Swimming Pool Covers

One of the most critical swimming pool accessories is not a good pair of sunglasses or a donut float, but a swimming pool cover. While this does not sound like fun, a pool cover is crucial to maintaining the health of your pool during the swimming season as well as during the winter months. What is a pool cover? Many homeowners understand that pool covers are great ways to keep small children or pets from wandering into a pool with fatal results. However, it is much more. There are several points to having a high quality and long-lasting pool cover for your backyard.

There are different types of pool covers available for above ground swimming pools. The most basic pool covers are not pool covers at all but merely large plastic tarps. While this works for the bottom part of what you need, it is not going to be the best choice by far. The basic pool covers are difficult to handle and are quickly deteriorated in bright sun, which is a trademark of the swimming season. Never settle – always use a cover specially made for an above ground swimming pool.

Swimming pool covers are made of vinyl, polyethylene, or polypropylene, and are all UV-stabilized to handle constant sunlight. One of the least expensive pool covers is the solar cover, which takes full advantage of the summer sun. These are also known as bubble covers and work similarly to bubble wrap material. They are made of a thick, durable grade plastic that far outshines a small plastic tarp. Vinyl covers typically have a longer life than bubble covers. They come in single-layer and insulated vinyl covers. This extra layer is placed between two layers of typical vinyl. Pool covers vary so much because they serve a variety of purposes. There are six types of pool covers, all sold from the high-quality brands at Pools Above Ground.

Winter pool covers come in a non-porous tarpaulin model as well as a mesh model. Non-porous winter covers keep all debris and dirt out of your swimming pool during the colder months and prevent the growth of algae. They do require a cover pump to remove the water, and if this is too much maintenance for your family, mesh winter pool covers are ideal. The key difference is that the mesh winter cover is designed to allow rainwater and melting snow through, without letting in large debris, so that it cannot pool on and weigh down the pool's cover during the winter months. The small debris does get through, but the clean-up is minimal. Leaf nets are best for those pool owners who have issues with falling leaves, pine needles, or other natural debris. It can be used with most other pool covers as an extra measure of protection.

Solar covers are particularly desirable, as they help to alleviate some of your pool's heating costs. Using heat retained from natural sunlight, they help heat the water – and keep the heat in – and are just the most affordable type of pool heater available. It is important to remember that solar covers are not recommended for use as safety covers. Pool covers can also be utilized as a measure of safety, helping to keep wandering children and pets out of danger. Like winter covers, they come in solid and mesh designs. These strong pool covers protect against accidental falls, although unintended wear and chaffing can void the warranty.

You may spend thousands of dollars on the pool alone, but do not forget to factor in the necessary accessories. A swimming pool is an incredible way to invest in lengthening the life of your pool. At Pools Above Ground, you'll find the pool cover that is ideal for keeping your pool safe and clean.

Pool covers are an excellent investment for any swimming pool. They are mostly used to protect the pool from the harsh elements of winter while making clean up easier come swim season. Some have other purposes like safety and heat retention. To help determine the pool cover to suit your needs best we've included below a brief description of each tyupe of swimming pool cover and their use. If you have any questions please contact our swimming pool experts.

Winter Pool Covers

Winter covers are a non-porous tarpaulin like cover that's placed over the swimming pool and on the water's surface and prevents outside contaminants like rainwater, leaves, critters and other types of debris from entering the pool water. Solid winter covers do a great job at keeping your pool clean when not in use and also prevents the growth of algae by blocking it's needed sunlight. All of our solid pool covers block at least 95 percent of sunlight. Thicker cover last longer and are more durable.

Solid winter pool covers do require the use of a cover pump to remove the water that accumulates on top of the cover from rain or melting snow.

Mesh Winter Pool Covers

Although very similar in appearance to the solid pool cover, the mesh winter pool cover is a porous version that allows rain water and melting snow to pass through the cover into the swimming pool while stopping twigs, leaves and any large debris from entering the water. However very small debris or silt will make it through, but this will require minimal clean up during spring time. And with no water accumulation on the cover, no cover pump is required for it's removal. Mesh pool covers also attach to the pool or deck the same way as the solid covers do.

Leaf Net Covers

Leaf nets are often used by pool owners who experience a lot of falling leaves or pine needles during the swimming off season. A leaf net looks much like a fishing net but made from Polyethylene to prevent decay or breakdown. The leaf net is simply used in conjunction with any type of pool cover to make removing large amount of debris from the cover easy. Leaf net are placed on top of the winter cover and held down by it's eyelets or by water blocks when used on inground pool covers.

During Spring opening the leaf net is removed first, taking with it all the large debris that has collected on top. Now removing the winter cover will be much cleaner and mess free. Eliminating the large decaying mess will allow the cover pump to operate freely and not become clogged with rotting organic matter.

Leaf nets are black in color and ordered by pool size. They are larger than the pool so there is plenty of excess material.

Solar Pool Covers

Solar covers are designed to help retain the heat that is in the pool's water. Made from a Polymer material, solar covers or solar blankets simply float on the water's surface and prevent the warmth in the water from escaping. A solar pool cover is the most affordable form of pool heater and a necessity for anyone using a natural gas heater, propane pool heater, heat pump or even a solar pool heater system.

If used regularly, a solar blanket or also called solar cover, can add as much as 10+ degrees to the water's average temperature. This may be enough that a pool heater of other sorts is not needed. And without the use of a solar blanket when operating gas heaters or heat pumps, the cost of heating a swimming pool can double.

Other advantages to the solar cover are the reduction in evaporation by up to 95%, and a reduction in chemical cost when in use.

Solid Safety Pool Covers

Solid safety pool covers are for inground pools and are designed with safety in mind. Great for closing your swimming pool for the winter or extended periods of time. Unlike typical pool covers or solar pool covers, children and pets cannot accidentally fall into the swimming pool if unattended. Held taut to the deck with anchors, solid safety pool covers do not allow water or melting snow to pass through like a mesh safety cover so no silt or fine debris enters the water. However, water puddles may develop on the safety covers surface, requiring a cover pump to remove the unwanted water.

Note: It is possible and cheaper to purchase a standard rectangle safety pool cover for a non-rectangular or free form shape swimming pool. However it voids manufacturer's warranty due to unintended chaffing and wear. True of all safety cover makers.

Mesh Safety Pool Covers

Like the solid safety pool cover, the mesh safety cover for inground pools are designed to protect both people and animals from drowning. Mesh safety covers are designed for closing your swimming pool for the winter or extended periods of time. Unlike typical pool covers or solar pool covers, children and pets cannot accidentally fall into the swimming pool if unattended. No dangerous water puddles that develop on the safety cover so no cover pump is needed. Mesh safety pool covers keep debris like leaves or twigs from falling into the pool, while rain and melting snow drain through the mesh panels. The down side is that silt and very small debris will pass through the mesh cover's fine material. Note: It is possible and cheaper to purchase a standard rectangle safety pool cover for a non-rectangular or free form shape swimming pool. However it voids manufacturer's warranty due to unintended chaffing and wear. True of all safety cover makers.