As the months grow colder and the swimming season comes to an end, it's time to start closing your pool for the winter. Two essential items that you need for closing your pool are winter covers and leaf net covers. Read on to find out what they are, how they work, and why using both of them can level up your pool closing for the winter!
A winter pool cover is a protective sheet that is designed to cover your swimming pool when it's not in use, typically during the winter when the weather isn't suitable for swimming.
Winter covers are typically made of a tightly woven mesh that prevents debris from entering your pool while still allowing rainwater to pass through. This is to prevent water from accumulating on top of the cover, preventing damage and eliminating the need to pump water off the top of the cover periodically.
Winter covers prevent debris from entering your pool, which can contaminate your pool and lead to algae growth over the winter. It reduces the amount of maintenance that you need to do through the winter, as well as reducing water evaporation and chemical loss.
Leaf nets are lightweight mesh covers that sit on top of your winter cover to catch falling leaves and other debris in the fall. You typically remove it before the first snowfall of the year to prevent organic matter from decomposing and leaving stains or seeping through to contaminate your pool water.
You can simply life the cover off of your pool and shake off the leaves before placing it back on your pool or storing it during the winter months.
Using both covers together simplifies your cleanup during the spring and helps to keep your water clearer, so you need fewer chemicals when you open your pool.
The ideal time to install your covers is after your final pool cleaning and water treatment, but before the first frost of the year. This tends to be from mid-to-late fall, depending on where you live.
Use a solid cover with a strong cable and winch system, and consider adding water bags to add weight along the edges of your pool.
Use a fine-mesh leaf net that filters even the smallest debris.
Use a safety-rated winter cover if you have any children or pets to prevent severe accidents.
While it is possible to use either a winter cover or a leaf net alone, using both offers much more protection to your pool. Using a leaf net makes fall cleanup much easier, catching leaves before they collect and decompose on your winter cover, helping to keep your pool area cleaner and prolinging the life of your cover.
While you can use the leaf net on its own, it's not recommended for complete pool protection. They don't provide any defense against sunlight or algae growth, and they can't keep fine debris, dust, or pets from entering your pool.
Install both your leaf net cover and your winter pool cover after you finish your final pool cleaning and water treatment, typically in mid-to-late fall, before the leaf fall is too heavy and temperatures start to freeze.
Once most of your leaves have fallen, simply lift the leaf net off of your pool, dump the leaves off of it, and fold the net to store it for the next season. This should be done before the first winter snow to prevent damage to the net, and so you don't have to life the weight of the snow with the cover.
Yes! With the proper care and storage of the covers, both winter covers and leaf nets can last multiple seasons. Be sure to clean and dry them thoroughly before storing them in a cool, dry place over the swimming season.
