Being a responsible pool owner means keeping your pool safe and clean. A reliable and solid pool cover helps create a barrier between your pool and any debris that tries to get into it. It also helps prevent curious children and animals, as well as any unwanted visitors, from getting into the pool, which helps prevent any accidents from happening.
Most people think of putting on pool covers as a manual and tedious task, but what if you could do it all electronically? Electric pool covers are designed to give you a push-button convenience to put on and take off the pool cover, albeit at a higher price.
When you’re out looking for electric pool covers, having a bit of knowledge can help you pick the best one for your purposes and your pool.
To help you, we’re going to talk about what electric pool covers are, how they work, and some pros and cons to owning one over a traditional pool cover.
Table of Contents
The Basics
You might already have a fence around your pool to comply with local laws and provide extra safety. Consider electric pool covers as horizontal fences.
Using electric pool covers give you the benefits of a durable and sturdy pool safety cover and remote-control convenience.
The Anatomy of Electric Pool Covers
Just like the rigging on a sailboat or a flagpole, electric pool covers require the use of simple machines, also called pulleys, to work properly. Electric pool covers use two reels and tracks, along with some cables or rope and a tiny motor, to operate.
Electric pool covers have one large reel at one end, which is used to roll up the thick vinyl pool cover when you want to open the pool. At the other end, there is a smaller reel; this houses the cables or rope.
The tracks are located on the edges of the pool, each track connected to the two reels. The cables or rope run through the tracks.
When opening your pool, the small reel unwinds, and the cover reel winds up, all of which pull the cover back across your pool.
The electric bit in this process would be the motor, which is used to turn the reels when you push a button.
Aesthetic Bases
When installing electric pool covers, you have several options to choose from, all depending on your budget, goals, and pool setup. You could technically install the system by yourself, but it requires you to know electronics and skills to ensconce it to the edge of your pool properly. If you don’t feel comfortable doing the installation by yourself, you can always hire a professional – it’s recommended to do this.
Make sure that you’re finding a contractor that has experience installing electronic pool covers. When they do the installation, they can make it, so the tracks and reel system are in plain sight, camouflaged as part of your deck, or completely concealed.
The best part about hiring a contractor is that you’ll know that everything will work properly and look amazing.
Pros and Cons of Electric Pool Covers
We’ve come to rely on technology in several ways, all of which make our lives easier. However, everyone can say that there are some advantages and disadvantages when it comes to electronics. Below you’ll find some pros and cons of using electric pool covers.
Pros
Besides being able to watch your pool cover easily slide back off your pool, there are other benefits to electric pool covers.
Better Safety: Electric pool covers are designed to be sturdy, so they’ll keep out people, contaminants, and debris out of your pool while keeping heat and water in. Electric pool covers are typically designed with heavy vinyl, which can support a moderate amount of weight and can help prevent accidents from happening.
Cutting your Losses: Electric pool covers will help trap the heat into your pool and keep the water warmer for a longer time. This is because your pool water loses most of its heat when it’s left in the open air. With electric pool covers, you’ll be getting anti-evaporation and heat benefits while reducing the need for chemical tweaks and sanitizer to help keep your water balanced.
Cleaner Pool: Electric pool covers are great at keeping out debris and leaves that can make it, so you have to clean the pool often, making it, so you spend less time skimming and more time swimming.
Fewer Rain Pains: Electric pool covers do a great job of keeping most of the rainwater out of your pool. Rain contains everything that’s come out of the air, including dust, dirt, spores, particulates, and pollution. Rain can also be very acidic, and this acidity can cause your pool’s water chemistry to go a little crazy. Worse of all, some of the debris collected by rain can increase the production of bacteria and algae.
Cons:
Electric pool covers have features that you won’t find on normal pool coves, but they also carry some caveats for future buyers.
Expensive: Depending on what kind of pool you have, the contract you decide to go with, and where you’re located, electric pool covers can cost between $5,000 and $15,000 to install. The average lifespan of electric pool covers is two to five years, so you should add about $2,000 to $4,000 into your long-term maintenance budget for any replacements.
Require More Maintenance: Electric pool covers have moving parts and motors, so they require more maintenance than other pool covers.
Can Do Their Jobs Too Effectively: If you are located in a warm climate, you might end up finding that your electric pool cover is too effective at trapping heat in your pool’s water. Electric pool covers can also prevent chlorine from dissipating correctly, which can lead to dangerous corrosive buildup that can damage the cover.
Woes in the Wintertime: Electric pool covers work great in warmer climates and seasons, but they can’t withstand a heavy load of snow.
How to Choose Electric Pool Covers
When it comes to choosing the right electric pool cover for you, it ultimately comes down to budget and preference. Electric pool covers all work the same way, and they all tend to look the same.
So, is it your wish to be able to push a button and have the cover take care of itself? Can you afford to upfront costs and the upkeep? If yes, then you’re in a great position to get electric pool covers.
