What are the benefits of having a pool cover?
There are a number of reasons you will want to cover your pool. The main reasons are to decrease water and heat loss through evaporation, decrease chemical consumption due to evaporation and to prevent debris entering your pool.
What types of cover are there?
Solar Covers: Solar covers are made of plastic and have small bubbles in them to create small air pockets under the top plastic layer. The plastic allows the UV rays from the sun to heat the pool water and the air acts an insulator and helps to trap the heat in the pool.
Thermal blankets: Thermal blankets are just that, a type of blanket you put on the top surface of the pool. It acts in the same way as the blankets on our bed. When you are pushing heat into your water via solar or heatpump it will help retain the heat in the body of water just as our blankets help keep the heat we create in at night.
Automated pool covers: These covers act in the same way the old style roller garage doors did. They roll up in a secret compartment at the end of your pool and with a press of a button extend out over the top of your pool. They can either float or run in tracks. The best looking automated covers are the polycarbonate slat covers that come in a range of covers. The slats contain air pockets and perform in a similar way to the solar covers.
What do pool covers cost?
For a typical family sized pool in the range of 8-10m long you can expect to pay approximately $3000 for a solar cover, $5000 for a thermal blanket and anywhere from $18000 to $30,000 for an automated pool cover.
What type of cover should I get for my pool?
This is dependent on a number of factors, in particular your budget, the style of pool you want and your local climate.
A hot temperate climate will often mean we recommend a solar blanket. The energy from the sun is free and a solar blanket will allow your pool to heat naturally. If you live in a warm climate such as Auckland where the ambient temperature is usually above 20 degrees Celsius then this is a great option.
In the South Island we often recommend a thermal blanket as even in summer the temperature can still drop into the mid teen’s. You’ll want to maximize the energy input via your heatpump and retain as much as possible.
We often find that the hidden automated pool covers are requested in high value homes where the owners see benefit in the automation of their pool cover. Another key eason for the hidden cover is usually aesthetic and having it hidden may suit the style of property or landscaping.
Can I put an automated pool cover on my fibreglass or liner pool?
Unfortunately, it is not easy to install the top of line floating slat cover on a fibreglass and liner pool. Automated pool covers are best suited for concrete pools where they can be hidden in a pit at the end of the pool and magically appear from underneath your coping stones of deck.
For more information on automated pool covers please contact MORGAN+STONE. Thank you.