How about another pool cover questions?

[cherylandco]

We have a 21x41 foot pool. Deck around half of the pool (the long side, and then halfway along the short sides....) We are in the country, and up on a hill with no windbreak. Of COURSE the pool is on the northwest corner of the house (where it gets SLAMMED with the winter winds!). So. We can't cover it. I'd LOVE to - but I would be very worried about the cover blowing off and taking the top rail with it (I've heard stories like that and I cannot have 25k gallons of water in my basement!!!!)

Unless someone has some brilliant ideas and ways to ensure that the wind won't get under the cover and billow it up to eventually taking off the top rail, then I will consider it. :lol:

Now. I'm planning on putting a leaf net on - without a cover underneath - and leaving it on all winter. Why? you ask? because I have 2 cats that both went swimming last winter and I ended up finding them in time, but my kids and I do not want to ever find them floating.

I just received the Arctic Armor Leaf Net (a great buy for $105 shipped from poolsupplyworld.com). Getting ready to close the pool this weekend (bummer!). Any thoughts? Do you think this will work? I'm a bit worried about how the leaves will "stack" up on it. We do have a few trees around the pool, so it will be full of leaves right away, and so they will be there all winter - well, until they disintegrate and drop in the water (making it the green sludgy nasty mess that it is in the spring) - or until they blow away.

Any thoughts/advice is appreciated!!!
Thanks!

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I've never used one...so my thoughts on not based on useful experience, LOL. But I kinda would think the net would be better served to remove it before the freeze so the leaves don't decompose in the water... I know it's a pain but maybe midway once during leaf-drop, and then again like mid nov remove it after all the leaves have all fallen (or at least the majority). Any stragglers scoop out with a net/pole.... Not saying this is the only way, just what my gut reaction is. Maybe someone with experience using a net over the winter will chime in.

 

[cherylandco]

I've never used one...so my thoughts on not based on useful experience, LOL. But I kinda would think the net would be better served to remove it before the freeze so the leaves don't decompose in the water... I know it's a pain but maybe midway once during leaf-drop, and then again like mid nov remove it after all the leaves have all fallen (or at least the majority). Any stragglers scoop out with a net/pole.... Not saying this is the only way, just what my gut reaction is. Maybe someone with experience using a net over the winter will chime in.

You mean - take it off, clean it off and then put it back on? I do have to leave it on all winter to keep the cats out. But I think when I take it off, since there won't be a cover under it, it will drop all the leaves in the pool anyway, right?