Solar Covers & Rollers
Solar Blankets are for summer use and very effectively warm the water and control evaporation. The Daisy Ultradome covers carry a 10 year warranty. Ultradome Covers also have the Smart Watermark Approval which is necessary for compliance with State water restriction requirements.
Solar covers are for warming the pool and are not intended to keep the pool clean. If leaves and debris are your concern, please see our Leaf & Debris Cover or Winter Shutdown Cover.
How do solar blankets work?
Solar blankets look like bubble wrap and float freely on the top of a pool without tie-downs or anchors to hold them in place. The sun’s rays are collected through the translucent bubbles to heat the water during the day. The more light that enters the pool, the more heat that will be collected. Light colored covers are better solar collectors than dark colors!
Evaporation is not only a waste of precious water. It is the major cause of heat loss from your pool. Solar Blankets reduce evaporation by up to 97%, both saving water and warming your pool. Heat is also lost by radiation to the atmosphere, mostly by night. The air bubbles in solar blankets act as an insulator to reduce radiation to the cold night air. The combined result is a 5 – 10 degree increase in your pool temperature and a water saving of up to 10 000 litres per year!
Solar Blankets are normally supplied with a roller system for ease of removal, easy storage and proper care of your cover. Rollers can either be stationary or supplied with casters so the cover can be simply wheeled out of the way when not in use.
Buyer Beware!
Not all solar blankets are created equal. We regularly receive calls and emails from people who were lured into buying cheap imported blankets. These blankets rapidly break down in the Australian sun and often require replacement after only 12 months of use.
The Australian manufactured Daisy 400 and Daisy 525 solar covers feature the Ultradome Bubble and are the best solar blankets that money can buy. They are respectively backed by 5 and 10 year warranties. Please choose your blanket carefully and avoid cheap imitations.
Durability
Daisy is the largest wholesaler of Solar Blankets in Australia and offers a fully Australian manufactured, quality cover. The material comes in 400 and 525 micron thickness, which is pro-rata warranted for 5 years and 10 years respectively. The thickness of the material does not significantly alter the heat collection or heat retention of the cover, but the thicker material is more durable and will have a longer lifespan.
The Daisy 525 cover is recommended for most pools because of its long service life. However, on larger pools where the weight of the cover is a greater consideration, the Daisy 400 will be easier to manage. Some companies are now offering a 600 micron blanket. This product is not recommended because it is too stiff, heavy and difficult to roll.
The service life of a quality Australian made Daisy solar blanket will vary depending upon your situation but can certainly be in excess of 10 years. In comparison, cheap imported covers usually only last for 1 or 2 seasons.
Installation
A solar blanket is a relatively easy DIY task and many customers choose to save money by installing the cover themselves. The cover is supplied as an oversize rectangle or other basic shape. To install, simply lay it over the pool and cut to shape with a pair of scissors using the pool edge as a guide. Sharp scissors will easily glide through the material. The roller is then assembled and attached to the cover. Please see our self-installation video below. Instructions for obtaining the correct pool measurements are also provided at the bottom of this page.
We provide a full measure and installation service option within our service areas.
Difficult Shaped Pools
To make your Solar Blanket easier to use, with certain shaped pools we may advise not to cover the whole pool surface, leaving some parts uncovered.The reduced heating, heat loss and control of evaporation is a direct ratio of how much of the pool is covered to how much is uncovered. So if 90% of the pool is covered, the Solar Blanket is still 90% effective. This may be a small trade-off for making the Solar Blanket much easier to use! Depending upon the pool shape or obstructions at the ends, it may be advisable to have your blanket roller spanning across the pool. The blanket will initially roll on double, making it even quicker to wind. See picture below…
Pool Cleanliness
It is important to realize that although any cover will reduce some of the leaves & debris from entering your pool, the purpose of a solar pool cover is not for pool cleanliness. Much of the leaves and dirt will still get into the pool with a solar cover fitted.
The purpose of the solar cover is to reduce evaporation and to keep your pool warm. If you require protection from leaves and debris, we suggest our Leaf & Debris Cover or Winter Shutdown Cover. In particular, the Leaf & Debris Cover is effective in conjunction with a solar blanket.
Safety
The Solar Blanket is not child safe and it is possible that a child falling into the pool could be trapped beneath the cover with disastrous results. When using a Solar Blanket, please ensure that all pool fencing is compliant and secure.
Indoor Heated Pools
The Daisy Thermotech Foam Cover is the premium product for indoor heated pools where solar collection is not possible. For an indoor pool, the Thermotech Cover will provide almost double the energy saving as a traditional bubble cover. The Thermotech Cover is a non heating cover that can also be used on outdoor pools in very hot climates where solar heating is not desirable.
Daisy 525TC – Non Heating Pool Cover
A normal solar blanket is translucent to maximize solar collection from the sun. In contrast, a non heating pool cover is designed to reflect much of the sun’s heat, to maintain the pool at a cooler, more even temperature. Please refer to Daisy 525TC Titanium Cool Pool Cover for full details.
The Daisy Under Bench Seat Hidden Solar Roller combines practicality and style to transform your pool roller into useful seating. Simple yet stylish, the UBR is not just a roller, but a practical addition to your poolside furniture. Available in aluminium or a choice of wood look finishes, this roller will look stunning on your pool deck. Be sure to ask us to quote the UBR option when making your enquiry.
We would be delighted to provide our expert advice to find the perfect pool cover solution for you. Please contact Just Covers to explore the possibilities and arrange for your free quotation.
Pool Cover Selection
The most popular solar blanket (by far) is the Daisy 525 Translucent Blue. This cover is the most transparent and will warm your pool to the greatest degree. The 525 Titanium Blue and Titanium Green are also popular choices where it is desirable to blend the cover with a seascape, modern or natural surroundings. The 525 Titanium Series Covers are less transparent, so this will compromise the heat collection, albeit only slightly. All Daisy 525 Covers carry a 10 year pro-rata warranty.
The Daisy 400 Translucent Blue is also a great option at a cheaper price point and carries a 5 year pro-rata warranty. The 400 micron cover is a popular choice on very large pools where the weight of the cover becomes a consideration. For large pools, a Power Roller or Under Bench Roller will also be a great choice, making the cover easier to manage.
The Daisy 525TC cover is a non-heating pool cover that is suitable for outdoor and indoor pools. Please see full details of this cover here.
The Daisy 4.5mm Thermotech Foam Cover, similarly has no solar collection capability, but offers almost double the insulation and resultant energy savings. It is primarily used on indoor pools.
Roller Selection
A roller will need to span one end of your pool to ensure that the solar cover is quick and easy to remove and replace.
If you are unsure of which roller to buy, we recommend the Daisy ST (stationary) Roller as the universal choice, because it is the sturdy, stable and easy to use. The Daisy FM (fully mobile) Roller is also an option if you prefer the portability of the caster wheels, however, a stationary roller will generally be the best choice because it is more stable.
A stationary roller can easily be moved a short distance by picking up and “swinging” each end back from the pool. Except on a really large pool, the roller/cover combination will not be heavy when handled in this manner and the task can be quickly and easily achieved by one person.
Prefer the roller out of sight? See our Under Bench Roller option.
Pool with retaining wall? See Roller End Wall Mount option.
The SQ and LP rollers are low profile variants which are less visually imposing, but are much lower to the ground, so some bending will be required during their use. These models are suitable for pools less than 10m.
Our favourite roller is the Daisy A100, which is a mid-height stationary roller. We consider this as the “Goldilocks” choice – simple, stable and understated. The A100 will suit pools up to 18m and is also suitable for wall mounting.
All featured rollers are of commercial quality with 100mm aluminium shaft and massive 10 year pro-rata warranty. Each roller also comes with a shade cover to protect the pool blanket when it is rolled up.
Boutique roller options are the Daisy Electric Power Pool Cover Roller or the 316 ST Stainless Steel Roller. The Electric Power Roller provides the ultimate easy off solution and is available with optional solar panel or as a retrofit kit for the standard ST model. Alternatively, the 316 ST Stainless Steel Roller will be a stunning feature in your pool area. Let us quote these boutique options for you.
