Do solar pool covers really work? Well, they do, however the conditions need to be just right for a solar pool cover to be effective. Solar pool covers, also called solar blankets, absorb sunlight and thus transfer heat to the pool water.

Solar blankets are dyed blue with air pockets designed for maximum absorption of sunlight. If you get at least five hours of sunlight on your pool per day, you will receive a benefit from your solar pool cover. In fact, your water will warm up to 1° per day! Another reason why solar blankets are so effective is that they also help trap heat in the pool water at night when it is cool. And it not only traps heat, but also helps prevent pool chemicals from evaporating. If you are using a pool heater, you can expect to cut your bill in half with a solar pool cover.

So this all sounds so awesome, why doesn’t every pool owner have a solar blanket? Well, the honest answer is that many pool owners don’t want to go out in the pool and put the solar cover on and off every day. People want to enjoy their pools, not add to their to-do list. Keeping a pool clean is enough maintenance for most pool owners, so absorbing the added cost of not having a solar cover is an acceptable tradeoff. However, in these economic times it seems increasingly tempting to save on pool heating costs.

A solar deck reel makes the job a lot easier, and you can even get an automatic reel that you can attach to your water hose, keeping the work to a minimum. The only tradeoff is the initial cost of the solar cover and reel, and perhaps the space the cover and reel will take up in your yard.