Winter Cover – Why would you buy one?

Peter Towle on March 26, 2017

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Winter Cover – Why would you buy one?

Winter Cover, this is the pool cover of choice by swimming pool owners whose swimming pool receives a large amount of leaf and debris each year. As well as being called a winter cover, they are also known by a variety of other names including “leaf and debris cover”, “dust and leaf cover”, and “leaf stop cover” to name a few. While the names vary, what is common is there ability to keep a swimming pool clean even in the most difficult conditions.

A winter cover is made of a fine but very strong mesh fabric which is extremely durable. The cover itself is cut approximately 200 mm larger than the swimming pool all the way around to give the cover a border under which leafs etc cannot get under. The winter cover is then secured to the pool by a series of cleats which are fixed to the pool surrounds. These cleats are then used to draw the winter cover taught so much so that the cover is drawn off the pool water. This allow the leaves etc to fall onto the cover but remain dry after which they can be easily removed by either a broom or a blower vac.

So why call it a winter cover? This cover draws this name from the fact that it is most often used as a winter shut down cover. The swimming pool owner at the end of the swimming season will give the swimming pool a final thorough clean and then fit the winter cover in place. There it will stay for the off season, saving the pool owner hours of pool cleaning time at a time of the year when the pool is not being used.

Winter covers are a great idea for pool owners who live in very leafy areas. While they do a great job of keeping leaves etc out of a swimming pool, there is one thing they cannot do and that is being a safety cover. For years we have too often been asked, “Can these covers act as a safety cover”? The answer to this is very definitely no, as they are not designed for this role.

Live in a leafy area? Consider a winter cover and save yourself a lot of pool cleaning time and effort.

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Buying a Pool Cover? Whats the first question you should ask?

Peter Towle on March 23, 2017

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Buying a Pool Cover? Whats the first question you should ask?

You often hear it said that the first question to ask when buying a pool cover is “where was the pool cover made”? However, I think that this is not quite the correct way to ask what would otherwise be a good opening question.

You see in Australia our pool covers are subjected to some of the harshest environmental conditions in the world and they are constantly under assault by much higher levels of UV than their counterparts overseas. So pool covers here in this country have to be tough to survive.

In our Australian market, we have a number of manufacturers who import cover material from low cost Asian countries or even Europe, the UK and the USA, and then manufacture the pool covers here in Australia from this imported material. So when the question is asked, “where is the pool cover made”? They can truthfully answer “Right here in Australia”.

A much better question to ask is “Where was the cover material manufactured”? If the seller is making pool covers from imported material, he now has to either admit that or lie which of course carries a risk with that as well.

So when buying a pool cover, you will do yourself a big favour if you ask where the cover material was made and then pick only Australian made pool cover material, it really is the best for this environment we live in.

As you might expect, we use Sancell pool cover material which is manufactured in Carrum Downs Victoria. Australian product through and through.

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Solar Pool Heating and a Pool Cover…Do i need both?

Peter Towle on September 1, 2016

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Solar Pool Heating and a Pool Cover…Do i need both?

So many Solar Pool Heating Companies these days advise their customers to also fit a swimming pool cover, but is that really necessary and are there advantages to be had by doing so?

The answer is you most certainly should be fitting a pool cover, there are great advantages and performance improvements to be gained by supporting the efforts of your solar pool heating system with the use of a swimming pool cover.

As most will know, a solar pool heating system channels water from the swimming pool, over the roof of your house or another adjacent building. While the water travels over the roof of the building in the collectors, it is heated by the sun. The solar pool heating system then returns this heated water back to the swimming pool, via the filtration system return valve. While the solar pool heating system is running, this process is continuous and so the swimming pool water slowly gains temperature. However, once a pool’s filtration system is turned off or the sun is obscured, or goes down, the heating process is limited and/or stopped altogether. It is during this time that the pool water will lose some of the temperature it had gained.

At this point it must be said that a Solar Pool Heating System operating in isolation will generate between 2 and 8 Degrees in temperature to your pool water. The majority of this heat added to the pool will be lost out through the surface area of the water. Therefore, the water temperature will be somewhat dynamic, rising during the day and then falling during the evening. A Swimming Pool Cover via the bubbles in the material, creates a layer of warm that insulates/ prevents/ slows down the heat loss. By adding the pool cover to the surface area of the water you therefore reduce this dynamic process of water temperature fluctuations.

On top of this a swimming pool cover will generate in isolation (without the use of Solar Pool Heating) between 2 and 8 degrees in temperature.  As the sun’s UV Rays pass through the flat surface of the bubble, and down into the pool water,  it bounces off the bottom of the pool and head’s towards the open air. As the bubbles on the under side are concaved the UV is then refracted back down into the pool. As more and more UV is collected and then trapped in the water, the pool water temperature increases.

So it becomes quite clear that if you combine a pool cover with a solar pool heating system, your pool water will have two independent sources to increase the water temperature. As well as a method of reducing the heat loss normally associated with owning a swimming pool. By reducing the amount of heat loss your pool water remains much closer to the desired temperature, thus meaning your solar pool heating system wont be required to be working as much. The more you can use the fucntions of the pool cover (free) without the use of the Solar Pool Heating System, means a monetary saving to the owner, aswell as an extension to the swimming season.

 

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Solar Pool Cover – Care and Maintenance

Peter Towle on July 20, 2016

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Solar Pool Cover – Care and Maintenance

Solar Pool Cover – Tips to get the maximum life out of yours

A good quality Australian made Solar Pool Cover, particularly made from Sancell Australia material, is made to last. In fact there is very little that can go wrong with them, but to ensure their longevity there are a few things that should be done.

The TWO Main causes for Blanket degredation are over exposure to Chlorine and Heat

Always keep chlorine levels in the pool within the acceptable range.

One situation that will most certainly shorten the life span of a solar pool cover is exposure to excessive chlorine levels in the pool water. The Pool Cover has a finite amount of chlorine it can handle in its lifetime. Therefore if the pool water’s chlorine is above 3 ppm (recommended levels) then the lifespan of the blanket will shorten. Obviously the reverse is also true, if your chlorine levels are below the recommended range then in theory your pool cover will last longer. Bear in mind that running your pool below the recommended levels for chlorine will increase the likeliness of the water quality going poor.

When the solar pool  cover is coming to the end of its life, or it has been exposed to very high levels of chlorine for a short period of time. you will notice the bubbles on the blanket go a milky white in colour and become brittle and flaky. When this happens, the solar pool cover’s usefulness effectively comes to an end.

Avoiding this condition is extremely easy and will automatically happen if you follow a normal swimming pool maintenance routine. Generally speaking, most pool maintenance professionals advise pool owners to have their pool water tested once per month. By doing this, and with the correct advice that follows this testing, the owner can maintain the correct concentration of chlorine in the water by simply keeping the pool in balance.

As a solar pool cover will slow down the chemical loss in a pool, it is further recommended that after a pool cover is fitted, the first water testing should be within about a week of the cover’s installation. By doing this together with the normal monthly water testing the problem of too much chlorine attacking the cover  will be removed.

Use the Sun Cover when the cover is on the Pool Roller 

Solar pool covers are particularly good conductors of heat from the sun’s rays. For this reason, they should not be exposed unprotected to the sun for a prolonged period. This means whether they are rolled up on the pool cover roller or removed manually and put to the side they will need protection from the sun’s rays. I see far too many pools where the pool cover has been taken off the pool and left wrapped around the roller tube for days, weeks even the whole swimming season unprotected or folded up like a bed sheet and stuffed next to the shed – and people wonder why the cover doesn’t last its expected life.

Why is this detrimental to the blanket? Two reasons – Firstly, the cover runs the risk of burning itself or melting itself. Secondly and most commonly, there is a chemical built into the plastic, designed to protect the plastic against the chlorine. It has a finite amount of chlorine it can handle in its lifetime. Once the chemical has broken down the chlorine then breaks down the plastic. This chemical is susceptible to overheating and will break down under exposed heat. The white milky liquid that runs off the blanket is actually the broken down chemical. Whilst the cover is on the pool, it is the water that keeps  the cover cool. Wrapped up on the tube it is the Sun Cover that is tasked of keeping the sun off the pool cover.  Therefore the remedy is simple, keep the cover on the pool, whenever you are not using the pool. When you are using the pool, use the sun cover that has been supplied with the roller to protect the pool cover from the sun’s rays.  If the pool cover is not fitted to a roller, the cover should just be stored out of the direct sunlight when it is not on the pool. Both of these two actions will avoid the pool cover burning itself when not on the pool.

So the steps to take to prolong the life of your new solar pool cover are simple, they are

  1. Have your pool water tested by your pool maintenance professional in the first week after the cover is fitted.
  2. Continue to have the pool water tested on a regular basis – once a month in Winter and Fortnightly in Summer, as part of your general swimming pool maintenance routine.
  3. When the solar pool cover is not on the pool water, use the pool roller over cover or sun cover to protect it, or store the pool cover out of the direct sun light.

By following these three simple steps you can expect to have your solar pool cover last its maximum expected life.

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Pool Cover Installation – step by step guide

Peter Towle on July 20, 2016

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Pool Cover Installation – step by step guide

Pool cover installation is not difficult and can be done by almost anyone, using every day tools and a careful patient approach.  The tools you will need are, (1) a sharp pair of household scissors. Procedure When I have gone to do a pool cover installation over the years I have always followed this procedure. The only addition I have put in for the reader is the inclusion of a helper that will make installing a pool cover so much easier. Here’s how you do it.
  1. Roll out your new pool cover over the pool ensuring that it is both long enough and wide enough to cover the whole pool.
  2. You will notice the panels of the pool cover are welded across the pool rather than going length ways. This will now enable you to position the pool cover by lining up the weld lines so that they are parallel with the end of the pool or alternatively be parallel with the pool cover roller tube when it is installed.
  3. Take time with this positioning procedure until you are completely satisfied with how the pool cover sits on the pool. Then when you are satisfied, you can begin to “cut the pool cover in”.
  4. Cutting the Pool Cover In – The most important thing to remember is slow and steady. For someone doing this for the first time, having a helper to hold the pool cover in position while you cut it in will improve you effort a great deal. Do not over commit and cut off too much at a time because obviously once it is cut off, you cannot put the piece back on again. Even if it means going around the circumference of the pool a number of times, taking only small amounts off with each pass, the quality of the end result will be very pleasing.
  5. There are two methods of pool cover installation when in comes to cutting in a cover. They are (a) Flush to the water line and (b) Lapped up the sides. So which method to use: this choice, is often influenced by the type of pool you have eg: if you have a pool with straight sides and it does not have a “bull nose” coping around the pool, it is difficult to do a lapped up the sides cut with a great deal of success as the pool cover relies on the bull nose coping to stay in position. Without it, the pool cover will not remain in the the correct position. In this case, a flush to the waterline cut is the only one to do.
  6. So if your pool will accommodate both styles of cut, which one is the best? As a guide, cutting a pool cover flush to the waterline make it easier to roll up whereas cutting it lapped up the sides will tend to keep out more leaves and rubbish. Depending on what would be your biggest issue will guide which way you cut the cover in .
  7. To do a lapped up the sides cut in, start your cut approximately 150 mm out from the edge of the pool and go all the way around at this distance. Then try and push all sides of the cover down so that it sits neatly under the bull nose coping. If it is too long, go to 100 mm from the pool edge cut off the additional all the way around and repeat the process until the cover fits.
Pool cover installation need not be viewed as a difficult task. With patience, a methodical approach and an extra pair of helping hands, anyone can get a professional looking result.

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Pool Cover Roller Installation

Peter Towle on July 20, 2016

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Pool Cover Roller Installation

In providing this instruction on how to install a pool cover roller, we will assume that your pool cover has already been cut out and installed. Tools you will need
  • 9mm open end, ring or socket spanner
  • 19mm open end, ring or socket spanner
  • Hammer
  • Small Block of wood
  • Tape measure
  • Phillips head screw driver or Phillips head bit for a cordless drill
Safety Tip: You can use a 9mm hex drive attachment for a cordless drill in place of a spanner so long as the drill is cordless. Never use electric tools around swimming pools. Procedure: Your pool cover roller will have already been partly set-up by us at the factory. The roller tube will already have the attachment points installed and the end axles for the roller legs will also be installed.
  1. Finish building the pool cover roller. Do this by screwing the stabilisation feet into position if it is a stationary pool cover roller or bolt the wheels into place if it is a fully mobile pool cover roller.
  2. Tap the hand wheels into place on the axles at either end of the tube. This can be done with the heal of the hand or your block of wood and hammer. DO NOT strike the hand wheel directly with a steel hammer as the hand wheel may get damaged.
  3. With the stabilization feet or wheels as the case may be fitted, slide the pool cover roller end legs onto the axles at each end of the roller tube. When these are in position fit the securing wire retaining ring in to the grooved section at the end of the pool cover roller axle. With this retaining ring in place, the roller end leg should not slide off the axle.
  4. The pool cover roller is now complete and is now ready for attachment to the pool cover.
  5. Now position the pool cover roller into its standing position at the chosen end of the swimming pool. While it is not necessary to permanently secure the pool cover roller to this position, this will be its usual standing position when the pool cover is rolled out onto the swimming pool.
  6. Now pull the end of the pool cover out of the swimming pool and position it below the pool cover roller bar
  7. Using the eyelet knife supplied along with the block of wood and a hammer, punch holes into the pool cover which line up with the securing screws already attached to the pool cover roller bar.
  8. Once the eyelet holes have been made, insert the blue eyelets into these holes using the hammer and the block of wood. A word of caution: do not strike the eyelets directly with a steel hammer as the eyelets may be damaged.
  9. Now that the eyelets have been installed, attach the pool cover to the pool cover roller using the attachment ropes supplied. Care should be taken to have each ropes length adjusted so that the pool cover rolls up evenly. This is easy to do when the end of the pool cover is straight because all that is required is to make all of the ropes the same length. However, if the pool cover is rounded at the roller end, making the ropes the correct length requires a little more measurement.
  10. When the pool has a rounded end, fit the centre rope first and measure how long it is. Next work progressively to the outside rope by measuring the distance from the cover to the next rope and then addition some additional length equal to the length of the centre rope. This will ensure that the cover winds up evenly.
  11. Finally give the cover and roller a test roll up, make any small adjustments you see necessary.

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Benefits of a Pool Cover

Peter Towle on March 10, 2016

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Benefits of a Pool Cover

Pool Covers – Are they a good Investment? What are the Benefits of a Pool Cover The decision to buy a swimming pool is taken with the idea of providing more opportunities to enjoy time at home spent swimming with family and friends. However, while a swimming pool can provide hours of entertainment over the swimming season, it also calls for continued maintenance and upkeep all year round. A pool cover can help reduce the maintenance and upkeep both in time and monetary outlay.
  1. A pool cover will save you loads of time from cleaning the pool
Pool covers are very effective at keeping leaves and rubbish from entering the pool, some more than others. Some types of covers are specifically designed for this purpose, such as Leaf and Debris covers. These are a weave type of fabric and are made larger than the pool surface so as to overlap the pool coping around its circumference. Leaf and Debris Covers are fixed at regular intervals around the pool, and even though the fabric is porous, the weave is so fine that only the finest dust will enter the pool through the cover. These can be put in place at the end of the swimming season and remain there over the colder months, constantly keeping the pool clean and saving the owner hours of cleaning time. Solar Pool Covers by comparison are very much like thick bubble wrap and although they assist with keeping rubbish out of the pool. Their primary advantage is stopping evaporation and increasing water temperature,however, if they are cut so as to wrap up the coping wall and trimmed to meet the bull-nose coping (if there is one), they can also greatly contribute to keeping the pool clean as well. In both cases the amount of time saved in keeping the pool clean is significant. It must be noted that an Automatic Pool Cleaner – Suction, Pressure or Robotic will work underneath any type of Pool Cover, in fact we thoroughly recommend using a pool cleaner underneath your pool cover. Your maintenance will practically be eliminated using both of these items. As a rule we recommend the Zodiac Range of Robotic Cleaners. Which we would be happy to get you a price.  
  1. A pool cover can extend the swimming season by warming up the pool.
Solar blanket pool covers are great at providing and preserving warmth in the swimming pool. Depending on how much sunshine the pool receives during the day, a solar blanket pool cover can increase the pool temperature by up to 8 degree Celsius. A good habit to have is to make sure the cover is on the pool each night so that it captures the warmth provided during the day. In fact, i would strongly recommend having the pool cover on the pool, whenever you are not swimming. Whilst the cover is laid on the water, it is stopping evaporation, reducing chemical loss, warming the pool and keeping out the dirt and debris.
  1. Pool covers are good for the environment
Solar pool covers can save up to 97% of the water evaporation loss. This then greatly reduces the need to top up the pool during the course of the year. This means that the pool owner is not drawing water from the city supply or harvested rain water stored in tanks to top up water lost through evaporation. A leaf and debris cover’s ability to reduce evaporation is less than that of a solar blanket but still significant. In both types the cover’s ability to stop or greatly reduce evaporation is a great help to the environment and preserving our natural water asset.
  1. Pool covers also save the owner money
While almost eliminating water evaporation, a pool cover also reduces the amount of chlorine required to keep the pool in balance. If there is an automatic salt water chlorinator in use the amount of time this has to run is also reduced. This is because a pool loses a large part of its chlorine through the action of evaporation. With the evaporation almost eliminated, the loss of chlorine is also greatly reduced and so the cost of replenishment is therefore reduced. The cost savings extend to the replenishment of the water lost through evaporation which if replaced via the city supply, will come at a monetary cost. A further cost saving is where a solar heating system (or our preferred measure of external heating an electric heat pump – we’ll explain why a heat pump is far superior to the old technology of strip matt solar pool heating) is employed, pool covers are often used to support the effort of the heating system. A pool cover’s heat retention ability usually means that the heating system does not have to run as long and so also saves power. This also is an environmental benefit as well. Summary The purchase of a swimming pool is a large monetary outlay for any home. The return on investment might be measured in the amount of enjoyment the pool provides compared with the amount of maintenance and upkeep the pool requires, measured in money and labour hours. A pool cover can greatly reduce the owner’s maintenance and upkeep commitment and for that reason, is a sound investment.    

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Pool Cover Types- Which pool cover will best suit your Swimming Pool

Peter Towle on March 10, 2016

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Pool Cover Types- Which pool cover will best suit your Swimming Pool

Having made the decision to buy a pool cover, the next question is which type will best suit your pool. The best way to decide this is to simply identify what is the prime reason for getting one, for example is it to keep the pool warmer for longer, stop water evaporation, or is it to keep the pool clean.   Solar Blanket Pool Covers – keep your pool warmer and stop evaporation. If your purpose is to stop evaporation and also make the pool warmer, then a solar blanket pool cover is the correct choice. A solar blanket pool cover looks very similar to thick bubble wrap, it lays flat on the surface of the water, and has the ability through trapping the sun’s UV rays to warm the pool water. Depending on how much sunshine the pool receives, a solar blanket pool cover can increase the water temperature by as much as 8 degrees Celsius. This could add weeks to the owner’s swimming season. In addition, these covers are extremely effective at stopping water loss through evaporation, in fact by up to 97%. They are usually attached to a pool cover roller which makes them very easy to put on and take off the pool. Other additional benefits are that they help keep the pool clean by keeping a large percentage of leaves and rubbish out of the pool. They can also cut down on the amount of chemicals the pool requires, as much of the chemical loss in a pool is via evaporation which these pool covers put an end to.   Leaf and debris Pool Covers – keep your pool clean These pool covers are made from a weave fabric and are made larger than the pool to create an overlap. They are then fixed in position at regular intervals around the pool to ensure that nothing gets into the pool at all. While they are not as effective as a solar blanket when it comes to controlling evaporation, or warming the pool up. They do make a contribution to these two tasks and are considered effective. Their prime function though is to keep the pool clean and in this they do a wonderful job, especially where the pool receives a large amount of leaves and debris constantly. Make no mistake, these covers take longer to put on and take off than a solar blanket pool cover. However, owners report that the hours saved from having to continually clean the pool more than makes up for this. The main practice for this pool is to put it on over the Winter months and remove the cover when the swimming season arrives.   So in the end, the choice of which type of pool cover to buy comes down to what is the prime reason for getting one in the first place. Whether it be keeping the pool clean, keeping it warm or stopping evaporation. They all do a great job in these tasks, but some are stronger at some of those aspects than others.

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