Deciding on a safety cover

[romeomontego]

just talk to the local pool guy and he quoted me 1800 for any safety cover or style that I want. Leaning towards solid with drain or pump. Any recommendations?
Thanks guys!

[pbotz2000]

i installed my 16x32 ig saftey cover myself. I went with a mesh but wish i went solid. I chose mesh on price, but also weight, since a solid cover is very heavy to handle. I feel that with a solid cover you get less algae growth potential in the spring before you open the pool. I know if you keep the chorine up you probally wont have any issues, but i always neglect to do this.
Other than that reason, mesh is not a bad option.
It was a little bit difficult to drill and measure it out but well worth the savings

[waste]

Welcome to the forum!

There are ways to avoid the 'swamp' in the spring that many mesh covers bring. Let us get through helping the pool owners here clear up their pools and we can discuss those ways

[hzz]

I went with mesh. What I like about mesh is no pumps or drains, and a lot lighter to handle.

The other good thing about mesh is that after the snow melts the water level in the pool is usually back up to where it should be, saving me form having to refill in the spring.

The downside of mesh is that you can open your pool to a green swamp. The way I have found to avoid this is to open the pool early. As soon as the weather allows I open, and find very little, if any algea. The water temp is usually under 50 when I open so you don't seem to get algae growth at such a low temperature. Works for me, anyway.

Hope this helps

Zane

[craigrpeters]

I have a solid cover and wish I had mesh. It easily weighs over 175 lbs and is just way too cumbersome. I've heard newer solid covers a a bit lighter but don't have experience with those. I have a nice coating on my pool deck and the solid cover actually is so heavy it has worn into the coating. Also if you go this route and use a pump I'd recommend removing the screen that is supposed to filter small debris as it clogs up too often. Never had much of a problem with the screen removed.

Good luck

Craig

[Watermom]

But, the mesh ones have a down side, too. (Everything has a down side.) With the mesh ones, dirty water enters the pool during the winter and requires more initial clean-up in the spring.

The past two winters I have actually not even bothered covering my AG pool. I happen to know that Poconos does not cover his IG pool either. I just scoop the leaves out in the fall and then just leave it. Yes, there is a little dirt on the bottom in the spring but the water is still clear. A couple of good vacuums and we're good to go. Just another option.

[Poconos]

Romeo,
I gave up on covering with my mesh. During the winter with the snow-sun-melt-freeze-snow cycles I would wind up with the cover frozen in a block of ice with the springs stretched. Even tried trcuk inner tubes one year. Just gave up. I keep the pool as clean as possible as late as possible and open early as possible in the spring. I think you may be in the same climate latitude as me so you may have the same problems. I'm in northeast, PA. Other pools in my area are covered and I guess they just ignore this problem. I think it bothered me because I like to open early and didn't want to wait for the ice to thaw and release my cover.
Al

[waste]

Hey, Hzz - GREAT to see you!

I just want to mention that the newer mesh covers have a tighter 'sunblock' weave that makes them almost the same as a solid cover - they cost a little more than the standard mesh cover, but it's money well spent! You get the ease, safety and convenience of a mesh cover, with ~ the cleanness of a solid cover

It's far enough into this season that we can start to discuss winter covers.

[hzz]

Thanks! It's great to be back. For a long time I couldn't even log in to the forum.

It's nice to have it back up and running.

I signed up at another forum, but it just wasn't the same as this one.

Hopefully we can keep this place alive and well :-)

[CarlD]

Welcome back!