Solid or Mesh safety Cover ??

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pool4me

pool4me

0
Sep 3, 2008
124
Bucks County, PA
Hi everyone,

I'm guessing that this may be the most appropriate place to post this.

I've been doing research on TFP and other websites for opinions on a Mesh Safety Cover versus a Solid Safety Cover.

I do undrstand the basics such pumping water off of the solid covers and pumping water out of the pools with the mesh covers. I also see that many solid covers have a few mesh panels for drainage etc.

I'm also seeing opinions from people with Vinyl liners vs concrete / plaster pools and their preferences for either Mesh or Solid Covers.

In addition, I see the different "characteristics" of each cover as to how small of a particle that they will let through into the pool.

Can I get some opinions?

It's been about 15 years since I've had a pool and I'm just finishing my current install.

As stated in my sig, I have an Above Ground but it is (in the process) of being surrounded by my deck. I'm looking at the safety covers such as the loop loc and I'm leaning toward the Solid Safety cover.

(Pool specs are in my sig). Some area info:

My pool location is surrounded by very large trees, (Mostly Ash) which usually hang on to their leaves until over a month "plus" longer than the "average date the pool will be closed for the Winter. Sometimes they will hang on until late October until they actually begin to fall.

The trees are close (about 30 feet from pool and they are about 60 feet high and higher) but ...


My property is at the very top of a large hill on just under 5 acres. Because of the wooded terrain in the rear of the home and being up high, About 99% of the leaves drop and are carried to the lower part of the property about 1 acre away which is appx 120+' lower than the yard where the pool is located.

I never really get leaves on the tiered part of the yard that the pool , 2 lower decks, patio are on. I can forsee leaves blowing on the cover but the point of all of my description is that I'm not anticipating a ton of leaves (at least where my pool is).

I keep going back and forth between a mesh cover and a solid cover. (Leaning toward solid). But.... I see some opinions about solid covers that seem to indicate opening up to a huge slimy mess in Spring, comments about lack of sunlight etc.

On the other hand, I also see comments from mesh cover owners that say they get a lot of dirt, and the sunlight causes some algae etc. They seem to indicate that you "open up" to a lot of dirt and grit in Spring.

It's mind boggling. I'm guessing it does depend on climate, pool location and how the owner actually maintains the pool during the closed season etc, but can someone give me some brief "Pro's and Con's" on Mesh vs Solid??

In the past, I've always pretty much "opened" to a crystal clear pool (and that was from under a tarp with an air pillow which was pretty much the norm until these covers got so advanced I guess).

I'd like to think that closing properly, keeping an eye on the pool, pumping water when needed, shocking properly and maintaining chemicals until the weather is cold enough etc would usually allow either cover to function well.

Just wanted some additional opinions.

Thanks Very Much,
 
I highly recommend Loop-Locs Ultra Loc with Mesh Drain panels. The pools open clear with no algae, the only thing to consider is I've seen the drain panels clog twice so far, it was from excessive amounts of pollen that laid on the cover like cotton; but the customer brushed the panels and it drained. Also when installing the ultra-loc you must have slight dip towards the mesh panels to allow the water to pool towards the panels so it drains. It's my favorite cover.
 
Fortunately, there is now another option available :-D

Most companies now offer a tighter weave on the mesh covers that allows you to have the advantages of a mesh cover (lighter and easier to clean/ maintain) with ~ the same water clarity and 'algae-freeness' of a solid cover :cool:

Research your options and cost and run them by us :handshake:
 
We have the loop-loc cover on our in-ground pool. Except for some pine needles which wormed their way under the edges and into the pool, the water was clear and clean. It was no problem to throw in the ol' pool cleaner and let it suck them all up off the bottom. Pine needles at our house are like sand at the beach- it doesnt matter what you do, it's still getting in where you don't want it!
 
I haven't sold enough of the dense mesh loop-locs to say they work as well as the ultra-loc in keeping the pool clear during the off season. Other than the possibility of being green on the opening I see no drawbacks of full mesh. ultra-locs cost more, need to have a slight dip in the middle, and are somewhat heavier (but not as bad as the ol' grand daddy solid locs) You also need 4 more anchors typically on an installation of an ultraloc.
 
Thanks for the input.

Lots of good points. I did see the "newer style" covers with the mesh and the "additional layer" which kind of made them a cross between a full cover and a mesh cover. I did like the fact that they were lighter than the full cover though. Of course you do pay for that feature.

So Far, I think I'm still leaning toward Solid.

dlduvall, Do you have a mesh or solid cover?
 
I have a Merlin mesh safety cover. Last year was my first year with it. I did have a layer of dirt on the bottom of my pool when I opened, but it wasn't bad. It kept all of the leaves and bigger debris out of the pool. I liked that after a big rain, or snow melt, I could look through the mesh and see what level my water was at to know if I needed to drag the sump out without having to peel back a solid cover. This also allowed me to use the rain/snow melt to "fill" my pool to close to the right level. Once we were past the overnight freezing stage, I threw a thermometer in the pool and let the rain fill it up. As soon as I hit 60*, I only had to add about 2 inches of water to get above the skimmer and opened the pool to clear water.
 
For those with a Loop Loc mesh cover. How do you pump the excess water out of the pool? We get over 100 inches of snow here. Last year i had a solid cover. Opened to clean, sparkling water. Wife wants a loop loc mesh safety cover, but i have my doubts. We'll close in mid october, so its late enough we shouldnt get an algea bloom, but im more worried about high water. Do you set the sump pump on the cover and let it pull water out of the pool that way?
 
When the pool needs to be lowered, I slip a pond pump under the cover. You connect a garden hose and drain away. You can not leave the pump/hose in the pool all winter as the hose may freeze solid and burn out the pump.

I lower the pool for closing and the snow melt and rain will get the level high in the spring. The extra water is just vacuum to waste with the junk from the pool.
 

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Brad S said:
For those with a Loop Loc mesh cover. How do you pump the excess water out of the pool? We get over 100 inches of snow here. Last year i had a solid cover. Opened to clean, sparkling water. Wife wants a loop loc mesh safety cover, but i have my doubts. We'll close in mid october, so its late enough we shouldnt get an algea bloom, but im more worried about high water. Do you set the sump pump on the cover and let it pull water out of the pool that way?
Click to expand...

I usually have to drain mine about three times during the winter, and I do so during a thaw (obviously can't do it when the water is frozen) I open the skimmer cover and put a hose down between the chunks of foam I use to winterize the skimmer. We have enough slope that I just fill the hose with water before inserting it and the water siphons out of the skimmer. You could do the same with a pump. This has the advantage of lowering the pool exactly to the bottom of the skimmer opening and no lower, even if you forget to turn it off.
 
Solid safety pool covers work similarly to mesh covers in that they can be secured to a deck by anchors. Solid safety pool covers may not be best for use in areas that receive heavy rain or snowfall. Unlike mesh covers that allow water to drain through the cover, precipitation can accumulate on a solid cover, creating a puddle of water over the pool.
 
First post here, but was immediately drawn to this topic.

Have had an inground 20x40 30K vinyl lined pool with aluminum cowling that the cover has to come over on top of. Pool is surrounded by Birch and Maple trees. Up until 2 years ago, I used a solid cover for 15 years, and dealt with using a sump pump to drain off excessive top water if it got warm enough to melt snow/ice. It was a mess of leaves and decay in the water on top, but pool remained clean underneath.

This was the 2nd year of using the LoopLoc. First year I was shocked at how many leaves blew under the edges of cover + the dust/dirt that gets carried through from rain/melting snow. This last year I added the water tubes all around the side to hold down the looplock edges, and on opening, just the dirt that washes through got in the pool.

I also just unclipped the spring attachment loops from a corner, stuck the sump pump until it lowered water enough to get the loop lock off the water in middle, and pulled the accumulated leaves/snow allowing it to raise up.

I honestly don't know which system I like better. Solid cover requires more work getting all the "Crud" off the top before opening, but has cleaner water. LoopLoc is less maintenance on top, but a major hassle to get water cleared after removed. Need at least 25-35 lbs of HTH and 15-20 lbs of pH rise before free chlorine even STARTS to register.
 
CTPool, did you ever think about cleaning off the cover a couple times after you closed the pool :wink: It makes a huge difference.

If you keep even a mesh cover from collecting stuff that sits in the water, you won't end up with 'algae soup' in the spring :thumleft:
 
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