Similarly, swimming pool covers have several components to consider.  Depending upon what you plan on having your cover for, your choices could be drastically different.  Some are looking at pool covers because they need to have it as a safety measure with young children around.  In some municipalities, pool fences are required or special locks on doors leading to a patio need to be in place.  Other people have heating of their pool as their main reason for looking into a pool cover.

Safety Pool Covers

A safety pool cover will have different characteristics and selling points.  The pool cover that you buy for safety will need to either completely prevent a child or animal from being able to enter the water, or will make it impossible for their bodies to be submerged.  Let’s clarify this point a bit.  Some pool covers are a mesh-like material.  These would allow a child’s foot or arm to reach through and may even cause them to be stuck in the cover.  However, it will not allow their head or body to fit between the mesh pattern.

Other styles have a track and rolling mechanism that make it virtually impossible to even see water through the cover.  These can be motorized or hand crank style of covers.  Some of the more robust pool covers, like Loop-loc,  can support the weight of an entire family – even a baby elephant – without allowing any water to leak out or through.  Secondarily, with this type of cover, you will also benefit from some heating properties.  By the very nature of how the cover fits over the pool, your pool will be warmer.

About Pool Heating Covers

Typically, we are talking about solar pool covers.  These work by way of trapping in the heat and allowing the sun to do all the work.  It takes a lot of energy to heat water.  The warmer you want your pool, the more it costs.  Having the sun heat it for you costs nothing, besides the cost of the cover.  If you get a simple ‘bubble’ type cover, you can spend as little as $50-150 USD.  Will this work as great as a pool-heating unit, of course not.  Will it cost you hundreds of dollars a month to run, absolutely not.  These bubble covers work as a type of insulating layer, keeping evaporation down to a minimum and allowing the water to continue to retain that heat.  Decide what type you are looking for, then go find the best swimming pool covers to meet your needs.

As just alluded to, a swimming pool cover is really meant to help heat your pool.  There are solar pool covers and systems and other more energy intensive systems that one can buy that will do the ‘heavy lifting’ so to speak, when it comes to raising the temperature of your pool.  A cover like this is meant to keep a specific aspect from affecting your drop in pool temperature.

A great shot of a swimming pool cover catching a fall leaf.

The main thing that a pool cover is intended to do is help warm your pool.  Plain and simple.  Now, depending upon your type of cover, it may also help with keeping debris out as well from your swimming pool landscaping.  I wouldn’t worry so much about this fact, unless you have a real issue with clogged pool skimmers and equipment.  In this case, a simply plastic cover might be your best bet.

photo credit

There are also some covers that are designed for safety.  These types of safety pool covers, are made with a different intent.  Some of these styles are a mesh or netting type of thing that stretches over the surface of your pool.  It will not stop leaves or other debris from entering, but it is meant to stop small children and animals from drowning.  Sometimes, a pool fence is left open and that pool float is just too enticing an object to avoid for the little ones.  Tragically, many children drown each year because of accidents that could have been avoided.  Other safety covers are like large tarps that are motorized and drawn across one end of the pool to the other.  Some of these claim to be able to support the weight of a baby elephant.  This one will also help to retain heat in your pool.

When we talk about what it takes to heat a pool, we need to consider sources that would otherwise rob your pool of its heat.  We could call these things heat sinks.  These would include things like the ground and air temperature.  These will actually draw heat out of the water.  Another factors that affects pool temperatures is wind.  As you may notice, all of these factors relate to the greatest threat to pool temperature which is evaporation.  You’ll realize that a pool safety cover made of netting will not help you in this regard.

The simple vinyl covers, with the addition of a bubble layer are quite effective at raising pool temperatures.  Because it takes a lot of energy to heat water, the larger your pool and the greater the chance of evaporation, the more it will cost.  At Patio Covers Place, we believe in a sustainable way to enjoy your patio and backyard outdoor living, so saving energy is  a great idea to us.  We would prefer to see things like the swimming pool solar covers used more often.

If you plan on enjoying your pool for a longer season or simply enjoy a warmer one, investing in some type of pool cover is a great idea.  With the various options for getting your pool covered, there is likely one particular style that you will find beneficial.  Pool covers also reduce the costs required to maintain your pool.  With a cover, you will retain water that may be lost to evaporation, reducing by up to 30-50% the amount of refill water necessary.  In addition to this, you will require less in terms of pool chemicals and cleaning maintenance.

Some covers are manual and others are automatic.  The simple bubble style or even vinyl covers are often rolled up on large drums then manually pulled out over the pool.  The bubble style will typically cost you less but only last a few seasons.  The more durable vinyl and other motorized systems can cost substantially more, but will give you a much longer lifespan.  In terms of cost, you can expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $150-350  USD for one of these recommended simple insulated vinyl type mentioned.  If you are thinking about the more durable and motorized options, think $2,500-4,000 USD for these swimming pool covers.