Closing Your Pool – The Importance of the Pool Cover

The leaves are changing, the temperatures are dropping, and the kids are back in school. That means a lot of things to families around the country, but for most of us it also means that it’s finally time to close down the pool for the winter. 

It doesn’t really matter where in the country you call home, the fact is that shutting down your swimming pool is something that you absolutely have to do in order to ensure that when next spring rolls around you’re ready for it.

And while there are plenty of steps involved in closing down a pool, putting on a quality pool cover is one of the most important.

While applying chemicals, preparing the pump and filtration systems for the cold weather, and other aspects of the pool shutdown process can’t be ignored, many people actually overlook what a good cover does for them and their pool.

One of the most obvious areas that it helps with is that it keeps debris out of your pool. If you’ve ever spent time with a skiff net or pool skimmer you know how frustrating it can be to try and remove all the leaves and other junk that gets in a pool. But it’s vital to do so or your pump could suffer, and a pool cover can eliminate the hassle for you.

Simply put, a pool cover is designed to protect your swimming pool from harm. And while the debris issue is one area that is obviously a big help, it’s also worth understanding that just putting on certain covers could help to prevent freezing. 

In colder areas there is usually no way to avoid at least some freeze, but pool covers often help work on a solar level and warm up the water even in the winter. It can help make it harder for pools to freeze over.

While this may not be a huge concern for some, others – especially those with above ground pools – may need to consider it.

There’s another reason that investing in a quality pool cover is important, and that comes down to simple safety. No, they won’t actually stop a child from falling into them, but adding one can usually help to prevent pets and kids from even going near them. 

It may be too cold to swim, but kids enjoy throwing toys into water just to see a splash. When they can’t do so, they’re more apt to stay away. It’s not always a problem, but it’s worth considering.

Pool covers can also help you avoid algae issues. Most algae growth is actually triggered by the sun, and simply covering your pool and shielding it from the UV rays can help reduce and prevent the development of algae in a pool. 

This means that you can quickly and easily cut down on the amount of chemical treatments you have to use and on the struggle you’ll face getting your pool ready for the next swimming season. It protects your pool and helps you avoid a hassle next year.

Basically, adding a pool cover to your swimming pool when you begin closing your pool for the winter is one of the best steps you can take. Instead of dealing with the numerous problems that can come from not doing it or going through the headache of draining and refilling a pool – something that can often be very expensive – simply putting a quality cover on your pool will help you keep it safe and make sure that when the time comes to get it ready for next season that you have a fairly simple process.