Indoor pools aren't subjected to the environment, but they still can lose a lot of energy from evaporation. You also don-t want the windbreak to shade the pool from the sun, which helps heat it. The windbreak needs to be high enough and close enough to the pool that it doesn't create turbulence over the pool, which will increase evaporation. In windy areas, you can add a windbreak-trees, shrubs, or a fence-to reduce evaporation. The higher the pool temperature and wind speed and the lower the humidity, the greater the evaporation rate. The evaporation rate from an outdoor pool varies depending on the pool's temperature, air temperature and humidity, and the wind speed at the pool surface. It only takes 1 Btu (British thermal unit) to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree, but each pound of 80✯ water that evaporates takes a whopping 1,048 Btu of heat out of the pool. Evaporating water requires tremendous amounts of energy. Swimming pools lose energy in a variety of ways, but evaporation is by far the largest source of energy loss. Use of a pool cover also can help reduce the size of a solar pool heating system, which can save money. Estimating Swimming Pool Gas Heating Costs and Savings.Estimating Heat Pump Swimming Pool Heater Costs and Savings.On the following pages, see the tables showing the costs of heating pools with and without pool covers in different U.S. Only guys in the area at the time though (I’m in Philly) - company is Pennco.You can significantly reduce swimming pool heating costs by using a pool cover. Really disappointed with their install work, maintenance work and rates. I had our installer do maintenance one year. Clean out the tracks with a hose, clean the cover at least annually, hose out the motor area and a few grease points that will require a grease gun. There is regular maintenance you should do on the cover. But at 10 years on original material, I feel like I’m on borrowed time. Only issues are where there are a few folds of material - it’s worn through and I’ve had to patch. Take care of your cover and it will take care of you. Many suggestion a dedicated winter cover. Chemicals stay super balanced, no evap, no leaves in the pool. But I’m on season 10 of my pool and auto cover and I’d never do another pool without it. Others already said it - you probably won’t recover the hard dollars. I live in an area that is prone to high winds, high evaporation (semi-desert), and I wasn't fond of the look of a conventional cover, so the autocover was a reasonable expense for me.
My cover operates on a key pad, you input a code, then hold down the open or close button, takes about 20ish seconds per cycle. The cover must play a part in reducing the maintenance of the pool itself. I also have a salt water pool with a Dolphin robot, so maintenance for the pool itself has been effortless - my hot tub takes more time to maintain the pool. It is pretty nice to have, but it requires maintenance to keep it from looking grungy (though I need to do this infrequently), but it still takes time on a weekend afternoon (after a storm, high winds or pollen release) when I would rather be doing something else. Originally, my pool was 20x40, but I reduced the size to afford the autocover. Because it was generally inexpensive for me (certainly compared to your quote), I went for it. I wish I had a better answer for you regarding savings on chemicals / other costs.my pool was commissioned in the spring of 2022 - so I don't have a means to compare costs with or without an autocover. I've read a few posts on hear from those who have automatic covers saying they love it and I think I would love it too I just want to justify the cost if it's something that anybody has quantitatively determined is worth it. It doesn't replace a winter safety cover and it also doesn't negate the need for a fence since that's New Jersey state law. I'm just trying to figure out if $20,000 can be justified. The fiberglass guy said that fiberglass pools tend to retain their heat really well anyway because there are a natural insulator. In theory I should be spending less per season refilling the water from evaporation and spending Less on chemicals and spending less Manpower cleaning the pool and maybe most importantly spend less on the heater because the pool will stay warm. I'm very curious to know from my friends here on Reddit if anybody has calculated the cost savings. He's all sound great but in my state of New Jersey and automatic pool cover costs between $20,000 and 22,000. The guy mentioned how it saves him from water evaporation and doesn't have to clean the pool and even said that it retains heat so well that he actually has to run the hose to cool the pool instead. I've only known one person who has an automatic pool cover but raved about it. I just spent several hours sitting with the fiberglass pool installer and getting things set up. I'm looking to get a pool installed this season.