Fundamentally, swimming pool covers protect your pool from falling or blowing debris and can protect against pool related accidents. Covering your pool will also protect the shell of your pool in colder weather, making it less likely to crack than it would without a cover.
When the pool is not going to be used for a while, usually during the fall and winter, you need to keep it covered. If you don't, leaves and twigs will fall in and create silt that is not desired. You can buy a pool cover from a pool and spa store, but they can be expensive. Save money covering your pool with a tarp.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you have a vinyl-lined above-ground pool, leaving it full for the winter will protect the vinyl liner from shrinkage and other damage. Since these pools are above ground level, keeping them full ensures that the wind will not damage the walls, liner, or frame.
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.
It's possible to leave your above-ground pool up all winter with the water in it, since draining it completely may cause it to collapse.
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.
Even when a cover is tightly secured to the pool, the elements will put stress on the cover's seams. Not only is the cover prone to ripping, but it may become loose as a result. This, in turn, increases the risk of debris falling in the water. Even during rainy weather, it is recommended to keep pool covers off.
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.
An obvious solution is to cover the pool when it's not in use to keep out foreign material, but custom-made swimming pool covers can be quite expensive. An alternative option, much less expensive, is to use a large plastic or vinyl tarp, secured at the corners with tent stakes and bungee cords.
A swimming pool tarp, for example, that's black on both sides is like a giant solar panel. Because a black tarp on a swimming pool's water surface traps solar heat energy, it will eventually turn cool, refreshing pool water into a tepid, warm bath.
Winter Pool Cover: A plain cover (sometimes even just a tarp) laid over the pool, and secured on the deck with water-filled bags. On above ground pools, a winter cover sits on top of the pool and is secured to the walls with cable tied through grommets and tightened with a winch.
The size of your pool, the efficiency of your pump and filter, and how dirty your pool is are just some of the factors you need to consider. Nevertheless, most pool cleaning professionals would advise against running a pool pump for more than 8 hours a day.
The Problem with Rainwater
Low pH not only makes the water cloudy and uncomfortable for swimmers, it causes chlorine to break down which allows algae and bacteria to grow. Over the long term, low pH can cause pool components to rust, grout, and concrete to etch and cause the liner to weaken and deteriorate.
Give your pool a good shock treatment 1 to 2 days before the storm hits. You can bring the chlorine level up pretty high to prolong the pool being depleted of chlorine.
It Prevents Water Loss
Evaporation leads to water loss from your pool. The heat from the sun would deplete water levels from your swimming pool over time. This is why you need to cover your pool. It stops the evaporation of water from the pool.
Pool covers reduce 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.
If installing a pool cover over winter, wait until the chlorine level has reduced to between 2-3ppm. 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.
If the pool cover has more than an inch of water on it, use a pool rake to collect the dirt, algae and other pieces of debris. Then, turn on your pool cover pumps to soak up the standing water. For stains, use a little hand soap and water to scrub them away.
The cover should not be continually left on for more than 7 days continuously. Pool covers are very effective at reducing chemical usage. Make sure you continually monitor the water quality and quantity of chemicals required to maintain water chemistry within the recommended levels.