Solar gain – can raise pool water temperatures by 3-5 deg.C
Warmer water - extended swimming season
Helps to retain built up temperatures
Conserves water – reduces evaporation by up to 97%
Saves energy – insulates against cool night air and inclement weather
Reduces chemical consumption
Reduces debris contamination – keeps the pool cleaner
Prevents condensation on indoor pools
Exclusive hold-tight seams are stronger, lie flatter, last longer
Fewer seams – blanket lies flatter on the water surface
Aesthetically more pleasing
Available in selected colours
Suitable for homes, gyms, schools and public pools
The standard 400 micron material is generally produced using a very light colour such as transparent light blue.
This allows the sun’s short wave solar energy to pass through.
Heat retained in the water, which radiates at the longer wave lengths, is restricted by the cover and
therefore cannot readily dissipate into the surrounding atmosphere.
The blanket heats the water (and retains the heat) by up to 6 degrees Celsius, depending on ambient conditions.
The black 400 micron material is opaque and will only heat the top layer of the pool water surface as the
UV rays cannot pass through the material into the depths of the water.
The polyweave material is also 400 microns and is of a darker blue colour.
It is more robust and is suitable for indoor pools and pools that are only covered at night.
It is a very good insulator and will retain heat built up in the pool water by solar or any other means.
Condensation is eliminated, saving water and preventing slippery surfaces.
Bubbles are 12mm diameter and 4.9mm in height. Exclusive hold tight seams are stronger, lie flatter and last longer.
The material has fewer seams and the blanket lies flatter on the water surface, making it aesthetically more pleasing.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SOLAR POOL BLANKET
Care should always be taken when removing and re-applying the blanket.
If the material is pulled over any obstacles or dragged against the coping or any rough surfaces, this will result in weakened areas and the UV protection will be impaired, resulting in the life of the blanket being shortened quite considerably.
The Solar 2000 roll-up station enables one person to roll the blanket on or off the pool in seconds – plus it makes a very convenient storage unit when the blanket is not in use.
When not in use the blanket should always be completely covered by the white protective cover sheet that is provided with each and every blanket.
The blanket should not be stored in an area where temperatures might exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
When the blanket is removed from the pool water surface it is slightly water logged and if the blanket is not properly stored it can be severely damaged, even after a short period of fifteen minutes if left out in the direct sunlight unprotected. The water between the layers heats up very quickly to extremely high temperatures and the excessive heat will cause the bubbles to expand, resulting in blistering (delamination) of the material.
This not only weakens the blanket but it is also unsightly.
If the pool water is heated using heat pumps, one has to control the temperatures. Whilst the blanket can tolerate temperatures of up to 36 degrees Celsius, the material cannot tolerate this for an extended period.
The result will be delamination of the layers of the blanket.
Whenever the pool water has to be chemically treated, the blanket must be removed and not replaced before all concentration levels are back to normal.
Chlorine levels ideally, should be maintained at between 1 and 3 p.p.m. – the lower, the better.
PROBLEMS THAT MAY OCCUR WITH YOUR SOLAR POOL BLANKET
First of all it must be understood that a solar pool blanket is a consumable and provided all the care and maintenance measures are followed, the blanket should last up to four years.
Chemical abuse is probably the most prevalent cause of blanket problems.
The indications of hyper chlorination are first of all, a loss of pigmentation.
Following this, the bubbles become brittle and break off. When this happens it is best to remove the blanket as the pieces that have broken away will only clog up your filtration system. A new blanket should be purchased.
We do not recommend the use of the ‘floater’ method of sanitizing the pool water for the simple reason that even though there is slow release of chlorine into the water, the gasses emitted cannot escape and will collect on the underside of the blanket destroying it over a short period of time.
Apart from this, the floater is often trapped in one spot and with the vibrations caused by the Kreepy, one may find that certain locations will be affected causing weaknesses by chaffing of the floater against the blanket as well as a concentration of chlorine gasses in the restricted area.
If one uses a salt chlorinator, it is still necessary to monitor the chlorine levels closely to avoid building up high levels of chlorine in the water.
Delamination is the second most common cause of damage to the blanket and this is only due to exposure of the blanket to direct sunlight when off the pool water surface.
It is imperative that the blanket is completely covered by the white protection cover sheet when it has been removed from the pool water. If it can be stored out of the sunshine it would be beneficial.
Water conditions can also be instrumental in blanket failure.
The most common sanitizer used in swimming pools is chlorine. When added to pool water chlorine carries out two main functions; primarily it destroys micro-organisms but it also acts as an oxidizer, destroying organic contaminants.
One result of these chemical processes is to convert the active free chlorine into chloramines and other combined chlorine compounds.
It is recommended that free chlorine levels should be kept as low as possible – between 1 to 3 ppm. Combined chlorine levels must be below 0.5 ppm.
Should this ratio be allowed to reverse and the combined chlorine levels climb above the levels of free chlorine, then nitrogen trichloride gas is produced.
A clear indication of this condition is an obvious chlorine smell and it will also cause eye irritation to swimmers.
Extensive tests have been carried out and the resulting factors of this condition indicated that in a relatively short time the air inside the bubbles was almost completely drawn out.
It is believed that when nitrogen trichloride gas is allowed to build up under the cover, air will diffuse out of the bubbles causing them to deflate.
Once the bubbles have collapsed it is not possible to reverse the process and a new cover will be required.
When this problem occurs it is very important to bring back the pool water to an acceptable level of chlorination, either by shock dosing and burning out the high levels of combined chlorine, or carrying out a partial water change before a replacement cover is introduced onto the pool.
When shock dosing the pool water it is essential to remove all covers until acceptable chlorine levels are reached.
The pool water must then be closely monitored to ensure that the combined chlorine levels are kept below 0.5 ppm.
To ensure the health of bathers and maintain a healthy pool it is necessary to monitor your pool water conditions on a regular basis.
SOLAR BLANKET ROLL-UP STATION
The main function of the Solar 2000 Roll-up Station is to remove the solar blanket from the pool water surface.
The blanket is then covered with the white protection sheet and the station, if desired, can be moved away from the pool area and stored until required.
When reapplying the blanket onto the pool, the roll-up station makes it much easier and can be managed by one person if necessary.
In the case of long blankets, a leading edge can be fitted to the end of the blanket with a tow rope so that the blanket can be pulled onto the pool water surface.
In all instances, when reapplying the blanket, the legs/stands of the station should be reversed so that the main stem of the ‘T’ points towards the pool.
This will prevent the stands from falling over. On request, casters can be fitted for easier mobility – one with a brake to control the movement of the station.
Whenever the station is being moved one should ensure that it is moved evenly to avoid twisting the shaft which will result in stress on the forks.
It should always be placed on an even surface and aligned straight as, once again, this will exert stress on the forks, resulting in the forks fracturing.
Each station is supplied with the required number of straps, buckles, rivets and blue clips for each size. The strapping is UV stabilized as are the buckles and blue clips.
When applying the blue clips, a small amount of PVC glue should be used to prevent the male and female pieces from coming apart when pressure is applied during removal / application of the blanket.
The roll-up stations can be supplied in a fixed configuration in sizes 2m to 5m. Sizes 4m to 7.5m are available in telescopic form and 8m and 8.5m can be supplied on application only.
Double tandem stations are also available on request, suitable for both domestic and commercial application.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Hand wheels, hubs and glass filled nylon forks, manufactured from high impact, UV stabilized nylon
Straps and fastening clips are heat resistant and environmentally durable
Reinforced extruded profile aluminium 1.6mm tubing, anodized 15 micron natural for protection
Powder coated 304 stainless steel stands
Light weight and easily transported
“Custom made” stations also available on request, suitable for both domestic and commercial applications
For free advice, please call our sales team at your nearest branch on
(Johannesburg: 011 886 4005 Intl +27 11 886 4005) (Cape Town: 021 552 8686 Intl +27 21 552 8686)
(Durban: 031 701 7041 Intl +27 31 701 7041) (Pretoria: 012 661 2833 Intl +27 12 661 2833)
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