Questions about year round use of safety cover

[DoAsFan]

I'm looking into getting an opaque, solid (non-mesh) safety cover, one that will attach to the deck using anchors, and will have to be folded and rolled up manually due to deck elevation changes. I got one priced out, but have a few questions before I pull the trigger.

Kid safety is the the primary concern, but I'm also expecting the cover to make pool maintenance MUCH easier by:
1) keeping leaves, dirt, sand, birds, poop out of the pool
2) reduce the frequency of testing
3) reduce the quantity of chlorine and other BBB needs
4) drastically reduce water evaporation
5) reduce pump runtime from 4-6 hrs to less

I'm currently skimming, sweeping, testing, balancing every 2-4 days, and during warmer seasons topping off the water every couple of weeks. I'm hoping a solid safety cover will reduce maintenance to simply checking and balancing pH and TC every couple of weeks.

Are my expectations realistic?

Thanks for your thoughts.

P.S. the cover does come with a pump to remove excess water.

 

[duraleigh]

My thoughts went directly to....How many times will you have to remove and then replace the cover during a swim season?

 

[DoAsFan]

We'll only be using the pool a handful of times a year. Since the primary goal is for an additional layer of baby safety (8 month old), I'd want to keep it covered all the time and can deal with 15-30 minutes to open it up before each use.

I'm expecting that covering it up after each use will take a bit more effort, time, and preparation. Rebalancing the chemistry and making sure everything is CLEAN before covering it back up.

I'm really just seeking confirmation that in addition to the piece of mind for baby safety, the cover is going to make daily maintenance and cleaning a less frequent chore.