Making use of a pool cover during winter cuts down on maintenance by curbing water evaporation, preventing the growth of algae, protecting your pool from rainwater collection and stopping debris and dirt from entering the pool. It’s also important for general safety purposes if you have children or pets.

Choosing the best pool cover for your pool will also depend on where you live in South Africa and whether you still can and want to be able to make use of your pool on warmer winter days.

Solid Woven Pool Cover

A solid woven winter cover is one that has a coating on both sides. This makes the cover water-tight and prevents both rainwater and any debris from entering your pool. It’s also a good choice in terms of pool maintenance since algae growth is discouraged. This is because UV light cannot penetrate the cover and eat up any free chlorine, hence preserving the chlorine and keeping algae growth at bay.

Mesh Leaf Catcher Cover

A mesh cover is the best pool cover to choose if you don’t enjoy rainwater collecting on your winter pool cover. The mesh allows water to pass through the cover into the swimming pool but catches leaves and debris, making it easy for this fallout to be brushed off the cover or left to blow away. If you have trees in the vicinity of your pool, a mesh leaf catcher cover is an especially sound choice.

Mesh leaf catcher covers are constructed from varying densities UV treated shade cloth, available in various colours. The custom made cover is then stretched tightly over your pool without making contact with or resting on the water. The density rating of the cover will determine how much debris can be kept out of the pool.

The downside with this type of cover is that fine silt or dirt can still pass through the mesh, so the pool would need to be vacuumed when the cover is removed during or after winter, but on the upside, water can pass through the cover and doesn’t collect on top of it, so these covers are rather more durable with a longer lifespan than most.

Solid Safety Cover

Beyond protecting your pool from the elements, you may be concerned about protecting your children and pets from pool accidents. A pool safety cover can serve a dual purpose in this instance.

Safety pool covers are a little more expensive than solid woven or mesh covers, being rather more heavy-duty. These covers are designed to curb UV light, rainwater and debris from entering the pool, stop evaporation and prevent drowning incidents.

Safety covers are generally supported across the pool by aluminium battens which are secured onto a PVC cover. One end of the cover is anchored into place with removable anchor bolts. The opposite end has rachets to allow the safety cover to be correctly tensioned across the pool. A safety pool cover should, at minimum, be able to bear the weight of an adult and a child.

Pool Blanket

A pool blanket may be the best pool cover choice should you want to protect your pool from evaporation, the elements and debris during winter as well as heat the water slightly should you still wish to be able to use your pool on warm winter days.

Shop around for a pool blanket that creates a greenhouse effect, trapping solar UV to warm the water. Some suppliers even offer a transparent pool blanket that creates a magnifying glass effect, collectively adding to the water heating process and is also aesthetically pleasing.

Pool Spa knows their stuff. Chat to one of their friendly experts today about the best pool cover option to match your swimming pool needs this winter. Visit www.poolspa.co.za