Automatic Pool Cover Reel | Remote Controlled Pool Roller

The Titan Pool Reel has a large 140mm (5.5") diameter main tube, much bigger than many automatic pool reels. Why?

At its most basic level, the main reason is that larger diameter tubes are stronger than small diameter ones, and therefore they bend less and can carry more load. One of our design goals was to ensure that our main tube could carry an adult's weight without overstressing, which wasn't possible using tube diameters that were much smaller than ours. We are aware that smaller diameter tubes are used by other manufacturers, but we are also aware that they can sag significantly in the middle (over twelve times more than ours in some cases).

So with smaller diameter tubes, greater flexing and sagging will occur, and that in turn will result in a much shorter lifespan - something we wanted to avoid on the Titan. Another advantage of having a larger diameter main tube, is that we can also serve customers with larger pools using covers spanning up to 8.0m (26'3") wide. And in certain circumstances, wider still (contact us for details of this).

Furthermore, to facilitate worldwide shipping using standard and cost-effective air postage, the Titan's tube is designed to be sectional, with the longest segment being just 1.0 meter (3.3 feet) long. However, while this sectional approach offers logistical advantages, there was a risk that some performance might be lost compared to a one-piece tube.

To address this, we came up with our own proprietary twin interlocking design, and coupled with a large overlap between sections, the drop in performance between a one piece tube and our own sectional one is virtually imperceptible (although ours is heavier due to the overlaps). However, when solving one issue, another often arises, and we did find that our interlocking design benefited from being integrated within a larger tube diameter rather than a small one - providing further justification for a large diameter tube.

In addition, so as to protect the pool cover, motor and gearbox from being damaged, the Titan automatic pool cover reel has a mechanical torque limiter / self-resetting clutch built into one end of the main tube. This device works such that if the pool cover is ever pulled so hard so as to potentially damage the gearbox (or break it on inferior pool reels), rather than damaging anything, the torque limiter allows the tube to jump round by 15 degrees to protect the pool cover and mechanics (and do this repeatedly until the person pulling on the pool cover stops doing so!).

Although for most pool owners, this clutch will probably never activate over the entire product's lifespan, it is something that happens from time to time, so we have allowed for this eventuality just in case. Interestingly, as it takes a fairly huge force to actually damage the Titan's gearbox, we end up having a fairly huge torque limiting clutch to protect it, and its physical size does require plenty of room within the tube - again something that steered the design towards a larger tube rather than a smaller one.

The Titan swimming pool reel incorporates ball and socket swivel joints at both ends of the main tube. Why?

As is our design philosophy, it's not about making the cheapest, it's about making the best, and that includes the small details. We understand that no matter what diameter the main tube is, when weight is applied to the tube it will always droop or bend down slightly in the middle. We obviously minimize this droop to just a few centimetres by using a large diameter tube (as discussed above), but there will always be some amount of sag - such are the laws of physics.

So with that in mind, when weight is applied to a tube resulting in the middle of it becoming slightly lower than the ends, then the tube ends must want to tilt downwards slightly so as to continue pointing towards the middle. With the weight being carried by the main tube changing depending upon whether the pool cover is on the reel or on the water, the amount of tilt downwards at the ends of the tube will vary too. That in turn then ever so slightly alters the angle between the end stands and the main tube.

Even though this change in angle will be very small, it will occur as the weight on the main tube fluctuates. So instead of overlooking this varying angle, the Titan automatic pool cover roller tackles it head-on. We acknowledge that even with our robust 140mm diameter tube, there will always be a slight droop when weight is applied, and consequently, the tube will always want to change its angle where the tube meets the end stands.

Recognizing the need to accommodate these angle changes without stressing the tube and end stand joints, we employ ball and socket swivel joints at both ends of the main tube at these connection points. These joints alleviate these stress points which ensures durability and prolonged life. Moreover, they also enhance the ease of installation, as they can accommodate minor misalignments, such as when the deck isn't perfectly level.

Another law of nature which we do not ignore, is that all metal parts change length depending on temperature, and this too needs to be accommodated. In the case of the structural grade aluminium which we use for our main tube, this change in length is fairly small, but it can become significant under some circumstances.

As one would expect, the largest changes in main tube length occur with longer main tubes, and where seasonal temperature swings are the highest. In terms of quantifying this, something like a 7.5m (24.5ft) tube in a location that has a temperature swing of 40dC (72dF) over the year, would result the in the main tube changing length by about 10mm (3/8") from its longest to its shortest length.

This clearly isn't very much, but it is more than enough to strain the main tube, end stands and the deck fixings if it isn't allowed for. Therefore, as you would expect, the Titan compensates for this and we use a spring-loaded mechanism in one of the ball joints to accommodate this inevitable length fluctuation. During installation, this spring is set roughly mid position such that as the tube changes length with temperature, the spring compensates for it.

The Titan electric pool cover is remote controlled as standard. Why?

During design, we considered various methods of instructing the motor to wind the pool cover in and out, including just simple buttons or a key-operated switch on one of the end stands. While this approach is cheap and is employed by several other electric pool reels, it is far from ideal. The main problem with end stand buttons or key-switches is that for obvious safety reasons the user must always stay operating them all the time the motor is running. Consequently, users are then required to remain next to the end stand while the pool cover is moving.

At first glance this doesn't seem like any great hardship, however not every pool cover will want to float out perfectly onto every pool, so being able to guide the cover in or out using a guide out line while it is moving is very useful. But if you're stuck kneeling down by an end stand holding down a button, you can't do both at the same time, so users are forced to shuttle back and forth or enlist the assistance of someone else to help.

Undoubtedly, a better solution is to make the pool reel remote controlled, allowing the user to use a handheld key fob while freely moving around the pool deck if desired. This then enables the user to guide the cover in or out if necessary, while the Titan bears the heavy lifting of hauling the cover about. Being a Titan remote controlled pool roller where safety is prioritised, the key fobs are uniquely coded to the roller, and the roller will always halt should the key fob's buttons be released. This solution then works from a usability perspective and it is totally fail safe.

...and just in case you accidently lock all your key fobs in the garage and then misplace your garage key, there are also some regular push buttons under the end stand cover which will wind the cover in and out if needed. While not as practical as the remote control key fobs, they are there as a back-up or in case of an emergency.

The Titan automatic pool reel incorporates a bespoke electronic controller. Why?

In its most basic form, the electrics on an auto pool roller (and interestingly an electric car!) can be boiled down to just four primary elements:
(1) a battery; (2) a motor; (3) something to connect them like a switch; and (4) something to keep the battery charged.

Quite literally, some pool reels contain just these four elements, as that is the cheapest way to make it. But here at Titan, we are not aiming to produce the cheapest reel available, and we prioritise things like quality, safety, longevity and usability.

As an example and as discussed above, we could have opted for a simple switch to connect the motor to the battery, but instead, we made our reel remote-controlled, as this improves usability. This and other design decisions reflect our commitment to delivering a superior product that is intuitive and easy to use, and in order to do this, we incorporate our own bespoke electronic controller.

The Titan's electronic controller encompasses many subtle features, each designed to make our reel easy to use while ensuring optimal performance and long life. Some of these are summarised below:

1. Large graphical LED display showing current status.
2. Motor soft start and soft stop: Unlike a simple (and quite frankly brutal!) on-off switch, the Titan's motor drive ramps up gradually during start-up and slows down gently when stopping. This approach reduces stress on the pool cover, motor and gearbox, prolonging their lifespan and minimizing wear.
3. Over-current protection: This feature safeguards the motor from burnout or potential fire by disconnecting the battery if the motor jams or stalls. The controller reports this fault condition on the LED display and attempts to rerun the motor after a brief lockout period.

4. Battery status display: The controller's LED display shows the battery's state of charge, calculated by periodically placing an internal test load across the battery. This allows for accurate measurement and prediction of battery performance based on load requirements and ambient temperature.
5. Battery charge controller: To prevent overcharging, especially during high solar energy periods like summer, the controller disconnects the solar panel once the battery is full. This temperature-compensated feature ensures the battery's longevity and safety.
6. Memory storage and key fob management: The controller can store up to eight key fobs, each coded for recognition. Users can also program in new key fobs using the hidden 'teach' key on the display if needed.
7. Under voltage protection: If the battery gets too flat, the controller will disallow motor operation until the battery is sufficiently recharged, minimising the chances of the cover being stuck half way across the pool as the battery goes flat.
8. Auto display brightness: The controller adjusts the brightness of the display LEDs based on the amount of sunlight hitting the solar panel and the ambient light conditions. This ensures optimal readability in various lighting situations while minimizing power consumption.
9. Fully solid state with no moving parts (i.e. no mechanical relays which wear out or get stuck), ensuring maximum reliability and a long life span.

We also have a dedicated page to show all the different display modes that the controller can report, most of which are pretty intuitive as you would expect.

Interested in learning the price to complete your swimming pool?

The Titan swimming pool reel is designed to be easily posted by air to all worldwide addresses, and we have an online shop page here. As we are the manufacturer and we sell directly to pool owners, our prices are often much lower than customers expect.