Pool Cover Savings
Calculator
Results
- Loss with no cover (L)
- 30,000
- Water saved (L)
- 27,000
- Water saved (m³)
- 27
- Loss remaining with the cover (L)
- 3,000
- Water cost saved
- 94.5
Pool and aquarium results
| Loss with no cover (L) | 30,000 |
| Water saved (L) | 27,000 |
| Water saved (m³) | 27 |
| Loss remaining with the cover (L) | 3,000 |
| Water cost saved | 94.5 |
formula-map diagram
- Loss with no cover (L)
- 30,000
- Water saved (L)
- 27,000
- Water saved (m³)
- 27
- Loss remaining with the cover (L)
- 3,000
- Water cost saved
- 94.5
Pool and aquarium relationship
Formula
saved = area × rate × days × (reduction ÷ 100)= 30000
Note
This is a simplified model: it applies a standard geometric or physical formula to the numbers you entered. Volumes assume a regular shape and an even average depth, and the kidney shape uses the common 0.45 × (A + B) × L area approximation. Chemical doses convert a target change into a product mass using the strength or label dose you enter, because the amount of active ingredient varies from product to product; they ignore pH, temperature, buffering, sunlight, bather load and existing chemical interactions. Heating uses Q = m × c × ΔT with c = 4186 J/kg·K and ignores heat losses to air, ground and evaporation; evaporation and cover figures use the rate you enter, not local weather. Aquarium stocking by surface area is a rule of thumb, not a biological limit. Always follow the product label and test the water before and after dosing, and consult a pool or aquarium professional for anything you are unsure about.
More in Pool and aquarium
See all →Frequently asked questions
What exactly does a pool cover save, according to this calculator?+
It estimates reductions in three linked areas — water lost to evaporation, heating energy needed to replace that lost heat, and chemical (mainly chlorine) consumed reacting with sunlight and airborne contaminants — since a cover physically blocks the water surface from air exchange and UV exposure. Covering the pool overnight, or whenever it's not in use, addresses all three simultaneously because they all stem from the same exposed-surface mechanism.
How much evaporation does a cover actually prevent?+
A well-fitted pool cover typically cuts evaporation by roughly 90-95%, since evaporation requires an exposed water surface for molecules to escape into the air, and a cover largely removes that exposure. The remaining loss comes from covers that don't fully seal the edges or are removed for part of the day.
Does a solar cover heat the pool, or just retain existing heat?+
Both, to different degrees: a clear or bubble-style solar cover lets sunlight through to warm the water (a modest heating effect) while still substantially blocking evaporative and radiative heat loss overnight, whereas an opaque thermal cover mainly retains heat rather than adding it. The bigger of the two effects for most pools is preventing heat loss, not adding new heat.
Why does the calculator ask how many hours per day the cover is used?+
Savings scale directly with coverage time, since evaporation and heat loss continue whenever the surface is exposed; a cover used only overnight captures a meaningful fraction of daily savings, but a pool covered whenever unoccupied (including daytime hours between swims) captures substantially more. The calculator prorates savings based on your actual usage pattern rather than assuming 24-hour coverage.
Is the payback period for a pool cover mostly about water, heating, or chemicals?+
For a heated pool, energy savings usually dominate the payback calculation since heating costs are the largest recurring pool expense in most climates; for an unheated pool, water and chemical savings make up a larger share of the total. The calculator's savings breakdown by category helps you see which factor matters most for your specific setup.