Solar Pool Rings: A Low Cost Pool Heating Alternative

Solar pool rings are a cheaper way to reduce evaporation and its associated heat loss from your pool.

These are simply disks of lightweight and usually durable plastic that is typically clear on the upside and coloured on the underside, usually blue for aesthetic purposes. These disks need to be inflated before use, though this is most often a once-a-season requirement.

When in the pool, the rings form a raft across the surface of the water. This prevents evaporation and radiant heat loss from the area covered and so is an effective means of water and heat loss reduction. Some brands of these rings have magnets on the edges of the disks that help them form a raft.

Pool rings solve some problems but leave others unaddressed. Because they are a cheaper option, many brands come with either a limited warranty or none whatsoever, leaving the consumer to fend for herself if the pool rings break down from exposure to sunlight or for other reasons.

Another consideration for employing solar rings is storage. A good quality solar pool cover with a roller attached will eliminate much work, whereas the cheaper solar ring option requires individual collection of the rings, as well as drying and storage considerations. Combined with the lack of warranty on the majority of pool rings on the market as opposed to the long warranty offered on some brands of solar pool cover, the decision about making an initial saving versus long term gain once again comes into relief.

As a low cost initial energy saving measure for an outdoor pool, solar pool rings are probably worth the small investment required. However in order to make long term savings in both effort, water evaporation and money, investing in a full solar pool cover is the way forward.