Tarp over mesh

[9753]

I’ve been doing this for many years. It works great and is far cheaper than buying a new solid safety cover. As a bonus, it has greatly extended the life of the mesh safety cover since the tarp protects it from UV light. I can usually get 5 years or so out of the pool tarp before I replace it.

Since covering the mesh safety cover I’ve noticed a few things:

1. The pool is MUCH cleaner at opening.
2. I can close and open when I want without the water turning green (I close early Oct and open early May). With just the mesh safety cover, I had to wait until late Nov/early Dec to close, and open by the first of March. Even then, there were some green openings. Since adding the tarp, I’ve never had a green opening, even when one year I couldn’t open until early June and the water temp was 80!

The downside is dealing with two covers at opening and closing. Not fun, but still worth it overall, IMHO.

Do you have a cover pump to remove rain water? Otherwise the weight of all that water on top would be a problem for the tarp/safety cover combo, no?

I also opened to a swamp the past 2 years (inherited the pool May of 2023) when using just a safety mesh cover. Planning to put the Robelle winter pool cover over the mesh cover, but thinking I'll need some way to pump off water during the rains (and after snow melt).

I do also wonder if simply letting the water leak through to the pool is a good option. But in that case I'd have to cut or compromise the solid cover. In that way it effectively just becomes a light and solid particle blocker.

 

[Saturn94]

Do you have a cover pump to remove rain water? Otherwise the weight of all that water on top would be a problem for the tarp/safety cover combo, no?

I also opened to a swamp the past 2 years (inherited the pool May of 2023) when using just a safety mesh cover. Planning to put the Robelle winter pool cover over the mesh cover, but thinking I'll need some way to pump off water during the rains (and after snow melt).

I do also wonder if simply letting the water leak through to the pool is a good option. But in that case I'd have to cut or compromise the solid cover. In that way it effectively just becomes a light and solid particle blocker.

Yes, I do have to pump water off the cover periodically. When just using the mesh cover, I would periodically have to pump water out of the pool as well (because of our high water table, I don’t lower the pool water level at closing to help prevent the liner from floating).

 

[Newdude]

The cover billowing in the wind is how crud blows in, whether a mesh or safety cover. All that larger debris isn't going through the cover.

A thorough yard cleaning in the fall will remove most of the leaves/crud which could get in.

Some have had success using 1 inch foam rope under the perimeter to give the cover just a little more tension to make it more difficult for crud to blow in.

And as always, FC is king, even in the winter. If it stays free and clear of min, some crud getting in won't matter. Consider algecide use if closing too early to bridge the gap until the water is cool.