Year-round safety net + seasonal leaf cover *vs.* Year-round safety cover

[JABRY5]

Have small kids. Debating two options: 1) Year-round safety net + seasonal leaf cover *vs.* 2) Year-round safety cover. Curious if anyone has faced this decision and if you have any stories to share.

The advantages to Year-round safety net + seasonal leaf cover would seem to be:
- I can see the pool 10 out of 12 months of the year. Functionally, this makes it easier to see any issues (algae, debris, etc.), and I can add chemicals through the openings in the net. Aesthetically, it would be good to see water instead of a cover.
- With direct sunlight hitting the pool instead of a cover, pool would seem to heat up faster and stay hotter during the summer.

The advantages to Year-round safety cover would seem to be price. You're buying one thing that accomplishes both objectives.

We are in Texas, so I'm not concerned about winterizing.

 

[Dirk]

I thought long and hard about pool safety when I first took ownership of my pool. I decided against a cover and fortified doors instead. I wanted to see the water 24/365. And because of my swimming habits, which consist primarily of quick dips, I knew I wouldn't enjoy my pool nearly as much, or as often, if I had to take 5-10 minutes, before and after every dip (10-20 minutes total). In essence spending more time covering my pool than swimming in it. But my kids are not here full time, so I have a different use case than you. (Grandkids.)

Part of my decision, though seemingly backwards, was thinking that installing any sort of safety device might translate to me trusting it, instead of watching my kids. My own hands-on supervision of the children is the most reliable system, so I didn't want to encourage any excuse to negate that. Ideally you want multiple layers of protection, as long as they don't compromise the most important one, yourself. I know, it's a weird concept. It's why I didn't pursue electronic devices (door alarms or water sensors), because I didn't trust my kids to cheap Chinese electronics or the state of a battery.

Instead, I created a child-proof area, inside the house, by locking certain doors in such a way that the kids can't get out, except to the front yard. And then I never, not for a second, allow them in the backyard unsupervised. It's worked. And now that they all swim, and are still alive, I'm mostly in the clear. Though I haven't eased up on the system, it's still in place.

I'm not trying to talk you out of covering the pool. Not at all. Just sharing one train of thought. If I was to use a cover, I would lean to the solution that allowed the best view of the water, and one that is easiest to put on and take off. For me, I wouldn't put price above either of those.

I've secured the yard with locked gates and 5' fencing. A significant advantage to covering the pool with a safety net would be to protect neighborhood kids who get into your yard. I think pool owners are at risk if someone drowns even if extraordinary deterrents we're in place, as we live in a litigious society. So that's another +1 for a cover of some sort. I've rolled the dice on that aspect of pool ownership, but it is something to consider.

 

[ajw22]

- With direct sunlight hitting the pool instead of a cover, pool would seem to heat up faster and stay hotter during the summer.

Actually it is the reverse. You pool will stay warmer with a cover. Direct sunlight hitting the cover will heat the water under the cover. And the cover will prevent heat loss from evaporation at night. Net-net over a 24 hour period the pool will stay warmer with cover then without.

Also consider that pools need to breath. So if you have a cover you need to open the cover every day or two for an hour or two to let the UV rays burn off the CCs. So consider your pool safety system during periods you have the cover open.

Is this for an existing pool or for a new pool being constructed?

When you say "safety cover" are you considering a motorized automatic cover?

Pool Covers - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[JABRY5]

Thank you both.

If I need to let the pool breathe that often during the whole year, that's probably a deal breaker for me and I would go with the net + seasonal leaf cover. Really good to know.

And now I understand why you would ask if I am interested in a motorized cover . I would be interested in one, but how much do those typically run for a custom 40' X 25' pool? I was thinking it would be like $10k.

 

[Dirk]

I was thinking it would be like $10k.

Plus add in replacement costs. I recall they don't last all that long, so that needs to be part of your math...

That's probably true of any type of cover, to a greater or lesser degree.

 

[JABRY5]

Thanks Dirk. Ya, seems like other TFP threads are saying the same thing and to expect $1k - $1.5k a year, over the very long run.

 

[Dirk]

There you go. But hey, when they look up at you with those big ol' eyes and smile, what wouldn't you pay to keep 'em happy and healthy and safe. Lil' monsters!

 

[mgtfp]

Have you considered option 3, a pool fence? They are mandatory down here anyway, but I wouldn't want to miss ours. I'm with Dirk when it gets to seeing the water all the time, and not spending more time messing with a cover than actually being in the water for a quick dip. And then you don't put it back in place straight away because you think you might have another dip after lunch...

 

[cesson]

Main considerations would be weight, usage time and how often you want access to the pool. Traditional straps and springs safety covers are not truly designed for on/off multiple daily use. They range in being fairly heavy to really heavy - of course depending on the size of your pool. The threaded anchors are also are time consuming to screw up and down. Ease of use is an important factor when considering pool safety.

 

[AndyPTx]

Jabry5. I'm not offering anything serious or helpful here unfortunately.
I am considering again *only* a leaf cover so I can see the water year-round but also simplify the Fall since the pool is surrounded <suck!> by trees.
And I find your post.
And I find your "I don't worry about winterizing here in Texas" remark. Yup. NE Texas here.
And then '10 months later' (than OP April 2000) happened. Feb 2021.
Haha! Gotta laugh to not cry!