You have your pool ready for the summer and you’re thinking of how to keep in the heat of the sun. You’ve examined the different cover options and you’ve settled on the bubble cover. You unpack the cover and before you start laying it over the pool you realize something. This cover appears to have a top and a bottom, but which is which? Do you install the solar pool cover bubbles up or down?
Solar Pool Cover Bubbles Up Or Down?
The right way to install a bubble cover is less important than installing the bubble cover to begin with. If you put the cover in upside down, you are still going to have a solar benefit. However, the correct answer is to install the cover with the bubbles down.
Why Solar Pool Cover Bubbles Up Or Down Matters
With bubbles down, you will achieve a slightly better insulation property than if you were to install with the bubbles up. This is due to the additional air trapped on the underside of the cover between the bubbles themselves when you install the cover bubbles down. Air may not sound like a great insulator, but it’s better than nothing.
If you install the bubble cover with the bubbles up, you only have the thin plastic membrane between the water and the outside air. Theoretically, this will not insulate the surface of the water all that well. You will lose more heat this way once the sun goes down. Therefore, we always recommend installing the cover bubbles down. After all, the point of the cover is to get the pool closer to the daytime air temperature than the night time air temperature.
Best Bubble Covers For Each Pool Shape
You may find yourself in the market for a bubble cover. In which case, you should check out our favorites. Bubble covers are not a one size fits all product. Here are our picks for a range of pool types and sizes:
If your pool is irregularly shaped, try buying a large rectangular cover, and trimming to fit yourself. Just make sure you measure the pool so you buy a large enough cover to begin with. It’ll take a little bit of time and maybe some frustration to trim a cover to fit, but it’s worth it to save those sun rays in your water.
Solar Pool Cover Bubbles Up Or Down Summary
There you have it, bubbles down will yield slightly better results than bubbles up. However, the most important thing to remember is make sure your bubble cover fits the pool it’s going on. Even if you forget which side to place the bubble cover, they are still a great investment. It’s always a good idea to save the heat in your pool.
