Do I really need to spend the extra Money for a Swimming Pool Safety Cover?

By August 2nd, 2016

Summer is fading and school is starting back up soon. We all know what comes next; rain, falling temps and leaves, and then snow with ice. The fall season comes in with many pool owners shopping to upgrade from their standard 'tarp with water bag' style winter cover to a safer, better looking 'security' style swimming pool safety cover. Tarp style winter covers are very popular, but not very convenient, as they require a cover pump on top to keep any water off the tarp. These inexpensive covers only last 1-3 years before they need to be replaced and are usually considered to be disposable type covers.

Safety is a very important fact to consider when making the investment in your back yard swimming pool. A safety swimming pool cover can be walked on by people and dogs without fear of drowning. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1346-91 standard requires that a safety pool cover be able to hold a minimum of 485 pounds per five square feet in order to qualify as a safety pool cover. All models of swimming pool safety covers sold by FamilyPoolFun.com meet or exceed this rating and have been certified by ASTM. A tarp style winter cover is not a safety cover and should not be walked on!

Once you have made the decision to go with an upgraded winter safety cover, the question then turns to which cover will suit your needs best; mesh or solid. The following is a list of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of safety style winter pool cover:

Mesh Safety Cover Advantages

  • Mesh safety swimming pool covers are less expensive than solid safety pool covers.
  • Mesh safety covers last longer than vinyl covers. The average lifespan for a mesh cover is 10-15 years while solid covers are many times replaced in 7-10 years.
  • Mesh safety covers do not need an electric cover pump on top. A cover pump can run as much as $300.
  • Mesh safety covers require very little maintenance in the offseason.
  • Mesh safety covers are light weight so they can be taken on and off by one person in most cases.
  • Mesh safety covers require very little cleaning through the fall, winter, and spring opening.

Solid Safety Cover Advantages

  • A solid safety winter pool cover does not allow sunlight to pass through.
  • Solid safety covers keep water out of the pool allowing you to open your pool to crystal clear water in the spring. A cover pump is on the solid safety cover that will automatically remove any water build up by pumping it off the cover onto your lawn.

All of our safety swimming pool covers are anchored to the deck with straps that pull the cover tight over the pool. The straps attach to stainless steel springs and are anchored to recessed brackets in the deck surface. There are a variety of deck anchors for all types of decking material such as concrete, brick, asphalt, earth, and wood.

Installing of a Safety Cover

Installing a safety cover on a pool is something that most do-it- yourself enthusiasts should be able to accomplish. To correctly install a safety cover you will need a hammer drill. If you do not own one or have a friend who owns one there are many local equipment rental shops that will rent you one for a day. If you are not afraid of a little sweat equity and have the ability to take precise measurements, then you can easily install your own safety cover. By doing so, you can save a lot of money. Multiple trips from your local pool dealer to measure and then install can get quite expensive. Most homeowners are able to self-install their safety cover in 2-3 hours.

Being safe, looking better, and taking less time for maintenance, seems like a no-brainer decision to me. Check out our ridiculously low pricing on Swimming Pool safety covers and compare that to the cost of a tarp with winter bags that only last a couple years. Installing a safety cover is like money in the bank.