Water loss due to evaporation is substantial. A floating cover virtually eliminates evaporation if kept on when the pool is not in use. If the water level drops below the height of the skimmers due to evaporation and your pumps suck in air you will quickly damage them. A cover mostly stops this from happening.
The longer you leave your pool cover on, the more likely it is to tear and rip. The elements put stress on your pool cover which can then lead to damage. Additionally, debris and animals can cause rips and tears too. Be sure to take good care of your pool cover to keep your water clean and clear.
Even in the summer, leaves and other debris from the adjacent landscape can get into an uncovered pool. If you want the convenience of being able to quickly use your pool the next day, covering it overnight can help you achieve this goal, especially if your pool is near trees and other potential sources of debris.
Covers prevent evaporation
Having patrons in the water during the day may reduce this effect, but an uncovered pool will still lose water during the night. Place a cover over your pool after hours to block excess heat from the surface of the water.
People often avoid covering their pool for the winter because pool covers are an additional cost. However, an uncovered pool will cost you far more over the span of a few short years than a simple pool cover. For one thing, an uncovered pool will become a catch-all for leaves and debris.
If you don't cover your above-ground pool, it's going to get dirt, leaves, and other debris in it. Even if you don't have any trees nearby, the wind will still blow debris into the water.
If your pool has been green all season you're probably super excited to close it. While it seems like the easiest option – it's not! It's much smarter to close your pool as clean as possible. Algae can grow in water as cold as 50 degrees.
When preparing your pool for a storm, leave it uncovered. Installing any kind of cover across the pool will not do much to protect against dust and contaminants because storms often bring strong winds and heavy rain that can cause the cover to lift off your pool.
So while a solar cover won't actually 'turn your pool green', it will warm your water by up to 8 degrees, so if the other conditions are right, adding a solar cover can easily accelerate algae growth, very rapidly. You need to get the water balance in your pool right before putting the cover back on.
We recommend it, yes. A pool cover does much more than just cover your pool in the winter. It can keep heat in your pool, keep leaves out of the pool, and save your chemicals and water from evaporating.
Air bubbles in the pool cover act as an insulator in a similar way that your thermos would keep water warm. A pool cover will, therefore, keep your pool water warmer for longer.
Never close the cover immediately after shocking the pool. It is recommended to wait several hours before closing the cover. Use a test kit to regularly test the pool water. If the tests results are good, this does not imply the water chemistry was good prior to your current test results.
A pool cover reduces the amount of UV light coming into contact with the water. This is an important advantage as the pool chemical chlorine is degraded when exposed to UV light. This means you won't be required to add as much chlorine, which can save you time to refill and money purchasing the chemicals.
The rule of thumb is generally 8 hours, although it could be anywhere from 6-12 hours, depending on your pool's size. Each pool is unique, so to keep your pool pump efficient and effective, you need to figure out exactly what your pool's turnover rate is.
Water accumulation can damage pool covers
Even the smallest amounts of water can add up, putting pressure on the seams of the cover and starting to weaken it. This pressure can cause rips in your pool cover and even make the cover collapse into the pool.
Many areas have wet or rainy seasons. During these times, you can leave your pool cover pump on your swimming pool cover and let the pump work for you. Every time it rains, the cover pump will automatically activate and evacuate the water when a certain amount collects by the pump and then shut itself off.
Pump (or siphon) the rain water off the cover a few times throughout the winter. Also remove any leaf accumulation that may occur on the cover. Excess water and leaf weight can cause undue stress on the cover and could cause the cover to rip or fall in. Check the water level in the pool every month.
In the long run, closing a pool green or filled with debris will create more work and could permanently stain or damage surfaces. Protect your pool with clean and balanced pool water, a winter kit, and a strong pool cover!
Keep your pool temperature lower
As I previously mentioned in my list of pool care essentials, having a thermometer to track your pool temperature is important because algae loves to grow in hotter temperatures––generally 85 degrees or above.
You should cover your pool every night for several reasons. First off, a pool cover saves energy and conserves water by decreasing the amount of make-up water. Also, it reduces the consumption of chemicals, and finally, it saves a lot of cleaning time since it keeps the debris out of the pool.
Keep Water off the Top of your Solar Pool Blanket
The water on top of your solar pool cover will evaporate and pull the heat through the blanket and actually cool the pool. Thus after it has rained, you need to roll up the solar pool blanked and drain the rain water off.
Is It Safe To Run The pool Pump With The Pool Cover On? It is safe to run the pool pump and filter with a swimming pool cover on. The pool cover doesn't in any way stop or hinder the pool pump from circulating the water or carrying out its function.
Maintaining chlorine levels of 10ppm or higher for extended periods of time can not only ruin your liner and cover but also severely damage your pool equipment. Chlorine should be maintained ideally between 1.5ppm to 3ppm.
You want some clear area between the edge of the pool and the cover to pour chemicals. You don't need to remove the cover, you just need enough room so you aren't splashing any full strength chemicals on the cover. When you are done with the chemical addition you can pull the cover back into place.