Winter cover? Wich is best?

TimandCeri

Bronze Supporter
May 13, 2020
62
Vancouver, Washington
Pool Size
6092
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
With how hard it is to find stuff for my pool this summer I want to get a jump on purchasing the winter cover. My husband is insisting we do not take it down. What is better? Mesh or

I am considering a Robelle 5718-4-ROB Defender Winter Cover for Round Above-Ground Swimming Pools, 18' Round Pool
Blue Wave BWC704 Bronze 8-Year 18-ft Round Above Ground Pool Winter Cover
now the robelle product had a video describing the difference. However, these seem like just tarps to me? Can I just buy a tarp??

Do you recommend these over the mesh The Robell Mesh are already out of stock on amazon. :( We don't have "leafs" we have pine trees with pinecones etc. But it RAINS a ton... which direction should we go?
 
Mesh covers can work for ABG but before you go that route you need to have a clear way to anchor it down. Either into a deck, hanging many sand filled bleach bottles around the edge (seriously like 30), or creating a tent like tie down setup with stakes. The mesh cover needs to be suspended above the water and that can make it trickier.

the solid cover basically amount to being more expensive tarps. You can easily buy a thicker tarp but you can’t always find a round/oval one. But a thick tarp would work. These can be simply tied around the pool like a belt with the tarp floating on the water. Some use the metal rope and winch thing that comes in winterizing kits and others just use rope. The two choices for this method are to let it float on the water and pump off any rain water that collects, or to use floats/pillows to create a tent so the water just drains off itself.

there are 100 more details for each way that we can get into once you decide, but the above is the basics of the 2.
 
My looploc mesh cover dips into the water almost the entire offseason, I don't drain any water when winterizing. I've had the cover now for 5 years and I have noticed nothing wrong with the mesh cover, especially nothing wrong with the mid section that sits in water during the winter.
 
The mesh cover needs to be suspended above the water and that can make it trickier.
I use a couple of large, cylindrical shaped pieces of styrofoam to keep my mesh cover off of the surface. They’re about 2-3’ tall and about 2-3’ in diameter. Came with the cover, so I’m not sure where to get something like that.
 
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Hopefully you got some good feedback above for making a winter cover choice.

I just had to say that I love your profile picture collage! It's great!!
 
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I have never used a cover at all, 5 years and it has been great, when the ice melts I check the chlorine level in Jan and kick it back up to SLAM level... Never had a green pool yet... Close the pool when below 50 degrees and open up before 50 degrees :)
 
I have never used a cover at all, 5 years and it has been great, when the ice melts I check the chlorine level in Jan and kick it back up to SLAM level... Never had a green pool yet... Close the pool when below 50 degrees and open up before 50 degrees :)
Do you not use a cover at all? We have WAY too many trees with debris to not consider using a cover. We use a cover whenever our pool is not being used otherwise it gets FULL of stuff.
 
Hopefully you got some good feedback above for making a winter cover choice.

I just had to say that I love your profile picture collage! It's great!!
I did thanks! I went with a solid winter cover, no mesh. Its arrived so I beat the COVID winter pool cover rush that will happen this fall :D Thanks for the picture comment. :) We love our pool!
 
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Do you not use a cover at all? We have WAY too many trees with debris to not consider using a cover. We use a cover whenever our pool is not being used otherwise it gets FULL of stuff.

never have had a cover, we have trees 1/2 mile from us but nothing near us and most everything is stopped by our fence.. It does get dirty but after 24 to 48 hours the water is TFP clear. :)
 
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First year closing and I opted for this with a 4x8 pillow.

I have 2x10 surrounding the pool as a boarder since leveling left us below grade on 3 sides. Will use eye hooks in the wood with straps to anchor.
 
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