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Should I Leave Solar Pool Cover On? (Quick Answers)

A solar pool cover is basically developed for heating the pool water naturally by using solar rays and keeping the temperature of the water at a comfy level during the colder months. 

Since the whole process of heating up the pool and keeping the water temperature at a comfy level is done while the solar pool cover is on the pool water surface, it may raise a query that should you leave the solar pool cover on or not.

Therefore, let’s quickly find out the answers to this topic.

Should I Leave Solar Pool Cover On?

It’s advised to leave the solar pool cover on at any time when the swimming pool isn’t being used for swimming. Mainly in the daytime leave the solar pool cover on so that it can keep heating the pool. It will also keep the pool clean by keeping out the leaves, debris, and other organic materials. 

Particular times such as day and night time in an entire day, while going on a vacation, or during winter or rainy days can make anyone wonder whether they can leave the solar pool cover on during these conditions and times or not. 

And below briefly this has been explained with proper justification.

Leave Solar Cover On During Day:

You should leave the solar cover on your pool during the daytime when no one is using the pool for swimming because daylight hours are considered the most suitable time for attaining heat from the sunlight within the solar cover. 

Therefore, the more you’ll leave the solar cover on your swimming pool during the daytime, the better it will heat up the pool retaining enough heat.

Leave Solar Cover On At Night:

It’s totally fine to leave solar cover aka solar blanket on the pool at night, as leaving the solar cover at nighttime will help insulate the pool water to preserve the heat that the pool has attained throughout the entire day from sunlight.

Moreover, keeping the solar blanket on will considerably lessen the evaporation and dropping off of the heat.

Leave Solar Cover On In Winter:

Leaving solar cover on the pool in winter is also deemed alright and beneficial. 

It’s because keeping the solar blanket on the pool will keep it covered in times when you are not using the pool, therefore, the solar cover will keep the dried falling leaves and organic entities out of your pool. 

As a result, you won’t have to clean the pool frequently and algae/bugs won’t get much food for consumption.

And as far as it’s concerned about leaving the solar cover on your pool all winter, know that as long as you will be using your pool for swimming and keeping the filter system run on, you can leave the solar blanket on your pool. Otherwise, use a winter cover to close your pool.

Leave Solar Pool Cover On During Rain:

To say practically, you indeed should leave the solar pool cover on your pool when it’s raining. It’s because rainwater can disarray the pH level of the pool, so if you keep the solar cover on, it will not let rainwater fall on the pool as well as will retain the heat.

Leave Solar Pool Cover On Vacation:

Don’t leave solar pool cover on your pool while you will be on a vacation. It surely will keep heating the swimming pool but it will reduce the effectiveness of the system and the slimmer. Rather, leave a safety cover on the swimming pool on vacation. 

It will keep the pool clean and improve sanitation.

Is It Okay To Leave My Pool Cover On All The Time? What Happens If It’s On For Too Long?

Hence, pool covers efficiently maintain the pool clarity and heat, it might lead you to think about whether you should leave your pool cover on all the time or not. Also, you may want to learn what possibly can happen if the pool cover is on the pool for a long time.

The below explanations are listed to answer all your queries.

Falls Into The Pool:

Leaving your pool cover on your swimming pool all the time or for a longer period isn’t okay because the longer you’ll keep the pool cover on, the more it increases the risk of the cover becoming loose as well as falling into your pool. 

And if it does fall into your pool, it will intensify the threat of wastes getting in the pool and developing algae bloom.

Especially, in winter you shouldn’t leave a pool cover on all the time or for too long a period.

Wears And Tears:

The pool cover can get worn out or torn apart if you leave the pool cover on all the time or for a prolonged period as the elements stress out the pool cover. Additionally, your pets or debris also can cause tears and rips in the pool cover. So, don’t use it all the time. 

Water Accumulation:

When the pool cover becomes loose due to using it for a long time, it can accumulate excess water such as rainwater. And this extra accumulated water develops a suitable environment for some specific organisms to live. 

Also, the weight of extra water can make the cover fall into the pool.

Do Solar Pool Covers Cause Algae?

Solar pool covers directly do not cause or spur algae growth in the swimming pool. Instead, it covers the pool and creates a barrier between algae spores (that can get into swimming pools from debris, dirt, and rain) and the pool water.

However, if the pool water already has algae spores or the cover has algae, warming up the water can cause algae, especially if the water has phosphates.

How Long Can You Leave A Solar Cover On The Pool?

You can leave a solar cover on the pool for 2-7 years but most people tend to change the cover after 3 years. And if it’s a liquid solar cover, you can leave it in the pool until the chemical is over or for 30 days.

How Fast Does A Solar Cover Heat A Pool?

A solar cover can heat a pool by increasing the temperature of the water as fast as 5° F every 12 hours. Sometimes it can even heat the pool by 10-15°F as well depending on the amount of sunlight it gets directly.

Pros And Cons Of Solar Pool Covers

Many of you probably don’t know both the pros and cons of a solar pool cover, here the pros and cons are separately listed and explained for you all so that you can get a clear idea of both the advantages and drawbacks of a pool cover before/while using it.

Pros:

Curtails The Cost Of Pool Heating:

The most apparent advantage that a solar pool cover offer is that it curtails the expense of heating the pool in colder months.

A solar pool cover traps the heat that a swimming pool attains from the sun during the daytime and retains the heat in the colder hours at night. It also minimizes evaporation and lessens the heat loss of a pool. 

Thereby, electric/gas heat isn’t required to heat the pool and the total expense curtails by 50-70% (stated by the U.S. Department of Energy).

Environment-Friendly:

A solar pool cover uses a renewable energy source which is solar energy, so it is obviously an environmentally-friendly thing.

Keeps The Pool Clean

Apart from the heating capability of a solar pool, a solar cover cuts your overall effort to maintain the pool by keeping falling dried leaves, insects, and other materials out of the pool. 

Thereby, the water of the pool will remain clean when the solar cover is removed regardless of how breezy or freezing the weather is.

Also, less vacuuming or skimming will be needed for the pool.

Cons:

Cost:

The most noticeable drawback of a solar cover is its cost. Any pretty decent quality solar pool cover is expensive most of the time, particularly if your pool is a bigger one.

Besides, solar covers that are automatic or semi-automatic and use electrical energy to get unrolled are more expensive and might not fit everyone’s budget.

May Not Fit All Pools:

Although solar covers are found in a good range of sizes that fit almost all pools, they might not fit unusually-shaped or too large swimming pools. 

For instance, if your pool is lagoon-styled or you have customized the design, the available solar pool covers may not fit yours. And you’ll be needing a customized one which is more expensive than the average price.

Final Thoughts

A solar cover should be left on the pool whenever nobody is using the pool, especially in the winter season during the daytime so that it can trap the heat gained from the sun to heat the pool. Also, leaving the solar cover on doesn’t let leaves, insects, debris fall into the water.