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The cheapest and most effective solar-heating system for your swimming pool is a solar pool cover. Solar-heated pool covers absorb sunlight and then transfer that heat to the water. Some solar pool covers are black for this very reason, but the most widely used are made of inexpensive clear plastic that looks like the bubble wrap used for packing. These pool covers are made of a special material designed to store the sunlight as heat, and air bubbles work as insulation so that the heat becomes trapped in the pool water.
 | Replace the solar pool cover when it begins to fray. When plastic bubble wrap covers get old, plastic shards can get into the filter and may even cut the filter paper, necessitating a new, expensive filter. |
You do have to place covers onto the water and then remove them. Admittedly, covers can be a big hassle, but they do work. All kinds of systems are available for removing and replacing the cover — some manual, some automatic:
- Manual systems cost around $300. These roll up the cover, much like a window blind. You still have to pull it back out over the pool, however, which may mean you have to get into the water first. In either case, cranking the handle isn't easy; people who don't have much upper body strength may have a hard time.
- Automatic systems can cost more than $1,000, and the installation can get tricky. But once it's installed, all you have to do is press a switch and voila! The cover goes back and forth like magic (at least in theory, because all mechanical systems are prone to failures).
Use a cover only when you know you won't be using the pool for a few days at a time. But when you swim everyday, you can leave it off. You don't need a cover during the hottest months, which is when people want to swim the most. Just fold it up and store it for the season. Don't store a cover in the sunlight when it's not on the pool. They get really hot, and the plastic material degrades.
 | Swimming pool covers can be dangerous! If a person (particularly a child) falls onto a cover on a pool, he or she can get wrapped in the cover, which can be very difficult to get out of. In addition, if someone swims under a cover and tries to surface for air, the swimmer won't find any. Be careful, and always provide appropriate supervision. |
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