Mesh cover vs solid for winter

[Vincenzo47]

First year pool owner here and I need to decide between a solid cover and a mesh cover to close the pool this winter. I am going to have my pool company handle the closing and opening of the pool.

I was leaning toward a mesh cover because pumping water off a solid cover during the winter is a pain in the Rear. And if it snows I don’t know how I would be able to rake snow from the middle of a 20’ x 45’ pool. Also, we like the safety aspect of it as well.

But I have now become obsessed with water chemistry because of this site and I insist that my water is TFP clear.

I have heard that a mesh cover will allow water, sunlight, and perhaps small pieces of organic debris to seep into the pool. I can get a rugged mesh cover which will let in less sunlight and filter the organic particles even finer. It is a little more expensive obviously. Both covers are made by Meyco.

Soooo, is my pool going to be green when it’s opened in the spring if I get a mesh cover? Do I have to keep testing the water over the winter? How do I get water to test if there is a cover on the pool? How do I put in chemicals? Do I leave my SWG on over the winter?

I was pretty confident going for the mesh cover but now I am not so sure, that’s why I’m asking the TFP gods. Thanks in advance.

 

[PoolStored]

Follow this advice:

Closing Pool for Winter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Algaecide - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Close late (late October), Open early (April 15). Both when water temps are below 60.

I opened to FC 2 April 15. Clear pool. Mesh cover.

Soooo, is my pool going to be green when it’s opened in the spring if I get a mesh cover?

Follow my advice and it will not.

Do I have to keep testing the water over the winter?

No.

How do I get water to test if there is a cover on the pool?

You don't.

How do I put in chemicals?

You don't.

Do I leave my SWG on over the winter?

No, it will stop working somewhere around 60...and you are going to winterize in NY, so there should be no water flowing.

 

[Newdude]

+1. Close late at SLAM level and open early (compared to the MD to LD that everyone does here regardless of temps)

Any silt that makes it through will be long settled on the bottom and comes out easy with a few passes of the vac.

Either cover will billow in the wind and let some leaves/debris blow in.

 

[SecoSteve]

I have a solid cover and would NEVER use a mesh cover. Draining water off the top is not a big deal. Once the cover is put on, there is a cover pump with a garden hose attached which empties the water on top. I leave that pump on top until the first freeze comes. Then, at the very least, I unplug the pump. If the freeze will be prolonged, I will take the pump inside. Last winter we only had a hard freeze for about a week, so I left the cover pump on the cover. The solid cover can handle so much weight that I wouldn't even consider shoveling snow off of it. It is made to hold water. I've seen advertisements with elephants standing on winter covers.

Have had this solid cover in use for two seasons, and have opened to clear water each spring. Just a few worms and a couple leaves in the pool.

 

[SoDel]

I have solid cover but will have some thinking to do when the time comes to replace it. It may depend on what your winter weather is like. Winters are relatively mild where I am so I’ve never really done anything with the cover pumps other than occasionally clear the float switches of debris. We do get a lot of rain over the winter so one thought is with a mesh cover, would I have to pump some water out of the pool over the winter to prevent water getting too high? I open early and close late as Poolstored recommends. I have a neighbor with a mesh cover and they seem to have no issues on opening, at least nothing the filter and chlorine can’t handle quickly. On that basis, seems either cover will do you fine unless your winters are so harsh you’d need to mess with cover pumps freezing and cracking.

 

[SJPoe]

Mesh or Solid, not sure it really makes much difference in water quality for the closed season. Heck, half of the winter, our water quality is 'solid'...regardless of cover

We have a mesh, don't use an algaecide, and had a crystal clear pool upon opening this year, despite having near record rainfall in the early spring. The pool guys commented that our pool was one of the cleanest they'd opened (they man-handle the cover, because I'm getting too old for that Crud!). Other than adding some LC, and tweaking PH/Alk due to the massive rainfall we had in the late winter/early spring, there was pretty much nothing to do other than brush/vaccum.

I guess the real advantage is not having to worry about floats, or pumping off the top or anything during the winter, other than maybe checking that the pool level itself isn't getting too high.

We had the pool 'opened' on 4/26 (remove all the plugs, fill/drain to the right level, pull the cover, fold it and put it in the pole-barn, reinstall the steps and baskets etc). Water was 48F when we turned everything back on. Picture below is from May 1st, water at 84F, Dorfl at 8' deep

 

[V___25]

We have a mesh loop loc cover because that's what came with the house when we bought it! For the 2 years we've opened the pool, it has not been an ugly swamp at opening. I get a lot of worms but they creep in under the sides that don't lay 100% flush against the concrete. As others have mentioned, the bigger piece is proper closing. We stop using the pool in September (no heater) but I maintain FC until we close it late October. I opened "late" this year in the last week of April and the water was still clear.

 

[Newdude]

*either way you chose, I reccomend a soft open/close. The pool can circulate under the cover until the water temp is right for as long as you need, while it stops the spring/fall crud dropping in the pool. You can pop the area in front of a return and test/add as needed. You can brush a surprisingly large area with only a small window open after adding FC.