When the temperatures start dropping, it’s time to get a winter pool cover. Winterizing your swimming pool helps protect it during the colder months when it’s used less, and an inground pool safety cover that’s designed to help shield your pool from the damages caused by freezing temperatures is a smart investment. You’ve spent a lot of time and money creating a backyard oasis for the summer months, and keeping it safer over the winter helps ensure it will be ready to go year after year.
Safety That Keeps You From Shivering
Pool covers help you keep your pool safer and cleaner year-round. In the winter, however, the convenience of a protected pool takes on increased importance as the temperatures drop, making the idea of continued pool maintenance an uncomfortable thought. In addition, colder water presents increased dangers to your pool, the accessories that keep it healthy, and the friends, family, and pets that may be around it. Winter pool covers are specially designed to keep out debris, provide protection to your winterized pool, and create a physical barrier between the water and unsupervised access by anyone who may not understand the dangers of pool use when the temperatures drop or who may not be able to save themselves should they fall into an unsecured pool.
Winter Pool Dangers
While people tend to swim less as the weather cools, accidental drownings don’t take a break. Colder weather, however, isn’t just a danger to swimmers. The weather conditions that your pool faces through the winter present challenges that can also cost you money in increased chemical usage, physical maintenance costs, and potential repair bills. Some of the increased Winter hazards include:
- Curious Children and Pets – While most adults understand when the pool is closed, a winter pool cover helps secure your pool from younger kids or pets who may be used to summer fun and not understand why it’s now off-limits. Small bodies are particularly susceptible to temperature-based shock and hypothermia, so keeping them out of the water is a must.
- An Overabundance of Holiday Cheer – We’ve all been to a Christmas party where common sense was overcome by the “festivities”. If you’re entertaining this year, you can be sure that there’s a Lifeguard on Duty securing your pool even when you aren’t around.
- More Debris and Trash – An inground pool safety cover also helps block debris from entering your pool. In the winter, with fallen leaves, discarded wrapping paper, and packaging that hasn’t been properly secured by neighbors with more stress than time, there is the potential for more debris than during the summer months. Save yourself the skimming and vacuuming on frosty mornings.
- Frost Damage – Winter pool covers create a barrier that helps retain heat better while also providing a large, dark surface for the sun to warm. This helps keep freezing temperatures from cracking your pool’s shell and helps mitigate rapid temperature drops.
- Chemical Imbalances – Your pool’s health is maintained by a complex balance of chemicals that keep its alkalinity, pH, and hardness within acceptable margins while also controlling the growth of algae and the proliferation of bacteria. Increased debris, like leaves, can introduce more microorganisms to the water while also soaking up algae inhibitors or throwing off your pool’s balance, requiring more frequent checking and intervention.
- Staining – Your winter pool cover does a lot to protect your pool, and that’s good since there are plenty of ways stains can develop to mar its beauty. From algae growth to water trapped under plaster or under a liner, to contaminants introduced from outside sources. A secured and winterized pool is less likely to develop an issue that leads to staining during the extended time the pool is out of use.
What Makes A Winter Pool Cover Different
An inground pool safety cover is not just a smart idea year-round, it may be a requirement for your insurance, HOA, or under local ordinance. Winter pool covers build on the safety and durability of standard mesh safety covers to give your pool added protection.
- UV-Resistant Polypropylene Mesh – The heavy-duty mesh material is impervious to mildew and chlorine, making it perfect for the long-term protection of your pool from the elements. The tight weave is rip-and-tear-resistant, whether from debris, household pets, or an accidental slip by a guest in the pool area.
- Durable Nylon Straps – Strong straps resist weathering and help structure your pool cover to survive the winter months. This structure not only allows for a tighter, more secure fit but also helps provide support strong enough that the cover can be walked on to help pull another person to safety or keep larger debris from entering the water.
- Anchored Metal Springs – While less convenient to use than a normal inground pool safety cover, the strong anchors and springs in a winter pool cover are meant to last through freezing temperatures, slush, snow, inclement weather, and children who may slip away from supervision, determined to go for the swim they haven’t been allowed since summer.
When you put these features together, you get a cover designed to protect your pool from damage, your loved one’s danger, and your home insurance premiums from increases due to claims.
Will I Still Need To Winterize My Pool?
Even with a winter pool cover, winterization is a good idea. While it protects your shell and pool itself better from lower temperatures than a standard inground pool safety cover, it will not protect your accessories, pumps, or lines. You will still want to follow your recommended winterization process but can rest easy knowing that over the cold months you have fewer worries because you’ve picked the right cover for the job.
Getting Your Winter Pool Cover
Protecting your investment in your property starts with a free, no-obligation estimate from one of our safety professionals. We both work and live in the communities we serve, which lets us respond as quickly as possible to our neighbors when help is needed. After taking a look at your pool areas and getting the proper measurements, you’ll get a quote in writing that lets you know your pool safety options and how reasonable peace of mind can be.
Each of our installers is a local pool safety expert, so they’re ready to talk to you about your pool and make sure you understand your responsibilities for compliance with state pool codes. They’ll be with you every step of the way, and our customer service doesn’t end with a sale. If your winter pool cover gives you any issues or you need an adjustment, let us know. We’re always “down the street” and ready to make sure your family, friends, and pets are safe and that you are satisfied with your pool’s protection.
Schedule Your Free Estimate Today
Scheduling your free quote is easy. Email, text, or call us, and we’ll get it set up. If you live farther out from our usual service area, we can give you an initial basic quote off satellite images, because everyone deserves a safer pool. Schedule your quote today and find out how budget-friendly a Lifeguard on Duty winter pool cover is.
