Safety Cover Advice

[ts_62]

Just in case you were waiting for some new user to show up and ask some dumb, annoying questions ... here I am!

I'm considering replacing a 15-year-old Loop Loc safety cover. Overall it's still in okay condition, but one panel has a rip from seam to seam and an adjacent panel has an L-shaped rip of about 4" by 8". (I don't know what caused the damage, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was from one our friendly Pennsylvania black bears.)

We have no definite plans, but it would be reasonable to guess that we'll move from this house about 5 years. Thus, I'm not interested in paying a lot for a long-term solution.

Is there any point in trying to patch the current cover? I see that there are patches for small holes, but didn't see solutions for large rips.

Assuming I get a new cover, I'll go with mesh. The pool is 16x32 with a bumpout for steps at the end (roughly 3' by 7').

1. Are the anchor post spacings fairly standard? Mine are generally 5' apart on the long edge and 6' apart on the short edge, but it varies by a couple inches. Is this normal?
2. Does anyone sell covers without the springs? It seems such a waste to replace the springs and sleeves, but it wouldn't shock me if no one offers this option.
3. Most important, are there any brands considered particularly good or bad? I'm interested in any guidance for what seems to perform fairly well or what I should avoid. Are there characteristics or keywords I should be aware of that would allow me to rule in or rule out certain covers? Again, I'm not looking for a gold-plated solution. I want a reasonably inexpensive cover that I can expect to last for a few years.

Thanks for any help with this.

Tim

 

[JamesW]

Loop-Loc should have the cover in their files. Check with them.

 

[ts_62]

I appreciate the suggestion for the old cover.

Anyone have anything to add on any of my questions about a new cover??