Inground Pool Cover Recommendations?

[jevincent1]

I have been using a mesh safety cover for 17 years with my inground pool. I believe the cover is on its last legs (mice even chewed some holes in it), so I am looking for recommendations to replace it.

The pool is 20x40 IG, 27.5K, and a roman design on the deep end. We live by Cleveland Ohio, so crazy winters.

I've read some posts where folks are going away from the mesh covers, which then requires pumping water off the solid covers throughout the Winter.

In talking with Pool Companies, they said that mesh covers are still the ones normally ordered, and that the higher quality covers now have a much tighter weave so no sun, and much less debris get through.

Would love to hear your thoughts on the best way to go. With the roman end, the cover will most likely be custom for me, which I understand will be move expensive than normal.

Joe

[CarlD]

Some of the companies sell patch kits for mesh safety covers so you can get some more years out of it.

[jevincent1]

Thanks, I'll check into it. There are about 5 holes though, and unfortunately they are pretty large from the mice.

[Watermom]

Another option is to not cover the pool. I never cover mine and have no issues at all.

[jevincent1]

Interesting thought Watermom. The only drawback I would see are leaves which hit in the fall - it would be a real mess for us. I may be able to just cover during the leaves, then remove for the winter though.

No detriments to the liner being exposed to the sun all year versus the normal 7 months with a mesh cover?

[Watermom]

I live in WV where we have lots of trees and I have a really big one right beside my pool. I am just diligent about keeping leaves removed in the fall and then once they have all fallen, we are good to go. I open my pool pretty early each year since we go from winter to summer temps pretty quick most years. I always open to clear water although there will be a little dirt on the bottom. That is no big deal; a quick vacuum easily takes care of it. There have been no issues at all for us without using a pool cover. Haven't used one in years. (Another former moderator who lives in NE Pennsylvania also never covered his pool in the winter without issue.)

Just something to think about. In my opinion, winter covers are a big PITA!

[TomC]

A couple of years ago I purchased a Loop-Loc mesh cover, I previously had a solid winter cover held down with waterbags. I hated pumping the water off of that cover and raking the leaves off of it. I was in heaven that first winter with my new Loop-Loc cover, no pumping, no raking , wow, it was great!

I was shocked when we opened the pool that first year, it was a swamp. It took me every bit of 7 days to get that water clear. I now hate my cover. There are 2 other Loop-Loc cover types, one is solid and comes with a pump, the other is solid with a few mesh panels to let the water through, but not as much sun. The latter is the type I'll buy when this one needs replacing.

Tom

[JimK]

I started out with a mesh cover when our pool was installed. After several years I started covering the mesh safety cover with a tarp style cover for my own version of a solid safety cover. Either way I have to pump water out of the pool or off the cover. Spring cleaning is MUCH easier with the solid cover; no extra dirt/debris and winter chems aren't diluted over the winter.

I had considered Watermom's no cover approach, but the thought of maintenance during the winter doesn't appeal to me.

[Watermom]

I had considered Watermom's no cover approach, but the thought of maintenance during the winter doesn't appeal to me.
I'm not sure what you mean. I have no maintenance over the winter. Once we get the leaves out in the fall, we're done til spring.

[JimK]

I'm not sure what you mean. I have no maintenance over the winter. Once we get the leaves out in the fall, we're done til spring.

Here it seems like there's always something dropping in the pool year round (we're surrounded by a variety of trees). With the mesh cover there was quite a bit of fine dirt that had to be vacuumed up in the spring (took several vacuumings...a real pain IMO). I imagine uncovered there would be quite a bit more dirt.

Also, I would have to "close" much later in the season and "open" much earlier (I had to do this with the mesh cover to avoid algae blooms).

If I didn't like the maintenance involved using a mesh cover, I think it would be even worse with no cover, at least in my situation.

I'm guessing where you are the water stays cold enough all winter. Here can be pretty mild in the winter so water temp can fluctuate quite a bit, perhaps warming up enough for algae to start blooming, requiring regular testing, adding bleach to keep it in check. I'm other words, regular maint over the winter. :(

Maybe one winter I'll get the guts to give it a try and see how it goes. ;)

PS - I agree, covers are a big PITA! ;)

[Watermom]

Our winters typically aren't too cold and usually mild and not a lot of snow. (Of course last winter was a fluke -- terribly cold and snowy like the rest of the country!) I do close late. The pump doesn't come off til we start having freezing night time temps -- probably in November most years and I do start chlorinating pretty early in the spring. It gets hot early here and I dont want algae to have a chance to get started.

[Tom.B]

I am with the cover-haters here too. Not only is it more trouble than its worth, I just don't like the look of an ugly covered pool in the backyard. The "water front" look of a pool in the yard, even when the water is 40 degrees, is better than a covered.... monster. I will sometimes use one of those bubble wrap thermal covers during the heaviest leaf period, but even that is a huge PITA to deal with when using a net and leaf-vac for a couple of weeks is so much easier.

[CarlD]

My experience with a mesh safety cover is completely different. Like the OP, I live in a colder climate and RARELY have a problem with a mess in the water in the spring.

To me, it's all a matter of timing, when and how you close the pool, and when you open it.

I try to keep my pool open until the water reaches 60 deg, or, at maximum 65 degrees. At that point I've been working to keep it very clean, gotten my FC up to the shock level and kept it there. Once I've decided to close I take the following steps:
1) Ensure the water is below 65 degrees.
2) Adjust pH as needed and bring the FC to shock level
3) Add 1 quart of 60% Polyquat (two quarts isn't necessary for my size pool, I've found)
4) Wait 48 hours. FC will drop precipitously from the Polyquat.
5) Add chlorine to bring the FC back up to shock level.
6) Close the pool (lower water, plug drains and returns, disconnect all plumbing, filter, pump, remove ladder, stairs, purge solar panels)
7) Cover and forget till spring.

In the spring, usually April, ideally I wait until the ice in the pool is melted. At that point, it's still too cold for algae to grow, but warm enough to reconnect the plumbing, pump and filter without it freezing. Usually, at this point, while there's lots of junk on the bottom--dust, pollen, some leaves, whatever, the water is still clear because it's too cold for anything to grow. I test the water then immediately start vacuuming and dosing with bleach/liquid chlorine to get to shock level, and start adjusting pH and CYA (I usually don't have to worry about T/A or CH).

I do have to vacuum repeatedly, usually running my robotic about 4x to get the bottom clean, sometimes a time or two more. I only have problems if I wait too long--into mid-May--and THEN I've gotten algae blooms. This past season I had a lot of ice damage so I had to uncover the pool even earlier and repair it while there was still ice in it. That actually was good as I had to reset all the copings and when the liner would pop out of the worst ones, it would land on the ice, not sink to the bottom. Consequently, the actually opening had clean water before it got warm enough for algae to grow.

Ironically, it was the mesh cover that cause the ice damage--first time it happened. We had this crazy winter where a lot of snow would fall, then it would melt at the bottom, then refreeze. So the snow on the cover became ice, pulled it down, then melted at the bottom and re-froze with the ice floating on top of the pool. As more and more ice built up on the cover, never being able to drain away when it melted, it pulled harder and harder, bending several of the clamps, breaking a few, and pulling down the coping.

Had I put in the winter pillows as I used to, it probably never would have happened.

[JimK]

My experience with a mesh safety cover is completely different. Like the OP, I live in a colder climate and RARELY have a problem with a mess in the water in the spring.

To me, it's all a matter of timing, when and how you close the pool, and when you open it.

I try to keep my pool open until the water reaches 60 deg, or, at maximum 65 degrees. At that point I've been working to keep it very clean, gotten my FC up to the shock level and kept it there. Once I've decided to close I take the following steps:
1) Ensure the water is below 65 degrees.
2) Adjust pH as needed and bring the FC to shock level
3) Add 1 quart of 60% Polyquat (two quarts isn't necessary for my size pool, I've found)
4) Wait 48 hours. FC will drop precipitously from the Polyquat.
5) Add chlorine to bring the FC back up to shock level.
6) Close the pool (lower water, plug drains and returns, disconnect all plumbing, filter, pump, remove ladder, stairs, purge solar panels)
7) Cover and forget till spring.

In the spring, usually April, ideally I wait until the ice in the pool is melted. At that point, it's still too cold for algae to grow, but warm enough to reconnect the plumbing, pump and filter without it freezing. Usually, at this point, while there's lots of junk on the bottom--dust, pollen, some leaves, whatever, the water is still clear because it's too cold for anything to grow. I test the water then immediately start vacuuming and dosing with bleach/liquid chlorine to get to shock level, and start adjusting pH and CYA (I usually don't have to worry about T/A or CH).

I do have to vacuum repeatedly, usually running my robotic about 4x to get the bottom clean, sometimes a time or two more. I only have problems if I wait too long--into mid-May--and THEN I've gotten algae blooms. This past season I had a lot of ice damage so I had to uncover the pool even earlier and repair it while there was still ice in it. That actually was good as I had to reset all the copings and when the liner would pop out of the worst ones, it would land on the ice, not sink to the bottom. Consequently, the actually opening had clean water before it got warm enough for algae to grow.

Ironically, it was the mesh cover that cause the ice damage--first time it happened. We had this crazy winter where a lot of snow would fall, then it would melt at the bottom, then refreeze. So the snow on the cover became ice, pulled it down, then melted at the bottom and re-froze with the ice floating on top of the pool. As more and more ice built up on the cover, never being able to drain away when it melted, it pulled harder and harder, bending several of the clamps, breaking a few, and pulling down the coping.

Had I put in the winter pillows as I used to, it probably never would have happened.

What you describe pretty much matches my experience using a mesh cover, except that it's warmer here so I'd have to wait until late Nov to close and had to open by early March (even then it sometimes got warm enough to turn green).

Between all the required extra vacuuming and having to maintain the pool 4+ months during time where it's too cold to use, or even enjoy lounging by, I'd rather deal with the solid cover a couple days a year instead.

Yes, I have to pump water off the cover periodically, but using the mesh cover I'd have to pump water out of the pool periodically.....so on that point it's a wash.

:)

[CarlD]

Actually, for me, until this last winter, my system worked extremely well and gave me less opening troubles than many here. The initial opening vacuuming of 4x in a row--well, my robot handles that! :)
Rarely, over the winter, have I ever had to siphon water out of the pool, and that didn't require a pump, just a length of hose.

But remember: I live in North Central NJ where we have real winters and sometimes lots of snow. The water gets cold enough to inhibit algae growth and stays that way from the beginning of October to mid-April. The 2013/14 winter was not the coldest nor snowiest winter we've had, but the snow/melt/freeze/snow cycles made it the toughest in many, many years. The repairs to the pool were a pain in the neck, but the clean up of the WATER was no big deal.

Therefore, my decision process about what type of cover to use is based on my local weather conditions, the amount of detritus I expect in my pool (no trees hang over it), and personal preference. IOW, it works for me, but that doesn't make it universal, by any means.

[JimK]

Actually, for me, until this last winter, my system worked extremely well and gave me less opening troubles than many here. The initial opening vacuuming of 4x in a row--well, my robot handles that! :)
Rarely, over the winter, have I ever had to siphon water out of the pool, and that didn't require a pump, just a length of hose.

But remember: I live in North Central NJ where we have real winters and sometimes lots of snow. The water gets cold enough to inhibit algae growth and stays that way from the beginning of October to mid-April. The 2013/14 winter was not the coldest nor snowiest winter we've had, but the snow/melt/freeze/snow cycles made it the toughest in many, many years. The repairs to the pool were a pain in the neck, but the clean up of the WATER was no big deal.

Therefore, my decision process about what type of cover to use is based on my local weather conditions, the amount of detritus I expect in my pool (no trees hang over it), and personal preference. IOW, it works for me, but that doesn't make it universal, by any means.

Yeah, everyone's conditions are going to vary and dictate what works best for them.

Here in SE VA we never know what we're going to get over the winter. I could be 70 degrees one day then freezing and snowing the next. I've been tempted to try leaving the pool open all winter, but I hate doing maintenance, or any outside work, when it's cold (it's often rainy and cold here at the same time, yuck!). Overall for me, I think it's just best to deal with the cover.

When fighting with the cover it's the only time I wish we had a smaller pool! LOL

[CarlD]

Yeah, what I like generally, is once I have the cover on around October 1st, I pretty much ignore the pool for the next 6 months, and only start checking on the ice melt in April.

[BigDave]

... I wish we had a smaller pool! ...Wow! I have never heard that before. There's a first for everything.

[JimK]

Wow! I have never heard that before. There's a first for everything.

Lol.....it's only when fighting the cover that I think that. When I'm in the pool enjoying it I want a bigger pool! :D