HydroTools Solar Reel Manual

Introduction

Please follow the instructions carefully to protect your warranty and enjoy years of hassle-free use.

Please use your pool blanket and reel in the manner it was intended for:

• Your pool blanket is not a safety cover
• Remove the pool blanket and reel assembly from the pool completely before swimming.
• Do not store the pool blanket on the ground in direct sunlight, as it will shorten the life of the blanket and may damage your lawn.
• Always cover your pool blanket with the overcover supplied, when it is stored on the reel.

Preparation And Assembly

Check that you have all the items and assemble as illustrated below:

PARTS LIST ITEM #87000

Positioning The Pool Roller

The Reel has been designed with 2 adjustable legs on each side to enable installation on pools installed completely above the ground, or partly in the ground. The legs unique feature is they can be adjusted to go over a terraced garden or on sloping ground. For Circular pools, the roller should be placed across the centre of the pool for easiest operation removing and replacing the cover. For all other pool shapes, the roller should be positioned across the widest part of the pool (see diagrams below for reference)

If it needs to be placed away from the widest part of the pool, you may need another person to assist putting the cover on and off. The Reel has been designed with extended feed that would normally face away from the pool wall. These feet have four (4) holes 12mm diameter so for extra stability, you can anchor the Reel in soft ground using tent pegs (not supplied) or onto a paved surface using a masonry anchor (not supplied).

Fitting The Blanket

Follow the instructions supplied with your pool blanket and fit it to the pool before you attach the blanket to the tube. The blanket will be easier to remove from pool your if it has been trimmed to the exact size of the pool. Small gaps at the edges do not affect the function of the pool blanket. Some pool blankets are trimmed larger than the size of the pool to prevent leaves and debris from entering the water. These can still be used with a storage reel, but can be a little more difficult to operate due to the extra drag caused by the excess material when handling. The pool cover will work much better on a Reel if the cover is trimmed straight on each side to the narrower width of the pool. This makes it easier to roll the cover between the pool coping. Try it with the cover trimmed to the maximum size and then re-trim it smaller later to make it easier to use.

Assembling The Tube Set

All tube sets consist of 6-sided hexagonal-shaped aluminium tubes. There are two diameters of tube. In order for the Hand Wheel to drive and rotate the reel system you must first align the Hand Wheel to engage the aluminium Tube Insert. Next, you must properly align the aluminium Tube Insert to engage the teeth inside the small aluminium Tube. Refer Diagram 2.

Note: There may be tube plugs left over after assembly of the tubes, depending on the size of the tube set you purchased.

We recommend that your pool reel be a minimum of 300 mm wider than your pool blanket.

Assembly

Assemble the end frames to the height you require for each side of the pool. Refer Diagram 4

You will assemble the Aluminium Tube Insert to the Hand Wheel and Axle by lining up the holes in all 3 parts. Insert Bolt through the hole and securely tighten bolt with lock nut using screw driver. Insert the Wheel and Axle assembly through the bearing in the upright stand and secure lock collar with provided Allen wrench and set-screw. Next, you will use a series of pre-drilled holes, spaced approximately 38 mm and 190 mm from each end, to join the large tube to the small tube. There are holes provided at each join. These will be secured with self-drilling stainless steel screws and the Hex-head screw driver bit later in Step 8. You can identify the end tubes by the three holes used to fasten them into the Hand Wheels. You will make this connection later in Step 9.

1. Position stand & wheel assemblies at poolside where reel will operate. Refer Diagram 4
2. Loosely assemble the tubes together. Slide any excess width into adjoining tubes, dividing it up as equally as possible.
   Note: You must have a minimum of 230 mm overlap in each tube.
3. Using the tubes, measure the width across the pool from plug surface to plug surface.
4. Adjust the total length of the tube assembly to fit the span ensuring the minimum overlap of 230 mm. Refer Diagram 3
   

5. Lock the tubes together by rotating each adjoining tube in the opposite direction, ensuring all small tubes are rotated clockwise. Refer Diagram 5.
   
6. Secure each tube with just one self-drilling screw in each join.
7. Slide the tube assembly into the hand wheel and tubing plug inserts by pushing the tube until it meets the wheel surface at each end and check for fit. If it doesn't fit, undo just one screw in one join and adjust.
8. When the tube length is correct, drill and fasten the remaining screws at each end of the overlapped tubes. You should have six (6) screws on each tube end where there is a join. For covers over 40 m² use twelve (12) screws per join overlap.
9. Put the tube assembly together with hand wheel and tube plug inserts by using three (3) self-drilling screws per wheel end. Make sure Aluminium tube is pushed hard against hand wheel before inserting first screw. Refer Diagram 6.
   
10. Attach cords to tubes. Measure along the tube, 150 mm in from each edge of the pool toward the middle. There are enough fasteners for up to twelve (12) cords to attach the blanket. These need only be placed 1000 mm apart but we have provided plenty of cord so you can use twelve (12) and they can be cut to a suitable length, up to 1750 mm. You need to allow at least 400 mm more cord length than the distance between the blanket and the tube. Mark the tube with cord positions evenly spaced. Fasten a self-drilling screw through a domed washer at each mark on the flat of the tube to within 3 mm of being tight. This is enough room to now slide the cord under the washer in a loop and hold both pieces of cord, then screw until tight. Refer Diagram 7.
    
11. Attach the cord to the blanket. The cords are fastened to the blanket using the plastic grommets. For rectangular pools where the reel is positioned at one end of the pool, a single grommet is fastened 50 mm in from the edge of the blanket, aligned with each cord from the tube. Refer Diagram 8.
    
    On irregular shaped pools where the tube spans the pool, you will need two grommets per cord spaced 50 mm apart. Refer Diagram 9.
    
    Using a hammer and a piece of soft timber under the blanket fabric, punch a hole with the wad punch provided at each grommet location. Push male grommet component through hole. Place female component into position and tap gently together with a hammer. Loop the cord through either the single or double grommet and tie it off with a secure knot. Adjust the length of the cord by loosening the screw on the tube a little, until you can move the cord and then tighten it when the length is correct. Variations in the length of the cord will effect how straight the blanket rolls up, so it is important to adjust the length carefully. If you test roll the blanket onto the tube and it rolls unevenly, unroll it, adjust the length of the cords and roll it again until the blanket rolls evenly.
12. Fitting your overcover. The Tube kit has been supplied with a protective cover to use when the blanket has been rolled onto the tube. You will void the warranty of most pool blankets if you do not cover it when stored on a reel. Follow the separate instructions for fitting the grommets and fastening cords to the overcover. Be sure to cover theblanket every time it is rolled onto the tube.

Frequently asked questions

The tube has a small dent in it, will this effect the performance of the reel?

• Provided the tube remains straight, the performance will not be effected by a dent or mark on the tube.

How can I move the reel when the blanket is stored on it?

• Provided the weight is within your lifting capacity, your Endurance Reel can be lifted by two people and moved away from the pool during swimminng.

What if the pool is fully inground on one side?

• The Reel is fully adjustable so in most cases you will be able to adjust the height of each side to make the tube horizontal. If this is not possible, you can either modify the end or purchase an Inground end frame.

Home Page: www.hydrotools.com.au

Email: sales@hydrotools.com.au

Documents / Resources

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