The Importance of Pool Covers

I am sure most of you know that about 70% of a pool's total heat loss is due to evaporation. It makes sense, then, that using a pool cover can help to keep pools warmer, longer. It also follows that if your pool water stays warmer, longer, than your heat system will not have to work as hard. This translates into significant energy savings. Another benefit is lower water loss; water is a precious commodity these day, don't forget. All of these points are straightforward and certainly not rocket science. So why are there so many uncovered pools?The pool industry is being hit fairly hard with the current economic downturn, so we all need to pull up our socks and find ways to continue making money. Customers need greater incentive to build a pool: pools are a lot of work, they cost a lot of money, and they use a lot of water, right? That's only part of the story. Pool covers will cut the cost of owning a pool dramatically, and make sure that the water initially put into the pool stays there. As for the work, well, there are levels of difficulty when it comes to pool covers, some as simply as the push of a button. Customers also need greater incentive to keep their pools open. Pool stores and service companies really need to start shouting about the benefits of a pool cover: “save water, energy and heat in every pool!”Historically, the reason pool covers were not emphasized was due to the expense and difficulty of using them. Nobody likes to fight with rollers and heavy plastic covers every time they want to jump in for a dip. With all the wonderful automatic options these days, that is a poor excuse. Manual plastic pool covers are always an option for those who want the reliability of a traditional cover but don't want the expense of an automatic cover. However, automatic covers really bring simplicity to the process and many will be willing to shell out the extra dollars for the benefit. There is also the often overlooked option of a liquid pool cover. This product has been on the market for over 15 years with tonnes of safety and effectiveness tests. The best part is that liquid pool covers make your pool accessible 24/7, while keeping it “covered” at the same time. For only pennies a day, it is one of the quickest and easiest ways to apply a pool cover to any pool, regardless of shape or size. If you want to learn more about it, visit www.flexiblesolutions.com.The Professional Pool Operators of America did a study on the effectiveness of pool covers a few years ago. They compared overnight heat loss in pools with no cover, a plastic pool cover, and a liquid pool cover. They found that, with an average day temperature of 92 degrees F and an average night temperature of 55 degrees F., the pool with no cover lost 12 degrees overnight. That is huge! Would you want to wake up and swim in water that is only 64 degrees? Not I. The pool using the plastic cover only dropped 4 degrees overnight and the liquid cover only dropped 6 degrees. Imagine cutting your overnight heat loss by 50% simply by using a pool cover. If you want the full results of this study, click the following link: http://flexiblesolutions.com/products/heatsavr/trials/ppoa.html%20If%20you%20want%20a%20visual,%20click%20here:%20http://flexiblesolutions.com/products/heatsavr/documents/BrentwoodBayCaseStudyVictoriaBC.pdf">PPOA StudyI encourage you all to read up on pool covers, and start adding them on to all your pool packages. I want to see comments and questions, and I always welcome emails if you would like more information.

PPOA article.pdf

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  • Lately I have been hearing a lot of water conservation concern and I thought I would add to this group a study:

     

    Conducted by one of Arizona's largest utilities last summer, they found that liquid pool covers save about 50% of the water lost through evaporation on an average swimming pool. The study is attached.

     

    I often have people asking if there will be a difference if the air is either dry vs humid, and the results stay very close to the same. In fact, there is another study attached done on an indoor pool - a showroom pool actually! 

     

    I hope you enjoy and I wish all you conservationists the best of luck!

    SRP LPC Water Test.pdf

    Urban Life.pdf

    https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3423777876?profile=original
  • Troy,
    I can tell you from first hand experience these "little fishies" work!
    I have sold them over the years and they absolutely lower evaporation and retain the heat. The customers love them and will ask for the product throughout the season.
    Justin


    Troy Smith said:
    Thank you for the insight on the liquid cover. I was not familiar with this cover option, however from what I am reading on it now, it seems to be a good alternative especially in the economics times we find ourselves. I know it's more important than ever to capitalize on everything we can, while providing customers with safe and affordable options. I am planning to look into this further and probably having this on hand this season for our customers. Thanks again for the info. It's really great for our industry to have a way to communicate and share information and ideas.
  • Thank you for the insight on the liquid cover. I was not familiar with this cover option, however from what I am reading on it now, it seems to be a good alternative especially in the economics times we find ourselves. I know it's more important than ever to capitalize on everything we can, while providing customers with safe and affordable options. I am planning to look into this further and probably having this on hand this season for our customers. Thanks again for the info. It's really great for our industry to have a way to communicate and share information and ideas.
  • Jeremy,
    Heatsavr, though applied on a daily basis, is a very affordable product. For residential pools that are happy using Ecosavr, they can purchase a month's supply for $10-13, depending on their supply store. For those customers who wish to commit to the permanent system of Heatsavr with an Automatic Metering System, their costs are going to stay quite low as well, compared to a plastic pool cover. Initially, a residential or commercial customer can purchase a Heatsavr Kit, the HS140, which comes with an Automatic Metering System, 4 - 1L bottles of Heatsavr, and all the necessary installation materials for only $399 (MSRP). This will last in an average backyard pool of, let's say, 400 sq.ft. for 4.5 months. For many pool owners, that is their whole season. Subsequent years, or current users, will only have to purchase the liquid, as the pump will already be installed. There will be 4 - 1L bottle replacement packs available for about $70-75. These costs are much lower annually than most plastic pool covers, and the ease of application is priceless.
    As you also mentioned, there are a lot off uniquely shaped pools which simply cannot have a plastic pool blanket without exorbitant installation costs. In those cases, a liquid pool cover is a "no-brainer", as I have had many customers describe our products.
    Of course, for larger pools, we do offer Heatsavr in 1 gallon jugs, and the costs tend to get even lower the more volume you purchase.
    I hope this answers your questions, but I would be happy to send you more information if you would like.

    Jeremy Hine said:
    You say the product is applied and reapplied daily?

    At what point does it make financial sense to have a thermal blanket on the pool due to the recurring costs? Or is this product best used like the example shown above where a blanket physically is too much of a hindrance to the pools use.

    -Jeremy
    Florida Leisure Pool & Spa
  • You say the product is applied and reapplied daily?

    At what point does it make financial sense to have a thermal blanket on the pool due to the recurring costs? Or is this product best used like the example shown above where a blanket physically is too much of a hindrance to the pools use.

    -Jeremy
    Florida Leisure Pool & Spa
    Florida Leisure Pool, Spa, Hot Tub Repair, Pumps, Filters, Heaters, Salt Chlorinators, Automation
    We repair pools, spas and hot tubs, pumps, motors, heaters, filters, automation equipment in Gainesville and North Central FL
  • Rex,

    I want a pool like this and I am glad to see some feed back concerning liquid pool covers. I have already had email correspondence with Monique and have already put into motion with my dealers to carry this product. Like many of us discussed in other forums this is how we help each other out to grow strong in a weak economy.

    Rex Richard said:
    Clint,

    I used the liquid cover on my own pool in the off season in AZ and in answer to all the questions, no problems. In essence the cover is an ultra thin film of alcohol floating on the pool surface. No residue, no build up, way too thin to taste, see, smell, or even know it's there. I swam it it regularly and can say it dramatically reduced my heating bill, not as much as a regular cover, but a lot. My pool was too large and irregular shaped to use a standard cover.

    The way it works is, thin layer of alcohol prohibits evaporation. The layer is literally molecules thick and distributes extremely rapidly across the entire waters surface. Because the material itself evaporates, it need continual distribution, thus the "time release" fish to maintain a continual tiny flow into the pool.

    I am not aware of the specific chemical formula, but understand the principal and indeed it works well.

    The pool has a "super swim" which was used for year round exercise. The liquid cover made it affordable. (still a little pricey to heat a large pool but much less than it was originally)

    Picture of the pool below:

  • Does a liquid cover cause greater waterline buildup? Does it clog the filter faster? Will swimmers notice a difference in the way the water feels, looks, tastes, or smells? Does it build up in the pool over time increasing the TDS?
  • Kevin Charles said:
    I'm a fan of using pool covers during the winter months primarily, and I can see the benefits of using an automatic/retractable cover during the summer months. The hassle of using other tarp style or safety covers doesn't seem worth the frustration when the pool is in use daily. I like the idea of the liquid covers, and have heard positive results from a few people, but most of the people I speak with aren't convinced. They don't know how much liquid to use, they are concerned about swallowing the liquid when they're swimming, and they don't know how often to reapply based on the temperature, rainfall, swim load, etc. As of now, I don't know how to counter these questions/concerns. I'm interested in learning more about these...any help?

    Kevin, I will gladly help answer some of these questions for you. Using a liquid pool cover is rediculously easy. Residential customers have a monthly application option in the form of Ecosavr, a fish lookalike filled with the Heatsavr liquid. Essentially, all they have to do is "snip the fin, and toss it in", or so our motto goes. There is a great video on my page, or the Media section of this website, titled "How to Use Ecosavr". One Ecosavr will work in a 400 sq.ft. pool for 25-30 days. The whole process takes about 45 seconds.
    For commercial facilities, or larger, higher end pools, the dosage rate for Heatsavr (the bulk form of the liquid) is 1 ounce per 400 sq.ft. This is a higher dosage than available in the Ecosavr, which compensates for the higher bather loads and increased splashing. I recommend using an automatic metering system to dose the pool, which is a great set and forget solution. You can learn more about the pump here: http://flexiblesolutions.com/products/heatsavr/automatic_injection....
    The dosage of Heatsavr is going to be daily, which is why my company has come up with automatic solutions. The product itself is biodegradable and environmentally friendly. When used as recommended, it is completely safe for use in all pools, and we have done multiple studies to prove that it is safe for users and mechanics. We do have a great toxicology report, which you can view here: http://flexiblesolutions.com/products/heatsavr/safety/islandia.pdf. The best testimonial, in my opinion, is that the product has been on the market for over 15 years, worldwide, with absolutely no health concerns to date.
    I hope that answers most of your questions, but I would be happy to go more in depth if you need more.
    Thanks for your great questions, and for promoting pool covers in general!
  • I'm a fan of using pool covers during the winter months primarily, and I can see the benefits of using an automatic/retractable cover during the summer months. The hassle of using other tarp style or safety covers doesn't seem worth the frustration when the pool is in use daily. I like the idea of the liquid covers, and have heard positive results from a few people, but most of the people I speak with aren't convinced. They don't know how much liquid to use, they are concerned about swallowing the liquid when they're swimming, and they don't know how often to reapply based on the temperature, rainfall, swim load, etc. As of now, I don't know how to counter these questions/concerns. I'm interested in learning more about these...any help?
  • Justin Gregoli said:
    The liquid cover technology has been fantastic!
    We actually have trouble keeping it on hand through out the season due to demand. The customers love it and as a retailer so do we. I am a huge advocate of covers for reductions across the board energy, chemical, heat loss, evaporation etc.

    Thanks Justin! It is so nice to hear such positive feedback. I have been following a lot of your posts and it is safe to say that you are a wonderful advocate for "green" products and energy efficiency; just the sort of person we love to hear is representing our products! Obviously I encourage the sale of liquid solar covers to benefit our company, but it is really the pool owner who will see the immediate benefits. Who can afford to pay the outrageous prices on energy and water these days? Certainly not the customers we are seeing in the industry right now, nor our environment. Pool covers of any kind is a give in.
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