How To Choose The Best Cover For Your Pool

One of the most important decisions you’ll make when planning and designing your new swimming pool is the type of pool cover to get. This is a choice that’s often forgotten, or left until last, but it’s really vital because a cover is essential in so many ways:

Safety

Preventing accidental or unauthorized access to your pool by children, animals or anyone else. Swimming pool safety covers can, and do, save lives.

Hygiene and Protection

For outdoor pools in particular, a pool cover will prevent leaves and other debris contaminating your pool water. During the winter months when the pool is not in use, a cover will help to stop the pool floor becoming discoloured or stained, and discourage the formation of algae, thus making cleaning the pool when the season opens again much easier.

Heat Retention

A covered pool loses heat at a much slower rate than one which is left uncovered. This will save you money on your heating costs long-term. It’s also possible to install a solar cover, which not only prevents heat loss, it can harness the sun’s energy to generate its own heat which is transferred to the pool water.

In order to make the right decision about the best type of cover for your requirements, you need to firstly identify your priorities; do you have young children who may be at risk of entering the water? Do you have a particularly sunny garden and want to make the most of the sun’s strength? Do you simply want something functional, or is the look and style of the cover also important to you?

You also need to understand a bit about the various types of covers available, to help you decide which is right for your pool:

Leaf Net Cover

This is as the name suggests, a lightweight net designed to catch leaves and other debris, while allowing water to pass through. An affordable option if safety is not a consideration, it would work well if you use the pool frequently, alongside investing in a more solid cover for the winter months.

Tarpaulin Cover

Another cost-effective option, this is a simple tarpaulin draped over the pool and weighted down at the edges. It will catch leaves and debris, and to a certain extent prevent heat-loss and evaporation, but it’s not necessarily an attractive cover, and can be fiddly and time-consuming to take on and off.

Safety Cover

This is typically the most expensive type of swimming pool cover. Designed to completely seal the pool, a safety cover will prevent anyone falling in or entering the water. They’re strong enough to walk on if necessary.

Solar Cover

Solar pool covers sit on the surface of the pool water, and convert energy from the sun into heat which is transferred to the water. Ideal for sunny gardens, they’re a great way to save on the running costs of heating your pool.

Automatic Covers

If you use your pool most days, and want to be able to cover or uncover it easily and quickly, without lots of effort, an automatic cover is a fantastic solution. Attractive in design, the covers can be slatted or solid, finished in a style to suit your chosen aesthetics. Automatic covers are operated at the touch of a button or turn of a key; the ultimate in luxury and style for a contemporary swimming pool.