Whether to use a pool cover and when to use a pool cover has been two common questions amongst most homeowners.
Some pool owners swear by it while others feel it’s unnecessary. Thus, there is a popular debate as to whether a pool cover is necessary and if yes, when should one cover their pools.
Does covering a swimming pool make a difference? Is the pool at risk when it’s uncovered? These are some of the commonly asked questions by pool owners.
If you too are worried about your pool’s maintenance and safety, you have come to the right place. In this guide, we have discussed why covering a pool is essential and when one should cover their pools.
Usually, when winter arrives and the temperature drops down too much, the water in the pools becomes frozen. People cannot continue using their pools during that time. At the same time, leaving a pool uncovered throughout winter, when the water freezes, isn’t a good practice.
Being a pool owner, one must know how to winterize the pool, to ensure that its longevity is maintained.
In this guide, we have extensively discussed when and why pool owners should cover their pools. If you are a above ground pool owner, this is what you need. Continue reading below to know more.
When Should You Cover An Above-Ground Pool?
Ideally, pools must be covered when they wouldn’t be used for a long time.
Specifically, pools in winters must be covered. During the winters, the temperature becomes too low and the water freezes. When the pool remains unused for a long time, people can either take it down or cover it properly until it’s time to use it again.
If you take down the pool, you would have to install it again when summer arrives. To avoid that hassle, we advise homeowners to cover their pool whenever it is about to remain unused for a long period. Irrespective of the kind of pool you have in your backyard, you must cover your pool when you will not be using it.
Homeowners should also cover their pools at night during summers. When you put a cover on top, the heat remains trapped inside and keeps the water slightly warm. If you leave the water uncovered all night, it might become too cold to be used early morning the next day. Besides that, leaves and dirt can fall on the water and make it dirty.
So, keeping the pool covered whenever it’s not being used is a healthy practice.
Why Do You Need An Above-Ground Pool Cover?
We have discussed some reasons that justify keeping a pool covered when it’s not being used. Let’s go through them one by one.
They Keep Your Pool Clean
This goes without saying that an uncovered pool is likely going to be a dirty pool. Not only will dust settle on the water surface, but also leaves and other debris.
Even if there are no trees surrounding the pool, the air will blow dust into the pool water. If people use the uncovered pool water, it can cause diseases.
Using unhygienic pool water is dangerous. If you lay a cover on top of the pool water, all sorts of unwanted items would fall on the cover and the pool water will remain clean.
Pool Covers Provide Safety
If you have kids or pets in your house, pool covers act as a safety feature. Sometimes, when kids are left unattended, they might try to get into the pool or they might fall into the pool and cause a major accident. A pool cover prevents small kids or pets from falling into the pool.
Solar Covers Can Save You Energy
If you are using a standard pool cover, you are simply protecting your pool. However, if you use a solar cover instead of a standard one, you can save your home electricity bills, besides protecting your pool!
The best part about these advanced covers is that they trap solar heat and transfer that heat to the water in the pool, keeping it warm. Thus, when you use a solar pool cover, you no longer have to use pool heaters frequently to get warm, comfortable water temperature.
Less use of pool heaters means less consumption of energy and therefore, reduced electricity bills.
Helps the Swimming Pool Retain Heat
Besides protecting the pool water from getting dirty, the next purpose of a pool cover is to help the water retain maximum heat. If your swimming pool relies on the sun for heat, it’s important to keep it covered to reduce the rate of heat loss.
If you use your pool regularly, you must know how difficult it is to use a chilly pool, especially at night.
Therefore, keeping the water warm is important to enjoy a relaxing time. You do not have to buy expensive pool covers to help retain heat. The standard cost-friendly solar covers and vinyl pool covers would keep the pool water warm excellently.
Less Maintenance
Imagine a dirty pool in your backyard. Now think about the amount of effort and time that would be needed to clean the pool. Would you want to start your day doing such tedious work? Of Course not.
Laying a pool cover on top of the pool helps you get rid of these unwanted extra hassles. When you put a cover on top, you simply need to remove the cover and dive into the pool to have a satisfying session.
The bottom line is, with a pool cover, maintaining a pool becomes extremely easy.
Reduce Water Loss
Have you ever questioned how the water level keeps reducing in your pool? Is it only because of leakage or excessive splashing of water? No, constant evaporation during the day is a major factor that affects the loss of pool water.
If the rate of evaporation isn’t controlled, the pump system and the skimmers can malfunction. Putting a pool cover when the pool isn’t being used is an effective way of saving water.
Minimize Chlorine Consumption
When you keep your pool covered, the amount of UV rays coming in contact with the water gets reduced. This is useful because when the water comes in contact with the sun’s rays, its chlorine content gets reduced.
A pool that’s kept covered mostly doesn’t have to be refilled with chlorine frequently.
Now that we have understood why using a pool cover is important, let’s move on to the disadvantages of not using a pool cover.
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What Happens If You Don’t Cover The Above-Ground Pool?
Skipping a pool cover is not a healthy practice. Oftentimes people do not want to buy a pool cover thinking it to be an additional cost. However, in the long run, they end up spending more on the pool’s maintenance. These additional costs can be avoided by using a standard pool cover! Let’s see the downsides of not using a pool cover.
Makes The Pool Dirty
We have already discussed above how an uncovered pool is likely to get dirty and unhygienic for use. This increases your everyday hassle. You have to spend time cleaning the dirt and debris from the water and only then you can use it.
Additionally, without a pool cover, your liner can also get damaged. Especially if the pool remains uncovered during winters, chunks of ice, sharp objects or branches of trees can get into the water and rip the liner, causing the pool to leak.
If you have a pool cover on top, these items will be collected by the cover and the pool will remain protected.
Affect The Longevity Of The Pool Pump And Filter
The pool filter and pump are important components that help you in keeping the pool water hygienic. They are quite expensive, and it’s not usually possible to replace a damaged filter and pump with a new one. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that they function properly for a long time.
Without a pool cover, huge amounts of debris and dirt enter the pool water. As a result, the filter and the pump have to work harder to clean the pool water. Sometimes, leaves, twigs, dead insects, etc. clog the filter or the pump and hampers their effectiveness.
If you add a pool cover on top, nothing of this sort would occur.
Increases Regular Pool Maintenance
Cleaning your pool every day becomes an extremely tedious task. With our busily scheduled lives, we hardly have time to clean our pools regularly. Without a pool cover, this is bound to be a problem.
That’s why we advise homeowners to lay an above-ground pool cover on top of their pool whenever it’s not being used. This simple step helps you to eliminate the need of cleaning the pool water every day.
Should an Above-Ground Pool Be Covered?
Yes, responsible homeowners must keep their above-ground or in-ground pools covered. Not only is it a question of reducing maintenance, but most importantly, it’s about taking care of your hygiene.
An uncovered pool water becomes dirty and unsafe to use. It becomes the breeding ground of bacteria and other viruses, which can spread diseases amongst people. Therefore, one must keep the pool covered and ensure a healthy swimming experience.
Apart from keeping the pool clean and hygienic, we have also discussed how a pool cover helps homeowners in several ways. As you know, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, buy a standard pool cover today and keep your dream pool protected.
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The Bottom Line
Swimming pools are quite an investment. You obviously wouldn’t like the pool to get damaged or deteriorated soon. One of the most effective ways to retain the quality of the pool is by using a pool cover.
Not only should homeowners cover their pools throughout the winter, when the water becomes too cold to be used, but also during summers. The key to maintaining clean water in the pool is by covering it whenever it’s not being used. This small step can prove to be highly beneficial in the long run.