Solar pool covers may look like bubble wrap, but they are much more useful than that. Solar pool covers use the sun’s energy to warm the water in your pool, to prevent evaporation, and to protect your pool from leaves or other debris. The bubbles on the solar cover function by magnifying the rays of the sun and transferring the heat to the water below.
When installing your new solar pool cover, you may ask yourself: should the bubbles be facing up or down? Read on to find out!
Main Takeaways
- The bubbles of your solar pool cover should face down towards the water in order to effectively transfer the heat from the sun to the water.
- If you face your bubbles up, your bubbles may overheat, which will cause your solar cover to break down faster than normal.
Quick Answer: Bubbles Up or Down?
The bubbles on your solar pool cover should always be facing down towards the water. If the solar pool cover is placed so that the bubbles are facing up, the pool cover will not heat the water.
Why Your Solar Pool Cover Bubbles Should Always Be Facing Down
As the sun shines on the solar pool cover, the air trapped in the bubbles slowly heats up. In turn, that heat is transferred to your water, warming up the water for your comfort. However, this process is only possible if the bubbles are facing the water. If the bubbles are facing upward and away from the water, the bubbles will continue soaking up heat without transferring the warmth to your pool. The primary goal when purchasing a solar pool cover is to retain the heat in your pool water. If you place the cover upside down it will not keep the pool warm during colder days and cooler nights.
A pool cover with the bubbles facing up will also overheat, without anywhere to transfer the heat and cool down the hot bubbles. Over time, this will damage the pool cover, and eventually cause the bubbles on the pool cover to burst. If this happens, this will basically be the end of the life of your solar blanket, so you’ll need to purchase a new one.
Check out my other articles on solar pool covers below for more information.
