Reel Systems For Swimming Pools

by Francis Lowe⁽⁴⁾
http://www.poolwarehouseuk.com/

Reel systems for swimming pool solar covers make the job of covering and uncovering your pool so much easier than manoeuvring by hand. An essential part of any swimming pool owners equipment is the use of a good quality solar cover. The main advantages of a solar cover, the increase in pool water temperature and the prevention of costly heat losses through evaporation, are far greater than the disadvantages, which are cost and the awkwardness of daily handling. To make the most of your pool and cover it is therefore important to make the cover handling as easy and efficient as possible.

Basicly there are two types of swimming pool reel systems, manual and electric powered. We will look at each in turn. Each type of system has a set of three telescopic aluminium tubes, which are assembled and then extended to the required width. This distance is usually the width of the pool, plus an overlap of about one foot each side. Some manufacturers will supply a single piece tube rather than a telescopic, but whilst this will save 5 minutes of assembly work, the carriage cost is vastly more expensive. The two most important characteristics of the tube are the diameter and the thickness, or gauge, of the metal itself. It is best to have the largest diameter and gauge that you can afford. Whilst any tube will bend, the extent to which it does so is dependant on the load it carries and the diameter and gauge. If a tube has too much bend in it, it becomes difficult to turn, making covering and uncovering the pool very hard work.

These tubes are then supported by an end stand. These end stands vary enormously from manufacturer to manufacturer, but are generally made of stainless steel.The exact design of these stands vary greatly from supplier to supplier, but are generally manufactured with a long life stainless steel. Some plastic systems are available but although cheaper, they tend to be fragile and have a much lesser lifespan.

For manual handling, the basic reel is a post bolted to the ground, connected to the tube and with a hand wheel at each end to allow two people to operate it at the same time. Obviously such a system is fixed on place, so careful consideration needs to be given to location and access when installing.

The majority of systems sold have a tripod stand made of stainless steel. The tripod gives a good solid base, whilst the stainless steel gives a good lifespan. Some of these tripod systems can be adapted to incorporate castors, which allow the reel to be moved away from the pool if necessary. Whether the reel has castors or not, when the cover is being handled there is a tendancty for the reel to slip and move. Most systems are supplied with holding bolts, which secure the reel in place. These bolts consist of a threaded bar, screwed through the stainless tube into a socket held in the ground. These should always be used as the reel then becomes firm and secure, but they can easily be undone when you need to move the reel.

Electric reels are usually either mains powered or increasingly, solar powered. The mains powered require installation by a qualified electrician, which adds considerably to the cost. In addition, a cable will need to be laid to the pool, preferably underground, again at some expense. For this reason, solar powered reels are often the easiest and cheapest to install. Their power comes from a small 12 volt battery that is re-charged from sunlight via a solar panel. Obviously it requires a reasonable amount of bright daylight to operate effectively.

Francis Lowe is a leading expert in swimming pool maintenance with a huge wealth of experience developed from 40 years in the industry.

To see a full range of pool equipment, including swimming pool reels and swimming pool rollers please see the website of specialist supplier poolwarehouseuk.com

Article submitted Wednesday, February 22, 2012 & read 19 times.

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