Safety Cover with Salt Pool

[lonbeme]

Hi, New User here and looking forward to learning and sharing some great pool info.

Here's why I found my way here:

I have had a salt chlorine generated pool for 12 years and love it. I have always used a tarp type cover (water bags, etc). The water has always been perfect in the spring when I remove the cover since Nothing got through.

Well, I need to replace the cover as it's gotten worn with holes. Many people suggest the stretched, mesh safety covers for ease and looks. I like both of those things.

But will it work??? I have a lot of trees and other greenery around. Will I be sorry next spring if I get one of these?

Anything else I should know?

Thanks

[Watermom]

Hi lonbeme and welcome to the Pool Forum!

You'll probably get varying opinions on this question. Personally, I don't cover my pool in the winter anymore as it is just a big hassle. I also have trees -- including a maple that has a few branches that extend over my pool. I get a lot of leaves in there and I just scoop them out. Once the leaves have all fallen, the pool stays relatively clean from that point on. Yes, I'll have a little dirt in there over the winter, but that is easily vacuumed up in the spring. Just my 2 cents. I'm sure others will be along later to offer their opinions. (You might want to tell what kind of pool you have --- inground, above ground.)

Hope you enjoy being a part of the forum!

[lonbeme]

Thanks.
My pool is inground gunite. I have way too many things that would fall or blow into it to leave it with no cover.

[PoolDoc]

Mesh covers are $$$; plastic covers are cheap -- mesh covers are usually safety covers; plastic covers are "will drown you if you fall in" covers -- mesh covers do NOT keep out light or algae; plastic covers do both.

Mesh covers often have to be custom ordered.

[lonbeme]

Thanks. I'm hoping to get some feedback on this set up from some one that has experience. Will it work, or is the light/algae being able to get through a problem?

[Watermom]

Just because light can get through does not mean you necessarily will get algae. If that were the case, those of us who never cover the pool would always open to green pools, and we don't.

[PoolDoc]

Will it work, or is the light/algae being able to get through a problem?

Will it work, for what?
=> will a mesh cover keep out light? No.
=> will a mesh cover keep out algae? No.
=> will a mesh cover look better than a plastic cover? Yes.
=> will a mesh cover keep pets and people from falling in and drowning? Unless they work at it, yes.

There is such a thing as a waterproof and light proof mesh cover, but it's a sort of "worst of both worlds" beast.

[lonbeme]

Well, it's time to make up my mind since the old cover was trashed in the spring.
I want to go with "safety" cover for these reasons:
- safety as our fence in area changed
- much cleaner look to the area
- ease of install and removal

..but still have these questions from my studies:
- they sell 90, 95 and 99% light block mesh - does that really make a difference?
- what about a solid safety cover? A drain pump is needed, why is the worst of both world?
- I assume it's much heavier.
- what about solid with a mesh panel in the middle?
- Even though I have a SWCG, I'm told I will need to shock before and after - I have never had to do this. Comments?

Your comments are really appreciated!

[JimK]

I posted this in another thread:

When we had our pool installed in 2004, we opted for a mesh safety cover which I used for several years. While it is safe since water doesn't accumulate on it, it has some downsides that ultimately motivated me to switch to a solid cover (actually, I lay an inexpensive solid cover over the mesh cover).

For me the disadvantages are as follows:

1. Allows dirt through making spring cleanup more difficult
2. Since rainwater still gets into the pool, your winter chemicals get diluted making a green pool upon opening more likely. While you don't have to pump water off the mesh cover, you do have to keep and eye on the pool water level and pump out when necessary. Of course, letting water through is also what makes it a "safety cover".
3. Enough light gets through to allow algae blooms to occur. You have to wait to close very late in the year and open very early to avoid algae problems. Even then I've opened to a green pool sometimes. Since going with the solid cover, I've not had a single algae bloom even though I'm closing earlier (early Oct) and opening later (early May). As a matter of fact, a couple years ago in early May when I removed the cover we found the liner had pulled down from one side. We put the cover back on until we could get it fixed which wasn't until early June. Despite the water being warm, the water was still clear when we removed to cover for the repair.

Since going with the solid cover, spring cleanup is MUCH easier and I can close/open when I want. You just have to make sure you pump water off of it as it accumulates.

Hope this helps.

I should add that the only "maintenance" I have to do when the pool is closed is to occasionally pump water off the cover. Personally, during the winter I don't want to be out there scooping leaves, worrying about forgeting to turn the pump on when it gets below freezing, adding chemicals, etc.

[lonbeme]

what about the covers that are solid but still secured like a safety cover? I dont want to do the back thing and we have an odd shaped pool. They sell pumps that go on the top.