Pool Covers Help Maintain a Clean and Healthy Swimming Pool

Covers for your swimming pool are important and provide primarily two functions.  First, they can reduce your pool's maintenance cost, and second, safety covers will help lower the probability of any serious accidents.  There is a wide selection of pool covers marketed and you should be able to find one that meets your needs. The four main types of pool covers are Solar Covers, Winter Covers, Safety Covers, and Leaf Nets.  They are constructed with a variety of materials including mesh fabric and vinyl material.  Leaf nets and winter covers protect your pool from accumulations of dirt, leaves, and other debris.  Covers for in ground pools and above ground pools differ in use and design, but there are stock and customized covers made that fulfill the needs and wants of most customers.

Solar covers or blankets conserve both energy and water.  They will raise your pool's water temperature by an average of ten degrees by absorbing sunlight during the day and trapping the heat in the pool overnight.  A solar cover will reduce your water and chemical evaporation by up to 70 percent, which can save gallons of water each month.  If you use a heater, the heat retained by a solar cover helps to reduce your heating costs which can mean a savings of up to 90% in the summertime.  Other advantages of solar covers are that they help keep debris out of your pool, and they reduce the run time of your filter pool pump.

Winter pool covers primarily serve as a protection for the pool from winter weather and to keep limbs, leaves, dirt, and other debris from falling into the pool.  For an in ground pool, a solid cover is held in place with water bags placed around the pool's edge inside sleeves attached to the cover.  An above ground pool uses the same type of solid cover but it is held in place by a combination winch and cable assembly that runs through grommets in the cover.  Inflatable air pillows rest on the water under the cover to make stick and leaf removal easier and helps water to run off the cover.  A winter cover also blocks sunlight that inhibits algae growth.  A winter cover is a vital step to correctly winterizing your pool, and this makes your springtime opening much easier and less expensive. 

So what does a leaf net do?  Leaf nets are lightweight covers made of an open weave material that fits over your winter cover or solar cover and helps you avoid accumulations of wet, heavy, saturated leaves and twigs on top of your winter or solar cover.  These nets ensure a quicker removal of leaves and help prolong the life of your winter or solar cover.  They can be used in any season and are a big help if your pool is located in an area surrounded by trees. The open weave allows water to pass through the net but will block twigs and trash.  They help make it easier to remove your pool cover.

Finally, there are safety covers which are the most expensive type of pool cover, but also the most essential.  A safety cover is a maintenance cover as well as a safety barrier over your pool.  All safety covers must meet the requirements in the ASTM standard F1346-91 (1996); this means that a cover must be able to support the weight of a small child or animal should they walk out onto the cover.  A proper safety cover is securely anchored into the deck area surrounding the pool and lies flat so there are no gaps between the pool and the cover that could allow a child to get under the cover and into the water.  They give the pool owner peace of mind.  Sharp objects can create a hole in your safety cover, but a good cover is made from material that will not run, so the hole will not automatically increase in size.  Safety covers follow the shape of the pool and have a proper number of anchors embedded around the pool to hold the cover in place.  Some covers require professional installation but many can be installed by the owner.  Safety covers are available in a mesh or a solid material.  Mesh covers are lightweight and allow the water to pass through, but not debris.  Some solid covers also contain a draining mesh area. 

It is important to remember these points.  A covered pool will experience less freezing than an uncovered one.   A covered pool will be much easier, and will cost less, to open up in the spring time.  And safety covers will protect children and animals from tragic accidents by falling into the swimming pool.