When it comes to hiding your home swimming pool, you’re out of luck unless you have a tall fence, well positioned shrubs, a home surrounded by acres of field, or an invisibility shield. Unfortunately, most people don’t have these “magical” features and are left with friends, family, and neighbours knowing about their pool.
This doesn’t mean the pool doesn’t need protection – a sweater of sorts. In fact, pool covers do more than hide your pool; they provide protection of many sorts. So which type of swimming pool cover do you need and how do you decide on one over another? Read through this article outlining a few different options and the benefits of each.
Why Cover Up
A swimming pool cover provides protection against contamination, while keeping creatures such as birds, bugs, and rodents out of your pool. Additionally, the cover helps protect your wallet by preventing evaporation. The water heating savings alone are enough to justify investing in a quality pool cover to suit your needs. Plus, pool covers help the water retain the heat so a chilly week in August (this is the UK after all) doesn’t have you reheating or shutting down the pool entirely.
Now you’re convinced you need a cover, but what type is best for your needs?
What Cover Should I Get
The type of pool cover you decide on will depend on your needs and what you need the cover to do. Some people are more focused on keeping the water warm while others want to ensure children and pets don’t fall in. Everyone is a little different, just like pool covers.
1) Mesh Pool Covers (Winter Covers)
Mesh covers provide protection over the winter while the pool is not in use providing protection against items like leaves and debris, but do permit fine particles to pass through. These covers also eliminate the need for a cover pump as they allow rain water and snow through. Mesh covers help to prevent pets and people, children specifically, from falling into the water. These covers are in an inexpensive option to protect the pool over the winter and are durable, with a typical lifespan of ten years or, with proper maintenance, more.
2) Slatted Pool Covers
Unlike the mesh pool cover, a solid pool cover is, well, solid. The hard exterior prevents debris from getting into the pool and also stops algae growth by providing complete protection from the sun. The solid cover allows the pool to retain heat and stops evaporation entirely, saving owners money on heating the pool year on year.
3) Solar Pool Covers (Bubble Covers)
These pool covers while not providing any safety benefit do make running a pool more cost friendly by providing a thermal blanket that allows sun light to pass through them and heat the pool water. Working similar to a magnifying glass effect, these covers can warm the pool water by up to 10 degrees and improve water conservation by up to 40%.
Download Our Pool Safety & Maintenance Guide
You can find more information about pool covers in our e-book, Home Swimming Pool Safety & Maintenance Guide, or on our website. The right pool cover is an investment and one you want to ensure is right for you and your surroundings, unless your invisibility shield retains heat and repels debris!
