Installation Tips

Our solar pool covers are designed for easy DIY installation, or alternatively can be professionally installed by our experienced APC installation team.

Carefully unpack the cover and avoid using sharp tools that may damage the material during opening.
Unfold the cover and place it on the pool with the air bubble side facing down onto the water surface.
Ensure the cover sits flat on the water and covers the entire pool surface, including recessed areas such as steps, benches, swim-outs, and shallow ledges where applicable.
Before trimming the cover to shape, it may be helpful to mark the outline of the pool using chalk or a whiteboard marker on the smooth side of the cover.
Use sharp scissors to carefully trim the cover to suit the pool shape.
The cover is designed to float directly on the water surface and does not require fixing points or attachments to the pool.

Customers may choose to trim the cover either close to the waterline for a neater edge finish or with additional overlap around the perimeter.
APC generally recommends leaving a small amount of additional material around the pool edges where practical.
Leaving a slight overlap may assist with ongoing coverage, help reduce debris entering the pool, and allow for possible natural material movement or minor shrinkage over time.
For pools with wet edges, infinity edges, overflow systems, or non-bullnose coping, trimming closer to the waterline may provide a more suitable fit and appearance.

Covers should lay as naturally and flat as possible on the water surface.
Folding, creasing, or sharply bending the cover around steps, swim-outs, corners, or raised sections may place stress on the material and bubble structure.
Repeated folding or creasing in the same location may lead to premature wear, material fatigue, or cracking along crease lines over time.
Where practical, APC recommends trimming covers to follow the natural shape of the pool rather than repeatedly folding sections underneath or over themselves.

Having another person assist during installation can make positioning and trimming easier.
Always double-check measurements before trimming the cover.
Use chalk or a whiteboard marker for temporary marking lines.
Trim gradually and conservatively, particularly during the initial fitting process.
Additional trimming can always be completed later if required.

Minor shrinkage of solar pool covers can occur over time and is considered a normal characteristic of thermal plastic materials used in pool cover manufacturing.
Shrinkage can become more noticeable when the bubbles expand or swell due to heat exposure and environmental conditions.
As the cover material heats and cools during normal use, the polymer structure may gradually release internal manufacturing stresses, which can result in minor dimensional contraction over time.
Typically, natural shrinkage is limited to approximately 1% to 2% of the overall cover dimensions.
Because shrinkage is a natural material characteristic influenced by heat exposure, UV radiation, storage conditions, pool chemistry, and environmental factors, it is not considered a manufacturing defect.
To help accommodate possible minor shrinkage over time, APC recommends allowing a small amount of additional material during trimming where practical.

ALWAYS INSTALL THE COVER WITH THE AIR BUBBLE SIDE FACING THE WATER.