You should cover your pool every night for several reasons. First off, a pool cover saves energy and conserves water by decreasing the amount of make-up water. Also, it reduces the consumption of chemicals, and finally, it saves a lot of cleaning time since it keeps the debris out of the pool.
Using a pool cover overnight can reduce evaporation. Plus, the cover will trap accumulated moisture, and it'll naturally go back into your pool. You'll be rewarded with a more consistent water level and maybe even a lower water bill.
Besides offering energy savings, pool covers also do the following: Conserve water by reducing the amount of make-up water needed by 30%–50% Reduce the pool's chemical consumption by 35%–60% Reduce cleaning time by keeping dirt and other debris out of the pool.
Even when a cover is tightly secured to the pool, the elements will put stress on the cover's seams. Not only is the cover prone to ripping, but it may become loose as a result. This, in turn, increases the risk of debris falling in the water. Even during rainy weather, it is recommended to keep pool covers off.
Evaporation occurs year-round, but your pool loses water at a faster rate in summer due to the extra heat. A pool cover will block excess heat from reaching the water and also trap moisture, so it doesn't evaporate into the air. This can help reduce your water bill as you won't have to refill your pool as often.
Insulating the Pool Water from Heat Loss
Air bubbles in the pool cover act as an insulator in a similar way that your thermos would keep water warm. A pool cover will, therefore, keep your pool water warmer for longer.
So while a solar cover won't actually 'turn your pool green', it will warm your water by up to 8 degrees, so if the other conditions are right, adding a solar cover can easily accelerate algae growth, very rapidly. You need to get the water balance in your pool right before putting the cover back on.
When preparing your pool for a storm, leave it uncovered. Installing any kind of cover across the pool will not do much to protect against dust and contaminants because storms often bring strong winds and heavy rain that can cause the cover to lift off your pool.
Keep it covered.
Covering the pool is a good way to prevent algae growth. The right cover keeps algae from entering the pool, but it also keeps leaves, bugs, bacteria, and dirt from decomposing in the pool, providing algae with food.
A swimming pool tarp, for example, that's black on both sides is like a giant solar panel. Because a black tarp on a swimming pool's water surface traps solar heat energy, it will eventually turn cool, refreshing pool water into a tepid, warm bath.
As I previously mentioned in my list of pool care essentials, having a thermometer to track your pool temperature is important because algae loves to grow in hotter temperatures––generally 85 degrees or above.
Water accumulation can damage pool covers
Even the smallest amounts of water can add up, putting pressure on the seams of the cover and starting to weaken it. This pressure can cause rips in your pool cover and even make the cover collapse into the pool.
Many areas have wet or rainy seasons. During these times, you can leave your pool cover pump on your swimming pool cover and let the pump work for you. Every time it rains, the cover pump will automatically activate and evacuate the water when a certain amount collects by the pump and then shut itself off.
If your pool pump manufacturer has declared your pump is rain safe, you can leave it on in rainfall. Nevertheless, during a thunderstorm, it is highly recommended that you switch off and unplug your pool pump to prevent any costly and irreversible damages to your pool equipment.
The rule of thumb is generally 8 hours, although it could be anywhere from 6-12 hours, depending on your pool's size. Each pool is unique, so to keep your pool pump efficient and effective, you need to figure out exactly what your pool's turnover rate is.
A pool cover reduces the amount of UV light coming into contact with the water. This is an important advantage as the pool chemical chlorine is degraded when exposed to UV light. This means you won't be required to add as much chlorine, which can save you time to refill and money purchasing the chemicals.
Never close the cover immediately after shocking the pool. It is recommended to wait several hours before closing the cover. Use a test kit to regularly test the pool water. If the tests results are good, this does not imply the water chemistry was good prior to your current test results.
The size of your pool, the efficiency of your pump and filter, and how dirty your pool is are just some of the factors you need to consider. Nevertheless, most pool cleaning professionals would advise against running a pool pump for more than 8 hours a day.
A pool that is uncovered can lose up to 5 degrees F overnight; a good cover can cut that loss by half. Used at night or whenever your pool is not in use, the pool cover can help save fuel costs by cutting heat loss regardless of the type of heating you utilize.
While covered throughout winter, water is sure to build up on the pool cover. This is when a cover pump is essential to keeping water off the cover. Automatic pumps can be left on the cover. But Aqua Pools recommends removing the pump, including the hose, and bringing it inside during freezing weather.
It would work, as the soap alters the surface tension. But as others have pointed out, you don't want to add soap to your pool. It'd be great if people didn't bring suntan lotions and oils into a pool. But that's what cleaning a pool is for.
The solution to maintaining a clear pool is to use readily available liquid bleach as your chlorine source. Chlorine bleach, as discussed above, is not bound to a stabilizer, so when you add chlorine bleach to the pool, it will go right to work killing microbes and sanitizing.