Beyond the Pool Cover – Accessories and Specialties

 A swimming pool cover is one of the most important tools you can have when you own a pool. Yes, you read that right – tools. It’s a tool because it helps get a lot of different jobs done. It prevents dirt and debris from building up in your pool, reduces algae growth, and simplifies fall and winter maintenance while making it easier to open the pool next spring. 

But it doesn’t really do all of this alone. Along with your work putting it on and taking it off, there are other accessories worth taking a closer look at and a couple of other types of covers worth pondering as well. The most important accessories you can get for your pool cover are simply the attachments. In most cases covers will come with some method of securing it to the pool, but it never hurts to get extra or to upgrade.

For some covers, especially Safety Pool Covers, anchors are attached to points around the pool and connected to the cover. In other cases weights like sandbags are used to weight down the perimeter. For above ground pool covers, this is usually a moot point but anyone with an in ground pool should pay attention to this. 

Adding extra attachments and weights will help ensure that your cover doesn’t slip into the pool, which can become a huge burden to deal with. Another accessory to think about is actually a kind of pool cover in its own right. The Leaf Net is a device that stretches over your existing cover and helps with leaf control. Basically, you put on the cover and then put the leaf net over it. Once the leaves have finished falling you just remove the leaf net. 

You may feel like it’s an expense that isn’t worth it, but the fact is that even the most experienced pool owner will end up spilling a few leaves into the pool when they remove their cover. The leaf net stops that from happening completely, letting you get rid of the leaves before you even take off the cover.

Finally, think about a Solar Cover. Sometimes called a solar blanket or heat blanket, this is just what it sounds like. It’s an inexpensive kind of cover that fits over your pool and sits directly on the water. It captures the sun’s rays and helps convert the warmth into the water. Essentially, this helps to speed up the process of warming the water.

Again, for some it sounds like a kind of item that isn’t really a necessity and it’s not. But if you’ve ever faced impatient kids or spent days waiting for your pool to shake off the winter cold, you’ll understand why this is a worthwhile purchase. Of course, just buying a quality swimming pool cover is the first step and one that you can’t ignore. 

But taking the time to buy a couple of accessories could help you get the most from your pool cover and make it much easier to keep your pool in top shape no matter what time of year it is.