Imagine the following – it’s Saturday morning, and you’ve waited for this moment for the entire week. You’ve called your buddies, and you intend to spend the whole day in the backyard, enjoying some BBQ, cold beers, and good weather. It is 30 minutes before your friends are supposed to arrive, so you go out to prep the set, so to speak.
You go to your swimming pool, and, to your horrific surprise, it’s covered with leaves and dirt. The bottom is almost black, and there are dead bugs everywhere. You forgot to clean it through the week, and it’s been raining quite a lot. To make matters worse, the water is nowhere near being warm enough for swimming. There goes your pool party!
Every swimming pool owner has been in this situation at least once. It’s understandable if you feel quite overwhelmed and even angry. Luckily enough, there is a solution, and it’s far less complicated than you think – a convenient and easy to set solar cover for your 12ft frame pool.
Table of Contents
About the Product
This pool cover is a convenient solar cover for your frame pool. The Solar Cover is specially designed and manufactured for 12-foot round pools by Intex Recreation Corporation. Intex Recreation Corporation is a company with a long history of manufacturing accessories for airbeds, pools, and spas.
With more than 40 years of experience behind their back, they are an established and reliable company. With a mission to reduce carbon footprint, Intex is looking for ways to create environmentally-friendly and efficient solutions.
This particular solar cover represents its mission perfectly. It’s designed with thousands of air bubbles that are intended to transfer the heat to the entire swimming pool.
What is more, the cover is also going to reduce water evaporation by approximately 95%, and it’s going to retain the elevated pool temperature levels of the water, eliminating the need to use third-party water heaters such as electric pumps.
Some of the exciting features of the cover include:
- 95% reduction of water evaporation
- Ability to increase and to retain the elevated heat of the water
- It features unique drain holes to prevent water accumulation
- It comes with a reusable carry bag making storage a breeze
- Thousands of air bubbles designed to transfer heat evenly throughout the entire pool
What to Expect from the Solar Blanket Cover
You may have noticed the drain holes which are scattered around the center of the cover. These are designed to promote proper water drainage. If water keeps stacking on the surface, this is going to increase the harmful effect of great sunlight, and it’s going to shorten the lifespan of the cover.
Keep in mind that the material that this is made out of is particularly durable, and it should easily handle a few seasons of constant usage. Given the unusually low price range, this is a significant advantage.
It’s important to note that the actual size of the cover is 11 feet and 5 inches. However, this is intended to fit perfectly within a 12ft-diameter frame round pool.
The cover is going to increase the water temperature within the first few days of usage. However, this change is likely to be only on the surface. If you want the heat to transfer throughout the entire depth of the pool, you ought to give it at least a week of continuous usage. It’s also going to ensure that there is no debris and dirt in the pool.
What Others Say
Looking into different users’ opinions, it’s safe to say that the majority of them are extremely content with the Intex Solar Cover. They report significant increases in the temperature of the pool water happening in no more than 3-4 days of intense sun.
In fact, one of the users even did an experiment and reported that the basin cover saved him at least three weeks of waiting time compared to Mother Nature handling the task on her own.
Of course, it’s also worth noting that there are a few complaints, as it is with every product.
They are related to the fact that the air bubbles of the solar cover start to disintegrate after some time. This is entirely natural and to be expected in most pools.
The majority of owners tend to overuse different pool chemicals such as chlorine to keep the pool overly sanitized. Excessive amounts of these are inevitably going to harm the cover. However, should you keep things within the accepted boundaries, you won’t have any issues.
Solar Cover Buyer’s Guide
When choosing an Intex solar cover, or any other kind of solar pool cover for that matter, there are a few things to keep in mind.
The Size
lways determine the correct size of your pool. This way, you will make sure that the solar cover you purchase will cover the entirety of the swimming pool.
Thickness
The thicker the pool cover, the better heat retention you will find. The thickness of most pool covers ranges between 800-1600 gauge. However, they can be harder to roll up and typically cost more than their thinner counterparts.
Color
Solar ring covers come in different patterns, while bubble models come in clear, silver and blue, and blue colors. No matter which color you choose, you want to ensure that it is treated for UV rays, so it doesn’t become quickly damaged by the sun.
Pros of the Intex Solar Cover
With this solar cover, you will find several advantages which we have summarized for you below:
- Reduces evaporation by up to 95%
- Keeps the water warm
- Has drain holes which help to prevent the accumulation of water on the surface of the cover
Cons of the Intex Solar Cover
When under pressure, it has been reported that the Intex solar cover can tear easily. This is something you will want to keep in mind as you roll it out and remove it for storage when the pool is in use.
The Final Verdict
The cover is worth a little less than $30 on Amazon. This is an insignificant investment, considering the significant return you are getting.
Right off the bat, you can quit worrying about having to purchase third-party water heaters, such as an electric pump. Not only won’t you have to buy one, but you also won’t have to pay the associated increased electricity bills as well.
At the same time, you will also have to vacuum the bottom of the pool a lot less, and you won’t have to clean the surface every single day.
It’s also worth noting that Intex is a reliable company. Intex has a very comprehensive and user-friendly 30-day return policy. So, If you aren’t content with the product or if you got one which was damaged in shipping or when manufactured, you can get a refund or ask for a new one for free. This is quite reassuring.
If you are tired of having to worry whether or not the water pool temperature has dropped significantly during the night or when there’s no sun out there, this solar blanket pool cover is the product you’ve been looking for.
The amount that you have to pay for it is nothing in comparison to what you get in return. You will likely save at least two times more in electricity in just a month after you buy it.
Intex Solar Cover FAQ
Why choose an above ground pool solar cover?
When you choose an above ground solar cover for your pool, the solar cover can effectively raise the temperature of your above ground pool, reduce your energy and heating costs, minimize water loss, and even decrease your chemical needs in some cases.
Why do Intex solar pool covers have holes?
Some pool covers have holes in them for safety reasons. These holes are also helpful in the prevention of rain and sprinkler water buildup on the top of the cover. However, keep in mind, not all Intex pool covers have holes.
Are thicker solar covers better?
The thickness does matter for above ground pool covers. The thicker the solar cover you use for your easy set and frame pool, the better heat retention there will be. Thicker covers also aren’t as easily thrown from the pool in windy conditions either. However, you may also find that the thicker solar covers may be more of a challenge to put into place and remove.
Do Intex solar pool covers have the mesh screen in the middle?
Instead of the mesh screen, the Intex above ground easy set pool and metal frame pool covers are designed with holes in the center of the covers as well as around the edges. This applies to all covers, with the exception of the family swim center pool covers.
What color solar pool cover is the best?
A clear solar cover is the best to use for heat gain, while a dark blue solar cover is best when it comes to heat retention. Light blue covers are reportedly in the middle and are ideal for both heat absorption and retention.
How do swimming pool solar blankets work?
Solar blankets (bubble covers) resemble bubble wrap. Bubble covers heat the pool by allowing more of the sun’s rays to enter the pool water. The air bubbles on the solar blanket trap the heat during the night, which results in less heat loss and warmer water for swimming. You should try to keep the solar cover on as much as possible when you are not using the pool.
What is a liquid solar cover?
A liquid solar cover is a thin layer of alcohol that sits on the top of your pool water. Surface tension is how this kind of cover remains in place. A liquid solar cover and solar blanket have both been found to reduce heat loss, but a solar blanket has also been found to do a better job.
Can you run your heat pump with your solar cover in place?
If you have a heat pump, you can run it while the solar cover is in place. However, you still want to make sure that the solar cover is in place overnight to prevent heat loss and evaporation.
Does the solar cover work if I use tarp cover overtop?
no, I’m afraid not, it wont work in this case