What Causes Pool Heat Loss?

Heat loss from swimming pools is primarily caused by evaporation and is responsible for about 50-70% of heat lost from both indoor and outdoor pools.

The best way to reduce heat loss caused by evaporation is to always use a cover when the pool is not being used.  Swimming pool covers will retain heat by insulating the pool and blocking water from escaping.

Would you heat or air condition your home with the windows open?  Without a solar cover on your pool, the heat in pool water is able to evaporate into the air.  Ensure that the heat pumping into your pool is staying in your pool.

How to Reduce Pool Heat Loss

Also called a ‘pool blanket’ or ‘solar pool cover’, or ‘liquid blanket’ -  solar blankets not only keep evaporation to a minimum, but they also keep debris out of your pool, reduce chemical consumption and help heat the pool water.

According to the US Department of Energy, solar blankets, can reduce pool heating costs 50 to 70 percent; reduce the amount of water that needs to be added to a pool by 30 to 50 percent and reduce the pool's chemical use by 35 to 60 percent.

Solar covers are the best way to reduce heat loss caused by evaporation when the pool is not being used.  They work by retaining heat by insulating a pool and blocking water from escaping.  They will also heat a pool by absorbing sunlight.  Additionally, they cover the pool and protect it from weather damage and debris and keep chemical consumption to a minimum.

Did you know?

A swimming pool cover can raise the water temperature of your pool by up to 8 degrees.  If you have an outdoor pool, it’s possible to use a solar blanket to absorb sunlight into the water and warm it up!  You can heat your pool for free!

How to Use a Solar Cover & How Solar Covers Work

Swimming pool covers work best when used during the swimming season in daylight hours.  Simply pull the cover off the pool before swimming and replace the cover as soon as you’re done using the pool.  You may manually slide the cover on and off and fold them as needed.  To make the blanket even easier to apply and remove, you may choose to invest in an automatic or semi-automatic pool cover reel system which will roll up the blanket for you.

Solar Blankets Save Energy and Money

Pool covers significantly reduce evaporative water loss and will save on energy bills.  The table below shows estimated seasonal pool heating costs and savings when a pool cover is used in varying locations.
 

Poolheatpumps.com offers two variations of pool covers.  
 
1. Solar Pool & Spa Cover
2. Chemical Cover
 
Solar covers float on the pool surface and provide transparent insulating plastic that blocks evaporation while allowing heat from the sun to pass through and warm the water.  They are created with light weight, thick layers of plastic, coated with ultraviolet inhibitors to extend the lifetime of the material.
 
An alternative to a solar pool cover is a chemical liquid blanket that can be poured into the pool water.  It provides evaporation protection and eliminates the need to move the cover on and off the pool in order to swim.  However, the effectiveness of the chemical covers are diminished when the pool surface is disturbed by pool use or wind.  
 
Comparing the two options, solar pool covers will provide the highest energy savings for pools.