mesh or leafnet for winter: pillow still needed?

This is a question for those of use who have leaf and debris issues over the winter and cannot leave the pool uncovered.

When using a mesh cover or leafnet in freezing areas instead of solid vinyl or poly covers, do you just allow it to sit loose on top of the water so that when it freezes, it sits there instead of sinking to that level when it gets weight? Do I have to put a pillow or something in there to make the "tent" so it falls off?

I know that once it starts to melt it will drip/drop through the mesh, but my concern is when it is frozen and heavy - we can sometimes get a LOT of snow and ice. Will I have issues with my walls pulling in from the weight? Wind is not a problem, it is so protected in there it barely gets a breeze, but that also means all the leaves do not drop at once in the fall and the snow also falls straight down there and doesn't blow off either. I want to order something now while they are having sales on this stuff and be ready. Our weather and turn of seasons is so unpredictable, some years we have gone from 85 degrees to freezing in one week.

I don't use a cover, but went and educated myself on them before I even got my pool.
I was warned about leaving the mesh on or in the water over the winter, actually, many people told me to remove the leaf net mesh cover after the leaves have dropped and before the pool freezes and putting a winter cover on at that time.
Reason: The mesh fabric absorbs water into the material, the water freezes and expands, essentially tearing/grinding the matrial appart - I was told that a mesh cover would only last 2-3 years before completely falling appart where it stays in contact with the water/ice.
I checked this out with the manufacturer and they also said it's for leaf collecting purposes only and should not be used as a cover for the winter, and will not warranty it if that's how it will be used.
Winter cover tarps are poly based and don't readily absorb the water around them, making them more resilient to the expanding ice.

good info i was curious about as well..and that was my thinking to this point..leave it on for the leave falling season only and then remove..it will still dramatically cut down the amount of debris i get in my pool in spring!

So then the actual Micromesh WINTERCOVERS would also have this problem? They are advertised as a wintercover meant for snow/ice, not just leaves. I CAN'T leave mine uncovered without huge amounts of debris falling in all winter long; I HAVE to cover it with something. I hate the thought of the swampy water on top in the spring so the micromesh wintercovers that let the water drain through when it melts sound attractive and advertise that they are meant for that purpose. I guess these are the ones I really want to know about - anyone have experience with these? If you HAVE to cover and have ice/snow, what would you rather go with?

If the micro mesh covers are rated to do the job of a winter cover, tehn they should also be warratied.
Likely they are made of some sort of plastic less likely to get destroyed, probably flexible and stretchable enough to survive the growing and contracting of the ice it will be embedded in.

Most of them say 8 yr warranty (I think pro-rated like most covers) Anyways, wondering if they require a pillow under the center or just lay on the top of the water? It doesn't really say in the ads - don't show pillows on them, they all show a diagram with snow on top and melting snow draining through into the pool, but they all have a 3-4' overlap so I'm guessing they are designed for a fair amount of drop (up to 18" or so?) to below the skimmer and return where it would be drained for winter.

Was hoping someone with winter conditions would have had one of these and can say yay or nay on money's worth or just take my chances with a solid poly cover. Kinda wish I had your situation, Matt, with no leaves or debris to worry about - I would just leave it uncovered -how much more simple that would be!!

I have a mesh cover (Coverlon I believe) that we left on all winter. At times, there was about 2 feet of snow on top, other times it was 6 to 12" of ice. Our water level was initially dropped below the skimmers, but here in NY, unless you drop 2 or 3 feet, it comes back up. So we started low but by the end of winter our water was better than 1/2 way up the skimmers (good thing we had the crushable pipe blocks in place).

Anyway, the cover has heavy duty springs that allow at least 6" of travel, so that is about 12" total. The cover seemed fine, I didn't notice any loose seams or wear marks. Our cover tie downs are about 18" back from the pool, the actual cover extends about 9" back.

The only issue we had was when we opened. I had to tighten the cover in order to lift it up off the water so all of the stuff on top could dry and blow away (which it did). There was a lot of silt in the pool but very little large stuff, so the cover did its job. As for the big pillows, I have thought about putting some in, but I'm not sure that they would really make that much difference.

I bought an Enviro-mesh cover earlier this year which is what it sounds like you're talking about. I believe I got it from pools.com. They recommended using a pillow underneath so I bought one. This is my first winter though so I can't give you any first-hand experience. If nothing else, it should make it easier to fish out leaves and other big debris that will fall in during the winter.

Peter

Thats what I am looking for, thanks! I think I want to go with that - we get a lot of snow/ice some years (some years almost none! bad for snowmobilers!) Anyways, there is also large debris falling or blowing from all around so I want to keep that out - silt can be vacuumed/filtered out in the spring. I just hate the thought of the swamp on top in the spring and that is the biggest problem I see with solid. I'm gonna look at the Enviro-mesh and the Coverlon(sp?) see whats out there. Thanks a bunch!!

spoke with a big canadian pool store just north of you in winnipeg, MOM..they get darn cold winters and lots of snow. here is what he told me:

Thanks for your email.



"During our conversations, I don’t know if I mentioned to you that I and one of my co workers use only a leaf net for our winter cover.

I stretch the leaf net and use the water bags. Once the snow accumulates the leaf net starts to sag because of the snow load. In the spring your water level will be higher so less water to add. The only draw back may more sediment in the pool. To get rid of that, just add more water and then vacuum on waste so the sediment will by pass the filter."

Just my quarters worth. Have a Loop-Lock for my IG and gave up on it. Here in Northeast PA, comes late Winter it would be totally frozen in the block of ice known as my pool. Repeated snow, sun, melt, freezing, would load the thing down and eventually lock it in ice. I've measured up to 18" of ice over the years. Now...don't even bother to cover. Keep equipment running as long as possible to allow vacuuming and chemistry balance, then winterize. Then in late February or March I drink beers and play with ways to melt the ice using my old Jacuzzi pump.
Al

Well, I kind of think I'm leaning towards leafnet IF I can get one at a reasonably lower price than the micromesh - a lot of places they were almost the same darn price! Wish I could leave it open, but with all the crap that would fall in, I'm afraid I would have to get a wetsuit and go diving every spring in the icy waters of Plum Ridge Beach (What we call the pool) to dredge out sludge and gunk. No thanks - I have Koi ponds I have to dredge out in the spring and its not pretty and nice to smell, don't want to start doing the pool too (XXXX times larger!) YIKES.:eek:

So was the question answered if most people use a pillow with the mesh cover or not? I need to buy this soon and have never closed before. I wish I didn't need to use it, but the oak trees out back say otherwise. Denise:)

i am getting a leaf net and water bags soon..and no, based on the advice of the pool folk i am getting it from and knowing they have to deal with similar conditions and much more snow/colder temps..i am not going to buy a pillow.

So does the mesh or net float on the top of the water? Why wouldn't it sink to the bottom? Denise:)

weight of leaves and still will sink it below the water a bit...the water bags (i'm using doubles) will keep it from sinking right down..that's what i'm told anyway..that the net will stretch some. remember, your net should be sized so it hangs on the edges anyway so there will be some roof for it to give..you don't want a mesh net taught across the top of the pool. if well below pool level (say 2 feet or so in my case) it will be shaded from the wind for the most part.

Are the micro mesh covers and leaf net covers that you are discussing in this thread for inground pools? We're newbies and are getting ready to purchase our first cover for a 20'6" x40'6" inground vinyl. The pool has end steps that stick out, and a cozy cove spa (built in fiberglass semicircle that takes up the same area as 4' x 8' steps.) The spa is on the left side. I am having trouble telling what the difference is between a leaf net and the micro mesh. I too, am finding that they are about or even the same price. What size would I need? Can either one be tied down? I would like to put anchors along the ground at the outside edge of the deck. Kind of like tent stakes. I can use some water tubes too, but thought anchors might help. Any input will be appreciated. Later on we plan to add a waterfall, and may go with a safety mesh cover then. But right now, I don't want to invest in a safety cover, when I know it will not fit after the waterfall is built. Thanks, Webfeet.

I believe the EnviroMesh covers come in above-ground and inground versions.

Peter

we purchased a micromesh cover and closed our pool according to all instructions here and those with the cover. It indicates NO pillows as it is to sit on top of the water. When leaves fall on it, we pull it tight for an hour, then blow them off or sweep off (the water falls through into the pool) When it freezes, it will sit on top of the water/ice.