save you money.colorful pool toy floating in a summer pool image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
A solar cover (or "solar blanket") is a good investment for your 30-foot aboveground pool. A solar cover can increase the water temperature by 10 to 15 degrees. It also saves you money on chemical costs by slowing evaporation. Moreover, a solar cover keeps leaves and other debris out, making it easier for you to keep your pool clean. - Solar covers are made of heavy-duty plastic and covered with bubbles that look a lot like bubble packing wrap.
The solar cover increases the water temperature in two ways. During the day, for one, the sun heats the air inside the bubble pockets, and the bubbles in turn heat the water. At night, the solar cover keeps the warm water from evaporating. Solar covers are either blue or clear.
Choose the thickness of your solar cover. They come in 5-, 8-, 12- and 16-mm thicknesses. The thicker the cover, the longer it will generally last. Generally speaking, thicker covers come with longer warranties. They're also heavier and harder to move.
As of April 2010, solar covers for 30-foot aboveground round pools start at around $125. - A solar blanket can weigh 125 pounds or more, so you need to figure out how you're going to pull it on and off the pool and where you're going to store it.
Pool supply stores sell "reels" to help you roll up your aboveground pool cover.
Reels are long metal pipes that stretch across your pool and attach to cranks on one or both sides. You tie the edge of your cover to the reel and then roll it up. - You can also buy a solar cover "saddle" system---a series of three or four very large U-shaped hooks that hang on the side of your pool and hold your cover. Saddle hooks work well on pools that do not have a deck or another location to store the cover.
Two people can easily remove a solar cover together. Stand on either side, pull a 3-foot section off the pool surface and lay it down in the saddle or on the deck. Pull another 3 feet off and lay that section down, accordion style. Continue to do this until you have a long, neat pile inside the saddle.
If you plan to store your pool cover on the deck, pull it off accordion-style, fold it in half or thirds and cover it with a tarp.
Your solar cover requires the protection of a blue or black tarp when it's not on your aboveground pool---or you can leave it in the shade. Otherwise, the bubbles will heat up the cover and damage it.
