AGP Newbie Cover & Critter Questions

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J

JWhite

0
Apr 30, 2014
5
Atlanta
Trying to get a used AGP set up, and need some input! We have lots of trees and lots of wildlife around here, and I'm struggling with what I should do about a cover. If I got a 30' solar cover for a 24' round pool, could I let the cover lay on the surface of the water, and clamp the overage to the top rails in an effort to keep both leaves and animals out? There is decking around most of the pool - maybe water bags would work better than clamps? I'm more concerned about raccoons than anything else, especially raccoon poop after reading this article from the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/pools/animals/raccoons-and-pools.html
But let's be honest here -- mice and snakes and toads and other slimy things really gross me out, too.

Please, please, please help me prevent (what is to me) the equivalent to shark infested waters...:shark:
 
Hi welcome to TFP! Solar covers are primarily for heating, they are not designed to keep out debris and critters. They resemble giant sheets of bubble wrap and work mainly by preventing the heat from rising out of the pool overnight. They are designed to float on the surface of the water. A solar cover would keep out some leaves and light weight debris but odds are you would end up dumping it in the pool when you try to take off the cover. Plus a raccoon's claws would make short work of a solar cover if it wanted to access the water badly enough.

You can get an automatic cleaner to take care of debris in the bottom of the pool. If you want to block access to the water overnight then you will have to use a solid pool cover. For a pool your size it would definitely be a two person job to put on and take off every day.
 
Welcome.

First I have to ask, Do you have a raccoon problem?
 
No there is not an auto cover for above grounds.

Are raccoons getting into your pool or are they just passing through? There is not much you can do unless you want to buy a hunting license and legally dispatch them.
 
Up here your dog needs a raccoon hunting license, not just you.

Is there any chance your pool is the only nearby water supply ? If so, putting a smaller/lower/easier-to-access water supply (birdbath, splash pool) for the raccoons might be less work than building fortifications around the bigger pool.
 
Are the coons getting into your pool? I'm confused on what your issues are? I know you are concerned about coon poo but if the coons are NOT getting into your pool, then it's a NON issue. If these coons pain you so much, I highly suggest you do your part and purchase a hunting license and thin them out during the open season, whenever that is for you and your local Game Commission!
 

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So the article says you'll either find a dead raccoon or raccoon poop in the pool (check your skimmer, I guess) and then there are steps you can take to clean it. It also says they do their thing in shallow areas, like steps. I can't really see a raccoon hanging off the edge of an AGP and letting it drop ! But then, we don't seem to have too many raccoons around here, so I don't really know their habits. A cover seems like a platform that might encourage them to walk across, and a 30' solar cover can be a pain to deal with - we use a 24' solar cover and found it annoying enough that we ended up getting a reel. I'd assume you won't have a problem, check the skimmer, then if you ever do have a problem, find another way to keep them away (some sort of barrier at the edge of the deck or steps or something).
 
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