Pool Covers Buying Guide

Having a pool can be a great deal of fun, but it also involves a lot of responsibility. The pool must be cleaned to remove debris such as leaves and dirt that may fall in, and treated with chemicals to prevent bacteria and algal growth from causing health hazards. The pool must be filled periodically to maintain the water level in spite of evaporation, and families need to be aware of safety hazards in order to prevent injuries. Fortunately, there is a simple way to reduce evaporation, cleaning, chemical use and safety hazards all at the same time!

Using a pool cover when the pool is not in use saves the owner money by reducing the loss of water due to evaporation. This can mean the difference between using the pool and not having enough water to swim, if a summer-time water ban prohibits the refilling of pools. Pool covers also prevent debris such as leaves and wind-blown litter from getting into the pool while it's not in use, reducing the time and effort it takes to clean the pool and keep it enjoyable. Chemicals such as chlorine are used in pool water to keep it sterile and safe to swim in, but exposure to the sun can make those chemicals lose their potency within a few hours. By covering the pool when it is not in use, owners can extend the effective lifespan of chemical treatments, enabling them to add fresh chemicals less often. Finally, pool covers can help keep young children and pets out of the water when the pool is not attended by a responsible adult. This can help to save lives and eliminate many nerve-wracking close calls.

Of course, putting a pool cover on and taking it off is also inconvenient and sometimes difficult, so many people only use a pool cover for winterizing during the off-season. Lighter materials and products designed to help with maneuvering the cover are available to make the process more manageable, whether the cover is used all the time or only in the off- season.

Pool covers come in a wide variety of types. There are covers specifically for in-ground or above-ground pools, and some that can be used for either. Some are solid, while others are made of a fine mesh that lets rainwater through but not debris like leaves. Others are designed to maximize heat retention with a bubble-wrap style material.

How the cover is deployed and removed varies widely too. Many rectangular pool covers can be used with a reel for handy storage when not in use and easy rolling and unrolling. Some installed pool covers for in-ground pools can be modified with fully automatic mechanisms. Of course, there is also the simple and inexpensive, but more strenuous, method of spreading or packing up the cover by hand.

When selecting a pool cover, pool owners can find it useful to consider both how often they intend to use the cover and what factors are most important to them. Pool owners with small children who can commit to using the cover whenever the pool is unattended may benefit from a high quality safety cover. Owners who are primarily concerned with minimizing the accumulation of debris in the off-season, however, are likely to prefer a less expensive but effective mesh or solid leaf cover. Those who don't have serious safety concerns but want to save money on water, chemicals and heating can invest in a lightweight solar cover to use overnight and when the pool is not in use.

Safety Pool Covers

While all pool covers can limit access to the pool, only those that meet ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) International standards qualify as safety covers. These strict standards ensure that the materials, construction, and fastening methods of the covers are strong and reliable enough to provide a real barrier to unsupervised use or misuse of a pool. Loop-Loc brand safety pool covers even advertise that their products can stand up to the weight of an African elephant!

Safety covers are most often made for in-ground pools, with a series of anchors installed around the perimeter of the pool to secure the cover in place. Reels are also available for easy packing, unpacking and storage. Reels can be manual or automatic, and may be installed in a housing that fits the overall look of the pool area.

Leaf Pool Covers

Leaf screens or leaf pool covers are, as the name implies, intended to keep light debris such as leaves out of the pool. They may be used any time the pool is not in use, although many people only use them during the winter or off-season times. When used during the year, this type of cover serves the additional purpose of reducing evaporation and heat loss to some extent. Leaf pool covers may be mesh or solid, and may be used on in-ground or above-ground pools. They are made of lightweight but durable materials so that they are relatively easy to maneuver and can be used for many years.

Solar Pool Covers

Solar pool covers work as both a barrier and an insulator to block excess evaporation and prevent heat loss. When used in the daytime, they can also act to increase the temperature of the water in a pool without the use of an electric heater. Solar pool covers are made of transparent or translucent material, so sunlight still reaches the pool water to warm it, and the cover acts similarly to the clear roof on a greenhouse, letting light in and keeping heat from escaping. This material is configured in a layer of bubbles, much like an extra heavy-duty bubble-wrap. The most common thicknesses are either 8 or 12 millimeters thick. The air in the bubbles acts as an excellent insulator, and the cover does double duty by keeping the same leaves and light debris out of the water that a leaf cover would.

Pool Cover Reels

Pool cover reels are an extremely useful pool cover accessory that can make daily use more convenient and workable, especially for larger pools. The reel is essentially a pole long enough to hold the width of the cover suspended on two legs. There is a crank at one or both sides in order to spin the pole and roll, or unroll, the length of the pool cover. While some pool cover reels have automatic retraction or are fully automatic, most involve manual operation of the crank for rolling, and manually pulling out the length of the cover when unrolling.

Pool cover reels come in different sizes and configurations to handle different sizes of pool and cover. A pool cover reel is generally rated by the size of cover that can be rolled onto it, either in square feet or by width and length in feet. Because of the extra thickness of solar pool covers, some pool cover reels are specifically made for use with that type of cover. Pool cover reels are also made for both in-ground and above-ground pools. Reels may be installed with the pool, or set on wheels for easy transportation and storage.

Pool Cover Pumps

While mesh pool covers allow rainwater to seep through, solid pool covers have a tendency to collect rainwater in pools on top of the cover. Along with this rainwater, there may accumulate all sorts of debris that the cover keeps out of the pool. Simply pulling the cover off would dump both water and debris into the pool, while the accumulated puddles are generally too heavy to simply pull out of the pool without spilling. The answer to this problem is to use a pool cover pump. A pool cover pump is often strong enough to double as a utility pump, but is configured so that it is easily set up to pump water off the top of pool covers. Once the water is removed, it is easy to clear away any remaining leaves and debris, and then remove and store the pool cover as normal.

Safety Pool Covers

Because of the stringent ASTM requirements, safety pool covers are made with the highest quality materials and the best possible workmanship. This makes safety pool covers the most expensive option, but for those with safety concerns the investment is well worth it. A standard safety pool cover can cost around $1000 or more, with possible additional costs for installation. Odd-shaped pools generally require more expensive custom made pool covers.

Leaf Pool Covers

Leaf pool covers have much lower requirements for strength, durability and specific installation than safety pool covers. They are available in a range of sizes and materials, and are more affordable. Prices start at around $40 for a smaller, 12' diameter above ground pool cover, and range upwards to around $200.

Solar Pool Covers

Solar pool covers, although specialized, are also made of inexpensive materials. This type of cover may be priced as a full cover or by the square foot of cover material. Because the manner in which they are fastened is not essential to the function of the cover, a simple sheet can be used for almost any shape or size of in- or above-ground pool. For a smaller, 12' diameter, 8mil cover, prices start at around $30, and prices per cover range up to almost $200.

Pool Cover Reels

Pool cover reels make the task of spreading and packing the pool cover much more manageable, particularly for frequent usage. They may be fixed installations or mounted on wheels for portability, and come in a variety of sizes for different sized covers and pools. Prices range from around $100 to $400 for most residential models, and commercial versions may cost $1000 or more.

Pool Cover Pumps

A pool cover pump is an essential accessory for use with solid pool covers. With a pool cover pump, accumulated rainwater on top of the cover is easily removed without dumping both water and leaves into the pool. The cover can then be removed and stored normally. Pool cover pumps are available in a range of styles and power levels. Prices range from around $50 to over $200.

Loop-Loc
Doheney
FeherGuard
Midwest Canvas Corp
OASE