Winter safety cover

[Superblue72]

I must have read every winter safety cover thread on this forum. When I close this fall it will be my first purchase of a safety cover as last year the pool was just installed and a tarp style cover was used.
I've read all the pros and cons of each and I was pretty much set on a solid cover, I had an above ground pool for many years and solid covers is all I've ever used. It keeps things simple close it clean, open it clean, well for the 15 years I had one I always had a clean pool in the spring.
Then I started thinking on how my auto cover can play a roll. This might allow me to close the pool not super late, use the auto cover, then replace it with a mesh cover before the first potential snow, anyone do this? I can use same approach in the spring, open really early and use the auto cover. So maybe I'll only use the mesh for 3.5-4 months a year...
Question for the mesh crowd how do you pump water from under the mesh, do you pull back the cover?

 

[PoolGate]

If you have an auto-cover I thought that was also a safety cover?

For me, if I pump, I pull back a corner enough to get my sump in. It never is really too big a deal I think I pumped it one time. Usually I just ignore it all winter.

 

[Newdude]

If you have an auto-cover I thought that was also a safety cover?

It is. But the debate is spending a couple thousand to help preseve the dozen thousand cover. I've seen the pros swear either way.

 

[PoolGate]

It is. But the debate is spending a couple thousand to help preseve the dozen thousand cover. I've seen the pros swear either way.

Seriously? People spend $15k on these and then leave them opened and use a $4k cover instead? These times we live in......

 

[mc2021]

I have both and the issue is the coverstars are not nearly as thick and durable as a looploc. Which is important where you get snow loads.
With the looploc I can lower my level below the returns and skimmers. You can't do that with a coverstar since it's made to rest on the entire water surface and doesn't have the same give to it so you have to keep your water level in the skimmer area. This is just another potential freezing issue.

I've read about a lot of people getting away with it but I'd rather play it safe.if you don't get snow and freezing temps then it's not really an issue.

 

[Superblue72]

Seriously? People spend $15k on these and then leave them opened and use a $4k cover instead? These times we live in......

My understanding is being that I live in Ct the snow load can potentially put to much pressure on the tracks that hold the cover. Especially if you lose water and the cover is not being supported by the water. It could even damage the coping and ruin the concrete decking.

At the end if the day these auto covers are not worth the cost if your just looking at materials. Some aluminum tracks a puley motor, plastic housing, steal cable(I have cover pools), a switch, and the actual cover itself...mine was 20k. The main reason I got it was I didn't want to fence in just my pool area it's 15 feet from my house with my patio that incorporates it all. A fence would be in the way. My whole yard is fenced and the auto cover protects the pool from my dogs or anything else.

 

[Superblue72]

My main question is not whether or not to use the auto cover as a winter cover but, which winter safety cover to go with. Solid or mesh, and if mesh would be the better choice because having the auto cover can give me the ability to close super later and open super early because once the possibility of snow is gone I can use the auto cover and take the winter cover off.

 

[Newdude]

Its all personal preference, just like the autocover itself. I'm a mesh guy, but plenty of folks are on team solid.