I just received a quote for a Merlin Smart Mesh cover from the company that we use to close our pool. The price that we were quoted for the cover $2,115.00 seems fair. The pool is about 16 by 38 with stairs. The two items I'm not sure about are have a separate line item of $155.00 to unpackage the cover and assemble it. They said that this cover installing the Grommets, straps and hardware. Is this a fair price? Would it be hard to install the hardware my self? Also they are recommending I buy a pump which would sit on the top step during the winter to keep the water level from getting too high and causing washout behind the skimmer. Is this pump necessary with a Mesh cover? The price they are quoting for the pump is $260.00.
Mesh Cover Questions
- Thread starter ctraveler
- Start date
Hey there, welcome to TFP
I sure wouldn't want to have to drill in to the pool deck for all those fittings. So is $155 worth it to you? It would be to me, especially since its a one time need.
Cover pumps can be had for less if you shop around.
Maddie
I sure wouldn't want to have to drill in to the pool deck for all those fittings. So is $155 worth it to you? It would be to me, especially since its a one time need.
Cover pumps can be had for less if you shop around.
Maddie
jgofnj
Silver Supporter
- May 28, 2013
- 357
- Pool Size
- 18500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I live in Somerset county NJ and have a mesh cover for 10 years now, never had a need for a pump. My opinion, you don't need it. As for the assemble, Are you talking about installing the 'plugs' they put in the ground around the pool to secure the cover? If so, seems worth the $155 unless you are able to drill about 30 holes into the concrete and install them yourself.
The Ground anchors are already there and the pool company is going to ship my existing cover to the manufacturer so they can make sure the new cover matches the existing ground anchors. They only mentioned that the $155 includes installing the straps, grommets and springs. I assumed that since they know that the ground anchors are existing that the grommets they were talking about are on the cover strap holes but I will ask for clarification.
jgofnj
Silver Supporter
- May 28, 2013
- 357
- Pool Size
- 18500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Go it now. To me that should be included in the cost of the cover. Makes no sense why they would charge extra for that. I would dump this company and find another one.
I needed a new pool cover and drove myself (and husband) crazy for about a month trying to decide what to purchase for a new cover. Our existing mesh safety cover is shot and I called the company (Yard Guard) on the tag label to inquire about prices. They told me to look for the serial number somewhere on the old cover stitched to the outer edge. We found the serial number after searching closely. It's a little 1 x 2 tag stitched near the edge.
Anyway, with that number I was able to get my exact custom layout from year 2002 with all the info I needed. I called three online pool cover places: Pool Covers Direct, Bargain Pool Covers, and Pool Cover Center. The prices online are reasonable if you are just starting out for the Yard Guard or Loop Lock Brands. My problem was that my original cover was customized and had straps every 3-ft. instead of every 5ft (standard) and that upped the price by about 350.00 - 400.00.
I originally had a Yard Guard safety cover in mesh that was a PITA at opening pool time - black, nasty water every Spring. The mesh lets all the debris, silt, dirt, and filth into the pool. We live in a wooded area f CT so the leaves are a big problem too. One year we were so upset with this problem that we placed an old fashioned cheap pool cover over the safety cover with the water bags. That was the first time we ever opened to a clean, almost clear pool. But the water bags are just horrendous, take forever to fill and empty, and we didn't like the way it looked.
So, I went with a solid safety cover with the drain mesh in the center panels only. The mesh area is the 99.9% for sun filtration to help keep any sun out that encourages the algae. I didn't want to pump any water from the cover, so the drain was a must. On closing we used to drain the pool water to about a foot below skimmer and by Spring it would be filled to the top. I think we'll do the same with this one.
The three companies above were all able to get my info directly from Yard Guard (gotta love that serial number system that they have) and all of them sent me email quotes. Prices for the solid safety cover with mesh panel, all hardware, bolts, etc, fluctuated between $1,086 and $1,800 for an 18 x 36 size pool with a 4' step area at one end.
For the 99.9% sun block all mesh, it was about 25.00 less than the solid. Merlin was $2,300.00 for their 99.9% sun block and Loop Lock was off the charts for basically the same thing. The regular older style mesh covers with 95% sun block were only about $800-1,000.00 but I would never get one of those again. But all covers were coming from the same manufacturer and each pool cover company quoted very different prices, so do shop around.
I really hope I made the right decision! The only thing I am worried about is the weight of the cover. The all-mesh was heavy enough, this thing might be really hard to maneuver around. Waiting for it to arrive any day now.
Anyway, with that number I was able to get my exact custom layout from year 2002 with all the info I needed. I called three online pool cover places: Pool Covers Direct, Bargain Pool Covers, and Pool Cover Center. The prices online are reasonable if you are just starting out for the Yard Guard or Loop Lock Brands. My problem was that my original cover was customized and had straps every 3-ft. instead of every 5ft (standard) and that upped the price by about 350.00 - 400.00.
I originally had a Yard Guard safety cover in mesh that was a PITA at opening pool time - black, nasty water every Spring. The mesh lets all the debris, silt, dirt, and filth into the pool. We live in a wooded area f CT so the leaves are a big problem too. One year we were so upset with this problem that we placed an old fashioned cheap pool cover over the safety cover with the water bags. That was the first time we ever opened to a clean, almost clear pool. But the water bags are just horrendous, take forever to fill and empty, and we didn't like the way it looked.
So, I went with a solid safety cover with the drain mesh in the center panels only. The mesh area is the 99.9% for sun filtration to help keep any sun out that encourages the algae. I didn't want to pump any water from the cover, so the drain was a must. On closing we used to drain the pool water to about a foot below skimmer and by Spring it would be filled to the top. I think we'll do the same with this one.
The three companies above were all able to get my info directly from Yard Guard (gotta love that serial number system that they have) and all of them sent me email quotes. Prices for the solid safety cover with mesh panel, all hardware, bolts, etc, fluctuated between $1,086 and $1,800 for an 18 x 36 size pool with a 4' step area at one end.
For the 99.9% sun block all mesh, it was about 25.00 less than the solid. Merlin was $2,300.00 for their 99.9% sun block and Loop Lock was off the charts for basically the same thing. The regular older style mesh covers with 95% sun block were only about $800-1,000.00 but I would never get one of those again. But all covers were coming from the same manufacturer and each pool cover company quoted very different prices, so do shop around.
I really hope I made the right decision! The only thing I am worried about is the weight of the cover. The all-mesh was heavy enough, this thing might be really hard to maneuver around. Waiting for it to arrive any day now.
I have always thought of mesh material for a pool cover being a big tea bag ready to brew leaves and other organic a into my pool water...I could be wrong, but I think solid with a pump is the way to go.