Solar Cover REEL Storage Question

[Volscot]

I searched this site and Google, but didn't find an answer to this. Sorry if I missed it.

We purchased a solar cover this year (about a month ago) to help minimize the overnight heat loss in Spring and Fall. Where we live, we shouldn't need it during the Summer because the air temp doesn't get low enough to lose too much water temp from the pool. So essentially, I think we'll use it from maybe mid-April through most of May and again late September through October-ish to extend our swimming season. I keep going back and forth between how to store the cover when we are using it. This Spring, I laid it on the ground acordian-style on the river rocks that surround the half of the pool that doesn't have a deck around it. I've "decided" at various times to build a DIY saddle system and then changed my mind to put a reel on 4x4's to roll it onto, then changed back again. I've flip-flopped on which way to go more times than I can remember. Anyway, my wife is big on the aesthetics. I know I can hide the cover with the saddle system so it won't be seen, but it's harder to pull it on and off. The reel is easy to take it on and off, but is more of an eyesore. I think I can convince her to go with the reel if there's a way to disassemble and store it during the ~8 months that we aren't using it. My question is: does the aluminum pole come apart for storage on the commercially available reel systems or is it an "assemble the pole once and you can't take it back apart" thing? We don't have a place to store a 24-foot long aluminum pole when it's not being used. If I can take the pole apart into three 8-foot sections for storage, it would be easier to convince her since there would only be the two 4x4 posts remaining.

TL;DR version: Can you disassemble the aluminum pole on solar reels for easier storage when it's not being used?

Thanks for any advice/help.

 

[Newdude]

Can you disassemble the aluminum pole on solar reels for easier storage

You can. It is several interlocking 4 ft pieces with 2 sizes. The skinny ones fit inside the fat ones and you have half as many pieces to store, which is easier than a long pole.

I needed thicker bolts every year with new holes drilled and between that and the straps needing new holes at times, it looked like Swiss cheese.

But I stored it in my garage for the off-season in pieces.

 

[phonedave]

I store mine off to the side of the pool during the winter. It pivots off onto two 4x4 posts. In the summer I store it there when we are swimming. In the winter I wrap it in a tarp, and truss it up with a rope like a gigantic roast beef.

It is off to the side of the yard, up against the wood pile and some bushes, so it really does not show.

 

[proavia]

I have a reel for my solar cover. When not in use for long periods of time, I clean the cover, remove the end supports and store the reel with the solar cover on it on the garage ceiling. I installed eye-bolts in the ceiling (on the trusses) where I wanted the ends of the reel tube to be, attached a rope, hoist the reel tube up to the ceiling and tie it off. I store the end supports on a garage shelf.

A reel makes it much easier to install/remove the cover from the pool. If off the pool and outside, ALWAYS cover the solar cover to prevent the sun from cooking it. Not covering the solar cover when off the pool (on a reel or folded up in a pile) will deteriorate the solar cover pretty fast.