Many people begrudge having to maintain a pool for 12 months a year, only to derive 3 months use from it. And that’s understandable. But there’s a very simple remedy which surprisingly few people know about; it’s called a solar cover.
A solar cover has remarkable benefits, not least that the cover can significantly increase the use and enjoyment of your pool by several months each year. Let’s look at the features and benefits of a solar cover.
2016 and 2017 — RECORDED MAXIMUM DAILY POOL TEMPERATURES — NO POOL COVER AT MONAGRI VILLAGE — 1500FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL
2018 — MAX DAILY POOL TEMPERATURES WITH SOLAR COVER ON FROM MID-APRIL
How a solar cover works:
We’ll start by looking at what a solar cover does and how it works. At its simplest, a solar cover uses sunshine to warm up the water in the pool by 4-8° C. Cyprus enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year and it comes for free, so that makes solar power the most sensible and cost-effective way to warm up a pool.
It gets better: a solar cover acts as a thermal blanket at night-time, so the cover conserves heat which has built up in the pool during the day. Over the first 3 days of solar cover use the temperature in your pool will rise incrementally, after which it will deliver a consistently warm pool from that point on.
A solar cover has multiple benefits:
Solar cover customers tell us their cover enables them to swim in a warm pool from April through to Nov/Dec. By warm, we mean around 26-28° C. That means solar cover owners get 7-8 months use from their pool a year, rather than just 3 months.
But it doesn’t end there. A solar cover’s membrane covers the whole pool surface. This makes it virtually impossible for water to evaporate, even in the height of summer. Which means that expensive water bills from topping up the pool throughout the summer become a thing of the past.
There’s another benefit too. Having a solar cover in place eliminates the need to skim your pool for insects, creepy-crawlies, leaves and debris each and every time you take a dip. So a solar cover will also help keep your pool clean.
Can a solar cover be fitted to an overflow pool?
Simple answer, yes. This is good news for overflow pool owners, as it’s a little-known fact that overflow pools run significantly cooler than skimmer pools. Vanishing edge pools run cooler still. So, adding a solar cover to an overflow pool makes a dramatic difference to the water temperature and year-round usability of the pool.
Problem with birds and pigeons on your overflow pool?
A further drawback to overflow pools is that they act as a watering hole for all kinds of visiting wildlife. One of the most unwelcome visitors are pigeons. Pigeons leave unsightly and unhygienic mess all around the pool. A solar cover will prevent birds accessing the water and drive them away.
How easy is it to take a solar cover off a pool and put it back on?
With the help of our Artemidos roller, it couldn’t be simpler or quicker. We supply two different sizes of roller, so we can accommodate all sizes and shapes of pool.
Heat pumps vs. solar covers
There are many differences – not least price – between electrically-operated heat pumps and sun-powered solar covers. It can be tricky choosing between the two, so the following pointers should help decide what’s best for you:
You’ll need a heat pump if you
- Have an overwhelming urge to swim December through to March
- Rent out your villa commercially and advertise a heated pool
- Own a commercial enterprise which requires a heated pool at all times
If you opt for a heat pump you will still need to invest in a solar cover to conserve the heat you have paid to generate using your heat pump. So it may make sense to start with a solar cover and see if that on its own does the job you want.
How much does a solar cover cost?
There are many factors which influence the price of a solar cover, but mainly: pool size, pool shape, whether the pool is skimmer/overflow and whether there are Roman or walk-In steps.
In order to make you an offer we need to know the size of the pool and see some photos. One or two of the photos should be taken from an upstairs window. The photos can be sent by WhatsApp/Viber to 99 385218, or by email to mysafepool@cytanet.com.cy
When comparing solar cover prices, it would be easy to assume that all solar covers are the same. They are not. There are many different qualities of cover on the market, and as always you get what you pay for.
For example, there is a significant difference between the quality of product we supply (working life 5-7 years and guarantee up to 3 years) and cheap covers of dubious origin which suffer rapid UV degradation and fall apart after just 1-2 years. We also provide a sewn hem around the edge of our covers to protect them from abrasion; many suppliers don’t.
Summary of a solar cover’s attributes and benefits:
A solar cover uses free energy from the sun to warm up a pool during the day and its thermal insulation properties will reduce heat loss to the atmosphere at night. The cover will drastically decrease water loss by evaporation and it will also help keep your pool clean.
All this for modest initial outlay and no ongoing cost. We guarantee that once you have a solar cover you will never want to be without one again.
© Safe.T.First Pool Safety Ltd