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.