Question:
Does anyone have any experience with these covers? Are they a good
idea? How much dirt goes thru the cover over the winter? Are they
worth the $700-900 they seem to cost? Are some brands better than
others?
Answer:
I have had a similar problem for the last thirty five years. What I have
done for the past several years is to put a Little Giant pump on the
surface of the cover
and hook it up to the Pool pump timer so that it runs 15 minutes a day or
in your
case just turn it on when the temperature is above freezing and pump the
water off the pool. When you take the cover off in the spring(after the
ice melts in the spring)the leaves will be pretty dry. After freezing
weather is over I put the drain hose into the pool so that the water level
is raised to the top and if that is not enough fill the pool to the top so
that when you take off the cover, you do not have to lift the leaves any
distance and they slide off. If this is too complicated give me a call.
Grandfather Bob I'm also in a summer-swimming-only climate, but my experience was a
bit more complicated than the one you describe above. Up until last
autumn, I had used a mesh cover over the pool for the winter closings.
Predictably, there was a lot of algae and crud that had to be cleaned
up at pool-opening time in June. Depending on the soil conditions in your area (that is, how wet it is), you
run the risk of causing serious damage to your in-ground pool by leaving it
drained for very long. Wet soil can exert a lot of pressure on the walls,
and if there's no water in there to press back... well, you get the picture.
Pool manufacturers in your area can give you more accurate info, though.
FWIW: We have a very short pool season up here in the Pacific Northwest; my
in-ground pool is typically closed up for eight or nine months out of the
year. But maintenance during this time is very, very minor. A good winter
cover and a couple proper chemical doses are all it takes to hold it until
springtime. Certainly a helluva lot cheaper than draining it and refilling
it with 25,500 gallons every year.
