Pool Cover Rollers - Do You Really Need One and How Do You Choose One?

Customers often ask "do I have to have a roller to goA pool cover roller is meant to be stable enough to
with my pool cover?" The answer is no you don'tstand at the end of the pool unsupported and reel in or
have to have a roller, but they do make handling anddeploy the cover without the need to secure it to the
operating your pool cover much easier. In fact with apool deck. Therefore, when the cover is not on the
roller it would take approximately one minute topool, the roller with the cover wound onto it should be
remove the cover from the pool and even less thanable to be moved away from the pool edge so that it
that when putting the cover back on. Many rollersdoes not interfere with swimmers or people moving
come with four lockable wheels, these castors allowaround the pool.
you to easily move the wound up cover out of the*If room in the swimming pool area permits, the pool
way when it is not being used.cover roller bar should be approximately 300mm to
How to choose a pool cover roller400mm wider than the widest part of the swimming
There are many pool cover rollers available on thepool. This will allow for a smooth roll up operation and
market, and choosing the correct one for your pool willwill also accommodate a cover that is cut slightly wider
come down to a number of factors.than the pool itself.
*If you have a larger pool, say 50 square metres and* If the pool has a protruding section, like a swim out,
above, it will probably be advisable to choose a fullywhich may require the roller bar to be impractically too
mobile roller with 4 lockable wheels. This will allow youwide, you may consider folding that section of the
to move the cover around with ease. Also, generallycover when rolling up the blanket. This works better
the fully mobile rollers have a greater clearance fromwhen the folded section of the pool cover is among
the ground to the bottom of the tube, allowing forthe last section of the cover to go onto the roller bar,
more rolled up cover onto the roller. For pools underand conversely is difficult of the fold is among the first
this size, a stationary roller will be quite adequate andsection to go onto the roller bar. A separate "drop in"
are usually cheaper.piece of the cover can also be considered to
*If possible, avoid telescopic tubes. One piece tubesovercome this.
are simpler, there are no bolt or plugs in the middle of* If possible, the roller should occupy the end of the
tube which leave minute gaps for the chlorine lacedpool where there is the least foot traffic eg; placing a
water to leak through and rust the tube from the inside,roller just inside a pool gate is inviting someone to trip
thus one piece tubes are usually trouble free.over it. Generally speaking the deep end of the pool is
*Think of durability when choosing. Rollers with plasticusually located away from the gate and is the least
legs or feet which are constantly exposed to the sunlikely end for swimmers to access the water.
are not going to last as long as a roller that is made ofSo a solar blanket pool cover is designed to make life
aluminum. Rollers with plastic legs or feet should beeasier and your swimming season longer, but they can
avoided even if they are cheaper. There are nowalso present some problems of their own. A pool
many powder-coated aluminum rollers that are pricecover roller is designed to eliminate the problems
competitive with the plastic variety.associated with handling pool covers. It is not
How to set up a pool cover rollermandatory to have a roller but having one working
*Pool Cover Rollers are not meant to be bolted downtogether with a pool cover just makes having a
or in some way fixed to the end of the swimming pool.swimming pool a whole lot better.