To Cover or Not To Cover; That is the question.

In this area, it runs about 50/50 on pool owners using winter covers or not. Leaves accumulating in the pool can be a problem, and can actually stain your pool, drain covers, and skimmer baskets. As leaves sit in the pool bottom and decay, they can turn your water brown which could leave stains when you open it back up in the Spring. Allowing leaves to accumulate can also stop up the suction into your equipment and may harm your pump. If your not going to cover your pool, it's a good idea to purchase an automatic or robotic style pool cleaner. These units can be very effective and minimize the time you spend on maintenance. Prices start about $700. Also make sure you keep your sanitizer (chlorine) at the right level, as well as your ph. If you are going to cover the pool, the trampoline style covers are your best bet. These covers keep the leaves out of the water while allowing rain water to flow through them. When the leaves dry, just grab your blower and blow the leaves right off. While these covers do tend to be expensive (usually a couple thousand dollars installed); most have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years. Standard woven plastic tarp style covers will do the job as well, but they tend to hold water on top and it's easy to dump leaves back into the pool when removing them. They are; however, much less expensive. If you have any pool questions or are interested in putting in a new pool; call me (Ray Clary) anytime at 318-372-2669.