Your swimming pool loses about 75% of its heat via vaporization. And the best way to prevent that is by using solar covers. Solar covers are the most recommended product of any seasonal pool heater.
Solar covers have been popular for many years, therefore we must question, “How fast does a solar cover heat a pool?” This question has several levels, and the solution will differ based on the pool.
A solar cover is the cheapest and most effective sun-heating device for your pool. Despite the fact that most swimming pools have a huge surface area, only a small portion of the sunlight that touches the pool is retained as heat. Because pool water is clear, sunlight travels directly through it.
The sun is absorbed by the cover, which then delivers the heat to the water. For this reason, some covers are dark, although the most common are made of cheap translucent plastic that resembles packaging bubble wrap. These covers are composed of a particular material that stores heat from the sun, and air bubbles act as insulators, trapping the heat in the pool water.
How fast does a solar cover heat a pool?

The use of a solar pool cover conserves both electricity and water. It efficiently and organically warms your pool water. Traditional swimming pool heaters will cost you a lot of money in the long run. The best solar swimming pool covers eliminate the burden of needing to clean and cleanse your pool on a regular basis.
All of these advantages are fantastic, but you might wonder, “How fast does a solar cover heat a pool?”
The pace at which water heats up is influenced by the sun’s strength and the length of time the water is exposed to direct sunshine. Aside from that, the size of your pool and the weather in your location are both important considerations. The number of hours of direct sunlight your pool receives per day determines how quickly a solar pool cover hears it. Every 12 hours, a sun cover may raise the pool’s temperature by 5 degrees.
It’s important to keep in mind that your pool should be covered as much as possible. It should also get at least 6 hours of sunshine each day.
Things to understand about solar cover heating
If you are just relying on a solar cover to heat your pool, be aware that it is unlikely that your pool will gain as much heat as you anticipate. Solar covers are intended to supplement the heat given by an external pool heater, not to serve as the primary source of heat. Because evaporation is the primary source of heat dissipation in a pool, a solar cover will function as a barricade between the water and the air. When the temperature falls at night, a solar cover will help minimize evaporation, but it will not heat the pool overnight.
You can keep both the heater and pump on while you have the solar cover on to heat and retain the warmth of the water. To know more if you can and how you can use the pump with a solar cover, check out our post.
Solar covers will help a pool warm up faster in the spring and preserve warmth in a pool for a little further in the autumn, but one common myth is that they will warm up a pool in the middle of winter, which is just not the case. That necessitates the use of a heater! They will only maintain the heat in a pool that is already heated with a heater.
Problems with Solar cover heating

Solar coverings are only suitable for relatively small pools, particularly those with a dark surface such as dark stone tech. solar covers aren’t going to assist you much if you have a deep pool, especially if you don’t utilize your pool heater to aid in the heating process. If you use a solar cover, it will only operate if your pool is completely covered, which might present a few problems.
If you use your pool frequently during the warmer months, you probably won’t want to recover it every night and uncover it each day to use it. They are also ineffective when it comes to pool maintenance. If you employ an outside pool provider to keep your pool clear, they are unlikely to dismantle the cover to rinse it, therefore solar coverings only allow for minimal cleaning.
How to increase heating using solar covers
Follow these guidelines to help in the process:
- Purchase the thickest material you can.
- Maintain a chemical level in your pool between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million.
- Maintain a pH balance of 7.4 in your pool.
- When you’re not using your cover, roll it up or store it.
- Consider waiting 30 minutes after adding chemicals before reinstalling the cover.
- Dust it with a brush and water hose on a regular basis and leave it to dry.
Read More: What Solar Panels Do I Need For My Home
Conclusion
The solar cover may heat the pool by 5 degrees or more over the course of a 12-hour period if it is properly covered during the day. Solar pool coverings may be used all year. They keep your pool warm and reduce evaporation. You should also cover them up at night because a large quantity of heat is lost during the night. So, let us maintain our pool water warm so that we may enjoy swimming activities when we need them. They may last a number of years if properly cleaned and stored, saving you time and money in the process!