Solar covers or solar blankets serve an important purpose. The main one is preventing heat loss or retaining heat in a pool. They also help to increase the water temperature to a certain amount, of course not to 90 degrees.
But these cover are often different when it comes to their thickness, meaning that their ability to perform a certain purpose is usually limited depending on the cover. This is why we want to look at the 8 mil vs 12 mil solar cover and see which one is the best.
How Do They Work?
Both the 8 mil and 12 mil solar covers work following the same principle. However, to know how they work, you need to know that they serve two main purposes of retaining the heat and absorbing the sunlight.
Their design features air bubbles or pockets, that reflect the sunlight into the water and the sun warms these bubbles to ensure that the heat is effectively transferred into the water.
An 8 mil pool cover is thinner than a 12 mil cover, which means that its air bubbles are also smaller than those of 12 mil covers. This means that, although it will warm the water, it cannot do so to the same level as the 12 mil model.
For instance, the majority of 12 mil solar pool covers heat the water by about 10 degrees while the 8 mil covers heat the water by about 5 degrees.
How Is Their Storage?
The manufacturer recommends you store your 8 mil or 12 mil cover using a solar reel or a roller. The cover is fixed to the reel with straps and the rolled up when you don’t need it. A good number of these rollers come with wheels that you can use to store your cover.
What you need to note is that a 12 mil solar cover is heavier than an 8 mil cover and hence, harder to store. First, if you don’t have the reel, it is better to go for an 8 mil cover since it will be easier to roll using your hand.
Again, in case you want to take your cover to your garage or another place (away from the pool), an 8 mil cover will be easier to transport due to its lightweight nature.
How Long Do They Last?
The best solar cover for above ground pool should be able to last long. In general, a 12 mil cover will last longer than the 8 mil cover. However, that might not always be true since this will depend on the product you buy and how you take care of it.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, the thicker your cover is, the more heat it will trap and retain. The thickness of these covers varies from 8 mil –16 mil or simply 800 gauges to 1600 gauges. The 12 mil pool cover is the standard cover.
I hope now you can make a decision on the 8 Mil vs 12 Mil Solar Cover, and but the one that suits your needs.
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