Owning a pool is a delight during the swim season. There are several months in the year, however, during which you will have to think of something to cover it. A lot of people drain out the pool during late fall and winter, but this is a bit of a burden.
What is more, not all pools can be quickly removed – in fact, the majority of them can’t. It takes time, and you need to find a storage space for all of this water, which isn’t always possible. After all, a large in-ground pool contains an enormous volume of water and draining it is far from a walk in the park.
Additionally, this is a significant expense as well because you will have to fill it up again once the winter is one, costing you a few hundred dollars at the very least.
The truth is that you don’t need to go through all this hassle. Buying a solid winter cover is going to spare you all the troubles. You will just need to spend an hour or two setting it up, and you can forget about your pool for the next few months.
Of course, there is a significant amount of options already available on the market, and going through all of them to pick the right one is quite challenging. This is why we’ve taken the liberty to provide you with one of the best choices right now.
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Benefits of a Winter Cover for Your Pool
To protect against harsh weather and debris, you need to find the right pool cover for the winter. It helps to lower your maintenance tasks during the off season, lowers chemical consumption, and helps reduce water evaporation. All of this ultimately leads to a much easier time to open the pool up when swimming season starts again.
Winter pool covers are just a small investment that can go a long way in protecting your much larger investment the swimming pool. These covers are typically easy to install, protect against harsh weather conditions and debris, and can even help lower the consumption of pool chemicals and water evaporation.
Another benefit is the minimal maintenance that is required during the off-season and the breeze of opening your pool again in the spring.
Leaf Net for the Winter
Some pool owners may even choose to install a leaf net over the winter cover they place on their swimming pool during the winter. A leaf net helps to more evenly distribute the weight of leaves and other debris on the cover while still allowing some water to get through. They come in a variety of shapes including round, rectangular, and oval shapes to fit a variety of above ground and inground pools for the winter.
Choosing Not to Use a Winter Cover
This decision is going to be based on your location and can mean the difference between a hassle-free season or a lot of work. Warm weather states may choose a lighter option for the winter months to help protect against leaves, debris, and other things from entering the pool. Winter covers can also block out UV rays.
So, if you choose not to use a winter cover for your pool, you are risking algae growth, scale buildup and a lot more work to get the pool back in order for the next swimming season.
Using a Solar Pool Cover as a Winter Cover
If you use your solar pool cover as a winter cover, then you will be shortening the lifespan of your solar cover. Solar pool covers for your swimming pool should be stored out of direct sunlight during the winter months so it will last much longer. Instead of solar pool covers during winter, you need to switch to your winter cover when you close your pool.
Winterizing Your Swimming Pool
In addition to finding the perfect winter cover for your swimming pool, you also want to make sure you winterize it. How you winterize your pool depends on where you live. If you live where it is a bit warmer, you won’t have to do as much as you would if you lived in frigid conditions.
Either way, you want to clean the pool before you close it off for the colder months. This helps prevent the growth of algae and other things from ruining the integrity of the water. During the winter, you won’t necessarily be filtering or chemically treating the water, so you want to make sure that the water is clean and ready to go for the spring.
Use a skimmer net to remove leaves and debris. Leaving any kind of organic debris in a pool for months can result in staining. You also want to lower the water level. Do not drain the pool completely. Finally, treat the water and winterize your equipment and place your winter cover on the pool.
About the Blue Wave Bronze In-Ground Pool Winter Cover
This is a winter cover designated to keep your pool clean and protected throughout the seasons when you’re not using it. It’s going to spare you a lot of time, effort, and money, which you’d have to spend if you decided to drain the pool instead.
It’s manufactured by a company called Blue Wave products. With over a decade of professional experience, this is a manufacturer that caters to the highest customer demands and needs. It’s distinguished enough and characterized by its excellent customer service – something which is lacking in a lot of other suppliers.
The product itself is designated to adequately cover an in-ground swimming pool with a size of up to 20×40 feet. The cover itself is 25×45 feet, but the excessive size is necessary to fold it and set it over the pool.
Of course, there are different sizes available, designed to cater to your pool size. They range from 12×20 smaller ones to larger 30×50 feet swimming pool covers.
Some of the main features of the cover include:
- 5 foot overlap designed to ensure there is no stretching and ripping
- Bronze grade cover with guaranteed strength and durability
- It’s made out of rugged polyethylene
- It brings convenient U.V. Protection to ensure longevity
- The underside is black to retard the growth of algae and to ensure a crystal clear pool water once uncovered
- Loops every four feet to secure the water bags
What to Expect from Blue Wave Bronze In-Ground Pool Winter Cover
You can rest assured that your pool will be safely protected from dirt, debris, dust, and other common pollutants. What is more, the durable and rugged polyethylene is going to ensure that the cover withstands the hard conditions of the winters. Heavy snows, rainfalls, and storms shouldn’t bother you at all, as it’s designed to handle a lot of pressure.
One of the main concerns of most pool owners is algae growth underneath the cover. And, to be honest, this is an issue with a lot of these covers. However, Blue Wave Products has managed to take care of it by coloring the underside in black. This prevents any algae development, and it’s going to ensure that your water is crystal clear once you remove it.
A quick tip: it’s best to use the excessive overlap as intended – to place the water bags or whatever else you want to use to stabilize the cover. This is going to prevent stretching and potential ripping off the cover.
What Others Say
The large majority of users are mainly satisfied by the quality and functionality of the Blue Wave dirt defender. Most of them report that they experienced absolutely no issues, despite unusually cold temperatures and heavy snowfall.
It’s important to note that the majority of the users also report that the water remains crystal clear once the cover is removed, hence confirming that it is useful in preventing the development of unclear water. There are no complaints about algae growth as well.
Of course, there are some complaints as is with every product. Some users report disintegration as well as occasional ripping after a period of time of usage. It’s important to understand that to avoid issues of the type, one should follow the set-up instructions.
The new overlap should only be used for folding and setting purposes – not to cover the additional surface area. This is going to ensure that the cover does not break and fall apart.
The Final Verdict
These swimming pool covers are currently priced at a little less than $70. Given the huge convenience and functionality that it brings, it’s definitely worth the insignificant investment. These swimming pool covers for winter are designed to last you for at least a few seasons, hence saving you a lot of expenses for draining and filling the pool. At the same time, the manufacturer stands behind its product, giving an 8-year warranty, which is more than reassuring.
If you are struggling with finding a solution to handling your pool during the off-season, you’ve stumbled upon the right product. The Blue Wave 8-year 2-ft winter cover is amongst the best options on the market, and it receives a positive customer reaction.
This, in combination with the sound reputation and extensive experience of the manufacturer, is entirely reassuring in case you have any doubts. The product is in the lower spectrum of the price range, making it particularly affordable. It’s a product that deserves your attention, and you can rest assured that you will be satisfied.
