Winter cover for AGP

[Dabums08]

In preparation for winter, we always cover our 24' AGP.

We have historically bought the cover from the LPS, but we broke up with them this year and have never had an easier pool care year or cleaner water! Props or TFP!

Anyway, the cover we bought from the PS last year shredded, and we ended up with an insane amount of tiny little cover shreds all over in the water, which were a nightmare to filter through our cartridge filter.

Any suggestions for cover brands or types so we don't have the shredding issue again? We've never had one shred like that one did (of course it had a "10 year warranty", but you have to all but provide them with your first born child in order to redeem the warranty, and I didn't have the info needed).

 

[kimkats]

Many people have looked for the "best" cover out there and most come to this conclusion-buy cheap and expect to replace every year or so. Even the higher priced ones don't last long.

 

[Dabums08]

Thank you! I was hoping to avoid the shredding issue we had last year...never had that happen before, and it was a nightmare to filter.

 

[richierich]

I use a micromesh cover so the water seeps into the pool and all debris and leaves just blow off the cover when it dries. You could try that

 

[splashpad]

Thank you! I was hoping to avoid the shredding issue we had last year...never had that happen before, and it was a nightmare to filter.

Does your filter cartridge have a built in skimmer? (some do)
These are great! Disposable Nets -or- Washable Nets

Also we second the "cheapest" and replace it as needed (it's cheaper then the "expensive" and replace just as often)

 

[JoeSelf]

This is the brand i get. I replace every year.

 

[wbrober0]

Hey JoeSelf,

I'm over in Mickleton, NJ. Where do you buy your covers? I have a 15x30 oval with a 15 inch deck around 3/4 of it and a 6 ft deck at one end. I usually get what you get with a 3 ft overlap but I've seen some lately with a 4 ft overlap for a bit more. How much was your cover if you don't mind saying?

Thanks,
Bill Robertson

 

[JoeSelf]

Budds in Woodbury. around $46 IRC.

 

[cdogstu99]

why do you need to replace every year?

 

[kimkats]

Most of them, even the $$$ ones just don't last long

 

[JoeSelf]

2nd year end up draining from under the cover too. Always gets a small hole somewhere and keeping water off the cover also drains from below the cover.

 

[Flynbrian]

As far as reviews, I haven't seen one that overall everyone likes.

 

[wbrober0]

I also find that covers rarely last more than 3 years tops. So now I buy the cheaper ones. Lately, I've gone with two covers. The newest one on first and the oldest one on top. I have an 15x30 AGP with a 15 in deck all around and a railing. I've had this pool for 21 years and I have tried most things; weaving the cable in the grommets, water bags and air pillows in various combinations. Here's what I've been using for the last 5 years or so and it seems to work for me. It's not perfect. I disconnect the return and the skimmer hoses. I plug the return and I have a foam insert that covers the skimmer. I don't usually drain the water below the skimmer. The foam plug keeps it from leaking. I wrap two cables around the outside of the railing about 1 inch above the deck level and winch them up. I cover the winches with a plastic bag. I bought 96 small 2-1/2 in carabiners on Amazon. I spread the first cover out on the pool and connect it to the cable using a carabiner in the grommets. I then do the same with second cover. I have not had great success with air pillows so the last couple of years I have not drained the water down and I just let the covers float on the water. The carabiners seem to keep the cover grommets from tearing out and the covers usually fail from getting torn after a couple of years. The cover(s) do not seems to be a stressed as they are when I weave the cable through and the carabiner method is much easier to set up. Last year I bought a leaf net and that worked very well. I leave it on from end of Sep through end of Nov and empty it of leaves a few times in that period. Then I take it off on Thanksgiving weekend before the first real freezes. This year I bought another pkg of 48 carabiners just for the leaf net (and there will be a few left over). This year I am going to put the leaf net back on in early spring but before I open to see if that will help the leaf problem. I wish I could find a good solution for keeping the covers elevated. The last time I tried air pillows, Pool is 15x30 oval and I used 4 4x8 pillows and they didn't really work and deflated by spring and were a mess to clean up. Last year I didn't use any pillows and it seemed about the same so I am not using them again this year. I find that the covers do leak and in the spring I am pumping them off and I start pumping water from the pool anyway. I am going to try a trick this year and see if I can elevate one side of the leaf net by a foot or so on it's own cable/carabiner setup. I am hoping that the leaf net might be self cleaning since it would be tilted and the wind can get under it. We'll see.

 

[JoeSelf]

W try some floats. Works great.

 

[wbrober0]

Thanks, Joe. I have a few of those river floats but I have been afraid to use them for this because of possible ice damage. We want to use them as river floats in the pines each year. Does the ice in the pool damage them?