Pool Heating: How A Solar Blanket Reduces Costs

Swimming pool heating can be an expensive exercise, especially in today's economic climate where everyone is looking at ways in which to cut back on expenses.
The guide below shows how an affordable solar pool cover can help cut back on utility costs.
It will also show the available design features enabling you to get the very best from this Eco-friendly solar heating idea.
Solar swimming pool covers are also known as solar blankets.
This type of pool cover is known to be a very economical and effective way to harness the suns energy and heat your swimming pool.
Solar blankets look like a giant piece of bubble wrap; normally they will be silver, clear or blue in color.
They are made up of thousands of air pockets that use the suns energy to heat your pool and at the same time trap any existing heat.
In this way, heat is added to your pools water whilst preventing heat loss through evaporation.
This means that less heat is lost thus you do not have to run the pools heating system quite as much as before.
These solar pool covers can increase the water temperature by around 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit which means your pool heating costs are reduced.
Another plus for this is that it can lessen evaporation meaning less chemical loss which in turn can save you money on replacing pool chemicals as well.
Pool covers come in different thicknesses; although choosing a thicker blanket will cost more, it does offer more energy savings.
A thicker cover is obviously stronger so it will last longer but also has better heat transference and insulation properties.
Typical pool covers are 8mm, 12mm and 16mm thick.
Believe it or not, a pool cover's color is also important.
Most covers stop around the same amount of water and chemical loss but they will differ in their heat retaining qualities.
Whilst blue tends to be the popular choice it is the clear type that block the least amount of sun and so offer the best amount of solar heat.
Blue blankets can block between 20 to 40% of the suns energy whereas a clear blanket will only block between 5 to 10%.
While silver colored covers have the enhanced ability to reflect any heat that is transferred back into the water.
Your swimming pools design will play a part in which type of cover is best for you (its shape and size).
For most rectangular or round shaped pools, you should be able to find an exact fit.
For kidney-shaped, oval or custom designed pools, you will most likely have to have one cut to its dimensions.
This should not be a problem though as solar pool covers are quite easy to cut with scissors.
Therefore, you just need a blanket that is large enough to cover the complete pool and cut it to size.
Solar swimming pool covers reduce pool heating and chemical costs with less evaporation and an extended swimming season.
They are affordable and indeed well recommended for any pool owners.