Mesh cover with water bags.

[Pennypat]

I don't usually close my pool. I keep my water level up to the skimmers and once it gets cold the freeze protection turns on my pump at a certain temperature. As soon as it starts warming up, I adjust chemicals. It doesn't get a funky color or anything so I enjoy looking at it, even when I can't swim. I usually have a season when the leaves are falling and I have to clean out my skimmers every day and clean them out of the bottom. But, last year it was more than a season. It seemed like it was all year!! So, I was thinking about getting a mesh cover and covering it using water bags just to keep the leaves out. I would still keep the water at a certain level and run the pump, etc. Does anyone have experience with this? All of the forums seem to be talking actually closing the pool. I wouldn't actually be closing it. Also, do you just put it over your steps and diving board, etc. How much length would you allow for that, if you did?

 

[Newdude]

Hey Penny !! Mesh / safety covers are super heavy and need to be anchored. They will laugh at water bags. You either get a safety cover (95% 98% or solid) and anchor it to the deck/patio, or you need a tarp which will hold with water bags / aquablocks.

They sell pool winter covers which are nothing more than glorified tarps. It’s a personal decision if somebody wants to spend more on the ‘pool’ ones in the hopes of lasting a few years, or just buy the cheapest tarp they can find and consider it disposable.

 

[Pennypat]

Hey Penny !! Mesh / safety covers are super heavy and need to be anchored. They will laugh at water bags. You either get a safety cover (95% 98% or solid) and anchor it to the deck/patio, or you need a tarp which will hold with water bags / aquablocks.

They sell pool winter covers which are nothing more than glorified tarps. It’s a personal decision if somebody wants to spend more on the ‘pool’ ones in the hopes of lasting a few years, or just buy the cheapest tarp they can find and consider it disposable.

So, is there a good way to keep the leaves out. This is my biggest problem. I don't need a safety cover and I don't want to actually close the pool. I just want something that will keep the leaves out. Is there a lighter cover for that?

 

[PoolGate]

Problem is, even if you cover the pool entirely with a tarp/water bags, leaves will still collect on the top. And unless you get a true "safety" cover and anchor it as mentioned above, the cover will sag into the pool and you'll have no real way to clean the leaves off the cover. With a safety mesh cover you can use a leaf blower to blow the leaves off. There are "leaf" covers that are a light mesh that you can throw over your pool to collect leaves. You'd then pull that cover off and dispose of the leaves and put it back on. Not sure it is worth the hassle.

 

[reggiehammond]

Yes; there are lots of choices for mesh “leaf covers”

 

[Bperry]

I used a mesh cover the first year we closed the pool. I got 4 big inner tubes to keep the cover off the water and the tubes just seemed to collect on one side and let leaves and junk build up on the other. So the second year I installed our safety cover even though it’s torn in multiple places. Then I put the mesh cover on top of that and was able to keep the leaves out pretty well. I plan to do the same this year.