In Ground Winter Covers

In-ground Pool Winter Covers

It’s hard to think about preparing for freezing temperatures, nasty wind and long cold days of winter while enjoying your pool in the spring and summer. However, if you don’t have a proper in ground pool winter cover, now’s the time to start looking for one.

A lot of people think using your standard warm weather cover during the off season is “good enough”, but that just isn’t the case. If you want to have the best possible protection during winter then you’ll need to upgrade that standard tarp style cover to a more permanent winter cover.

Here are the top reasons why you should consider an upgraded winter cover:

Solid Covers or Mesh Covers?

If you’re looking for a season long winter cover, the biggest choice you’re going to be faced with is whether to buy a mesh or solid cover.

Mesh pool covers are made from lightweight yet durable synthetic materials that allow water from rain and melted snow to seep through into the pool while keeping larger debris like leaves and twigs out. On the other hand, solid pool covers are made from solid and tough vinyl and other materials. They are designed to keep all water, sunlight and debris out of the pool. Each type of cover has its own pros and cons.

The advantages of having a mesh cover are:

On the other hand solid pool covers have these advantages:

In Ground Pool Winter Cover Warranties

No matter if you choose a solid or mesh cover, the companies that make them will have a variety of options when it comes to durability.

While this is seen in the kinds of materials used to construct the cover, it is also expressed in the warranty offered. Winter pool covers typically come with eight, ten, fifteen or twenty year warranties. The longer the warranty, the more durable the cover is going to be.

Winter Pool Cover Accessories

You will also need some extra gear to go along with your new winter cover. In order to get the best results from your cover, it is important to make sure you use high quality accessories when you set it up, throughout the winter and when you take it down.

The most important winter pool cover accessories are:

Water Tubes: These long and flexible plastic tubes are filled partially with water and then used to weigh down and secure the cover at the perimeter. These vital accessories won’t tear or damage your cover like bricks or sandbags might.

Aqua Blocks: These alternatives to water tubes are water containers with snap on lids. They are more durable and don’t crack or leak as easily in extreme cold.

Cover Pumps: If you opt for a solid cover, then you will need a cover pump to insure that water from rain or snow does not pool at the center of the cover and weigh it down. Failing to do this could result in serious damage to your cover as well as pulling your water tubes and other equipment into the pool.

Air Pillows: These small but rugged plastic pillows absorb the pressure of freezing water, protect your pool walls from ice damage and also help the drainage of water off your cover.

Leaf Nets: This netting is placed over your winter cover when you first put it on. As leaves fall, they land on the netting and dry up instead of sitting on your cover all winter mixing with water, snow and ice. Before the first major freeze, simply remove the netting with the leaves and your spring cleanup will be that much easier.

How to Install Your In Ground Pool Winter Cover

After your standard winterization steps like adding chemicals and draining the pool to the appropriate level, you are ready to install your new winter pool cover.

Start by going around the pool’s perimeter and making sure that all sharp corners, extremely rough edges of coping or any decking that has the potential to damage your cover are all covered with some sort of padding. You can use towels, foam or even cardboard to cover these areas.

Lay your cover out on the ground with the black side down. Spread it across the pool. This may require the assistance of another person or two depending on the size and type of cover.

If your cover has straps, then insert water tubes or aqua blocks through the straps unfilled. Make sure the entire perimeter is covered with tubes or blocks laying end to end. This will hold the cover down while also keeping wind from blowing underneath it.

Fill the tubes or blocks with water to weight them down. If you live in an area where the temperature will drop below freezing, make sure the tubes are only filled half way. This will allow for expansion of the water when it freezes and will keep the tubes from rupturing.

If you have installed anchors into the decking or cement around the pool, then attach the straps to the springs attached to the anchors. Tighten the straps to secure the cover tightly over the pool.