If mesh covers are porous, what's the point?

[who4ever]

I bought my house 26 years ago with an inground pool. Knew nothing about it. The seller used a mesh winter cover and water bags so I just went along with it since then. I have always wondered why there was so much less water in the pool when I opened it in the spring. I assumed that some water has to come up through the cover in areas of holes and/or tears and I have always been pretty diligent in inspecting the cover in the spring and repairing any obvious defects. But I never thought the whole cover was porous!! I did a Google search and read that they are indeed porous. If fact, I covered the pool last week but the cover was too taught so I rolled off the bags and gently pushed the cover down along the edges. To my surprise, almost every time my fingers pushed the cover below the water line, water came up through the mesh. The cover is about 3 years old. Can't replace it every 2 years, can you? I've always been pretty pro-active in pumping the water off the top of the cover, so what it seems I have been doing forever is just draining the water out of my pool! So, what's the point of these mesh covers? It seems I can't pump the water off because new water from underneath seeps through to replace it, especially in the area of the pump which pushes the mesh down. And spring has always been misery also. Even when I think I have almost all the water off and let it dry on a sunny day, by the time I am trying to remove those last 5 feet, the cover is loaded with water and not manageable. Is this par for the course with a mesh cover? Am I supposed to replace it every year? how to you people out there handle this?
Thanks, Dave

 

[Griswald]

Umm, mesh by its very definition is porous. Pumping water off a mesh cover is pumping water directly from your pool.The mesh only keeps debris out of thee pool

Solid cover with a mesh insert is what you want.

 

[PoolGate]

It is a safety cover.

 

[Adamphotoman]

Isn't a safety cover stretched tight over the pool. If a cover is floating on the water it is not a safety cover.

My last pool had a solid cover which floated on the water and was held in place with water bags. The idea is that the dirty swamp water on top does not mix with the pristine pool water underneath. The time to use the pump is in the spring. I would hose down the cover towards one end and not remove the cover until the pump ran clean. I did use a leaf net to remove the big solid stuff, and I covered the pump to keep leaves out of it. That way I was assured a crystal clean pool and the water level would be the same as I closed.

My current pool has a mesh safety cover. It is stretched over the pool with straps and springs. Rain and melt water will raise the level and some fine silt like dirt does get into the pool.

 

[JohnT]

There is no need to pump water off a mesh cover. That is the point.

 

[who4ever]

Then how do you get the cover off in the spring without all of that filthy water dropping into the pool?

 

[JohnT]

Then how do you get the cover off in the spring without all of that filthy water dropping into the pool?

The water on top of a mesh cover is pool water. There is no separation.

 

[richierich]

I have an AGP and use a mesh cover. You want something in the pool like some floats or something to suspend the cover over the water so the water just goes into the pool and any leaves and debris stay on the cover. Then since the cover is dry because it's not touching the water the leaves essentially just blow right off with the wind. If your mesh cover is touching the surface of the pool and making like a "leaf soup" sort of on the cover you should maybe something to suspend the cover over the pool. if you can post a pic that would help also.

 

[jimim]

Delete. Misunderstood

 

[JohnT]

I just let my mesh cover suspend itself cause I keep my water level about 6 inches below my tile. When it gets weight on it the water is suppose to hold it up. That’s why they tell u to have a certain level of water in the pool. Mine right now is tight not touching the water. Leaves on top. I blew them off today. My cover won’t touch any water till the snow comes. I don’t see how u can have a soupy mess on top of the cover come spring even. Keep the water lower. Natural will clean the top of the cover pretty much.

I believe you are talking about a safety cover and the OP is talking about a standard cover.

 

[jimim]

I believe you are talking about a safety cover and the OP is talking about a standard cover.

my bad. I'll delete.