Heavy snow can stretch and damage the cover, but you generally don't have to be concerned until there's two feet of snow or more on your cover. That said, more inexpensive plastic covers damage more quickly and more easily than expensive mesh or solid safety covers.
Heavy amounts of snow caked on top of the cover can cause the material to stretch and break. If the cover punctures, it can spark a domino effect of damaging consequences to the pool. Furthermore, heavy snow could also pop out the pool's coping or the cover anchors.
Use a pool cover snow removal tool for older, heavier snow; it's made specifically for that purpose. DO NOT use a shovel or anything with sharp edges; this can tear the cover. If the snowfall is light, you may also be able to use a leaf blower to keep it from accumulating.
According to the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), most pool covers should be able to support a weight of 485 pounds. But keep in mind that this standard is for pools with a diameter of 8 feet or more, and different covers can have different weight capacities.
Safety Covers Protect Your Family
Safety covers are strong enough to hold your weight if someone was to walk across the cover. This makes it the safest option for pool owners who have children or pets. Traditional vinyl covers with waterbags get covered in snow over the winter and can pose a significant safety hazard.
Heavy snow can stretch and damage the cover, but you generally don't have to be concerned until there's two feet of snow or more on your cover. That said, more inexpensive plastic covers damage more quickly and more easily than expensive mesh or solid safety covers.
Use a pool cover!
Reduce the Chlorine Production Output (CPO on your chlorinator). The pool cover will maintain 90% of the chlorine (produced by your chlorinator) in the pool, as opposed to loosing 70% of chlorine in an uncovered pool. A pool cover is really worth it! Check the chlorine level after one week.
Hassle And Energy
Even with all their great benefits, having a pool cover means you need to take it off whenever you want to use the pool. This process is made much easier today with roller systems and the like, any pool cover will require a small amount of manual labour.
Yes, but we recommend only walking on your cover in emergency situations or to clean the surface of the cover. All of the automatic pool cover brands that we offer are ASTM F1346-91 certified and can hold a minimum of 485 lbs.
The automatic pool cover can be walked on, but for the main purpose of rescuing someone or removing fallen leaves, twigs and other debris. However, it is not meant to be jumped on or played on. Putting the weight on the cover excessively or frequently can damage it over time.
During winter, most people rarely use the pool. As such, covering the pool using a bubble or debris mesh cover can be helpful. This will protect it from any debris falling into the pool. Also, contaminants from the outside are also blocked from mixing in with the water.
When the frozen snow or water that's in your pool melts, it can make its way into any pores or cracks. Then, when it freezes again, it causes damage to the concrete by expanding in the areas where there is damage. The snow also gets under the paint, causing it to crack and flake.
However, if you have a durable pool cover, especially the mesh safety covers, you can rest assured that your cover is designed with winter conditions in mind. High-quality pool covers can safely hold about one to two feet of snow before they start straining.
If a major storm is in the forecast, it's best to skip the cover altogether. Automatic covers are even less advisable because they are costlier, and you can't “secure” them any more than the original design. So, don't use the pool cover in heavy rains and major storms.
Use a push broom to remove any excess snow that may cause damage. Never use a shovel or anything sharp to remove snow! Using a shovel to remove snow from your pool will surely rip your pool cover and possibly even your pool liner.
In high summer it may be necessary to remove the pool cover (particularly at night when the air temperature drops) for the pool water to cool naturally. The cover should not be continually left on for more than 7 days continuously. Pool covers are very effective at reducing chemical usage.
Typically, a good-quality solid safety pool cover lasts from five to ten years, depending on how often it is used and how much it is exposed to many elements such as dirt and sunlight.
They Keep Your Pool Clean
Your pool will quickly become very dirty, and it may even be unsafe to swim in if you leave it uncovered for more than a day or two. It also makes it much easier to keep your pool clean since the pool cover will catch all this debris.
In dry and/or windy conditions, the evaporation rate of the pool increases. Therefore, it is generally beneficial to have a transparent or bubble cover on during daylight hours. In warm, humid conditions the evaporation rate decreases. In this case, it may be more beneficial to leave the cover off during the daytime.
While tarps can come in handy, winter safety pool covers are a wiser choice. Both meshes and solid vinyl covers offer more durability, low maintenance, and higher protection levels. When it comes to installation, it's best to hire professionals to handle the heavy lifting.
A common reason for high chlorine can be the addition of a pool cover. Leaving the pool cover on for extended periods, can dramatically increase the chlorine very quickly. Sun will "eat" away chlorine fast, however the pool cover will prevent this from happening.
In time, stretching will occur mainly due to rain water and snow laying on top. The cover is designed to touch the surface of the water. So your pool should always be filled when covered, and the water level should never go below 18 inches from the top of the pool.