I wouldn't build a pool without one. We have 3 kids under the age of 6 and only one of them could save themselves if they accidentally fell in the pool. Now to address PB's concerns....

- Will not reduce pump run-time because the water will still need sanitized.

The pool will need less sanitation because you are not getting bugs, debris, etc. in your pool while it's open to the elements 24/7. If you have a two speed pump like we do, you'll spend a lot less time running that puppy on high after a storm or a windy day.

- Will result in increased chemical usage, as covering the pool during the hot weather will keep the pool warmer which increases need for chemicals and reduces their effectiveness.

Our chemical usage has been far less than I would have imagined. When we shock the pool, the water will hold chlorine for literally weeks since it only sees the sun when it's open. High temps require more chlorine, but sunshine REALLY breaks down chlorine.

Also when we open our pool in the spring it is crystal clear. Our neighbors who don't have an auto cover opened two days after we did (after professionally closing) to a BLACK pool. This happens to them every year and it's at least a week before they can swim. They actually put in a call to their PB to see how much it would cost to have an auto cover retrofitted.

- I'll need a pump to remove rainwater from top of cover, which adds to hassle factor. The leaves and other junk must also be removed before the cover is fully retracted.

I just throw the pump onto the cover in anticipation of rain. Not a big deal. Unless your cover is soaking wet, the leaves tend to just blow off the cover, not stick to it, so there is nothing to remove. And just think - if you didn't have a cover, you'd be scooping them out with a net every time you wanted to swim.

And for hassle factor, try rolling and unrolling a solar cover every time you want to use the pool. Now picture just flipping a switch and shutting your pool.......

- It makes a poor winter cover because the snow can't be left on the cover (will pull cover from tracks) and the cover will become very dirty, requiring a big scrub down in the spring - more hassles.

Your PB is wrong. Snow can be left on the cover. The water will support the weight of the snow. We have a Coverstar cover and they state in their manual that this is a winter cover, capable of handling a snow load. And yes, you do need to brush it down in the spring. It definitely gets dirty.

- They are expensive, even for a simple rectangular pool. (which is obviously true). He stated that the cost and mechanical problems increase significantly when used on larger free-form pools as the cover width increases.

Yes, they are expensive. We haven't had any service calls on our 18 x 36 cover but it is still fairly young - 2.5 years old.

- They are ugly. Who wants to spend all that money and not see the water when you look out the window.

Ok, you got me. But frankly you will probably be looking at a solar cover most of the year unless you are trying to cool down your pool in August - and solar covers are only marginally better to look at than auto covers.

- He only advocated putting an automatic cover on a pool for safety. He recommended them for people with very young or mentally-handicapped children.

Also think of neighborhood kids, grandkids, neices/nephews, etc. Accidents happen and an auto cover is seriously the best investment you can make for piece of mind. It's also nice to know you don't have to worry about anyone pool hopping while you're out of town, either. Or sitting in the movie theatre wondering did I lock the gate....

Nearly everyone I know here in MN has an auto cover installed with their pool and I know very few people who would have a pool without it.

It sounds like the builder is afraid of the increased hassle of building a pool with an auto. cover. Proper workmanship can be a PITA>

We live in UT and get a lot of snow. I have to agree with murray93, I wouldn't build a pool without an auto cover. The peace of mind it gives, the convenience of turning a key to open/close it, and how CLEAN it keeps the pool are well worth the investment I think! We have a SWG and have only added chemicals once in 2 1/2 years. Wouldn't you rather leaves & debris on the cover than inside your pool? They don't stick and it's not a big deal. I also think it helps retain the heat of the pool so you're heating costs are going to be lower.
As for the snow- the water in the pool will support the weight of the snow. You don't drain your pool over the winter. We actually had a leak in our pool over the winter and the pool almost drained itself. Even with the weight of the snow/water on the cover, it didn't pull out of it's tracks. Pool guys had a hard time opening it without the support of the water, but once the water was back in again, it was fine.
A cover isn't as beautiful as an open/ cover-free pool but I think the benefits surpass the negative issues!

Thanks sharla and murray93. I'm inclined to fall to your side of the fence on this. I believe everything you say, although with the nature of my neighborhood and homesite, and the ages of my kids, the safety aspect is not what drives my interest in the auto-cover. But I am really sold on it, but I don't know if I'm sold enough to sacrifice the size and shape (or other things) of the pool for the auto-cover. Like so much else, it comes down to $$$.

We have four kids, ages 8-12. Our subdivision is isolated and most any recreational activity involves getting in the car. So I'm anticipating heavy daily pool use by us and the kids' friends. So here's my thinking. Shoot holes in it, I welcome the input:

Because of the tight construction budget, a big expense like the cover will have a major impact on other parts of the pool project. (Again, we are doing a vinyl-liner pool.) An auto-cover for a rectangle with internal steps is pretty straighforward and we could probably swing that. The problem is that the hopper for the diving end eats up a huge hunk of the length of the pool, leaving not enough shallow end. (Where everybody tells us most of the swimming happens. But ditching the diving board and building a "sport" pool is not an option. That has been made abundantly clear to me.) A 20x50 gives a decent shallow end, but Dear Wife is not digging a pool that long. Soooo, we looked at a "True-L", and that would function great. The cover would have to be nearly 25% larger and requires a deck-on-deck build, which, in combination with the more costly pool, blows the budget to smithereens.

It basically comes down to what are we willing to accept to get the cover. A smaller pool? Most people I talk to wish they had bigger pools. Too small is a mistake I don't want to make. No slide? Ain't gonna happen. Plain concrete (and less of it) instead of pavers or decorative concrete? Although there is nothing wrong with a stripped-down, purely functional pool, lets face it, the eye-candy aspect of a pool is a big deal. And I've read elsewhere on this forum that the pool deck is never too big. I just don't know what I'd want to give up to get the cover. (BTW, I'm hoping to go with a SWG.)

We are planning a poolhouse, and that is the most likely trade-bait for the cover. But it would be a hard sell. The design of the house and the positioning of the pool (for max sun) makes the bathroom a loooong way off. So we are planning a poolhouse with restroom, shower, equipment room, and storage for pool stuff. (The pool will be 200 feet from the garage.)

So give me your thoughts. What did you give up, if anything, for the auto-cover? Or if you were forced to shave, say, $6,000-$8,000 off your build, what would you have given up?

Thanks, Ponz.

Ponz, you have some difficult decisions to make. I understand budget is a factor in any pool building decisions. We gave up the pool house for the cover, I guess. Our kids are 8-16 and although it would be REALLY nice to have that bathroom outside near the pool, they're big enough to somewhat dry off before going into the house to use the bathroom. Personally I feel the trade-off is worth the little extra mess in the house. The maintenance of the pool is so much easier with a cover. It stays cleaner and warmer. We usually get to jump right in after opening the cover instead of having to scoop debris out. We seldom add any chemicals and the water stays balanced. Our pool is 16x40, 3 1/2-7ft. It's a decent size but not deep enough for a diving board. We didn't get a slide because I think they're tacky and didn't want to stare at it everyday. So I guess we got a pretty basic pool. We added a separate waterfall and some deck jets to add some pizazz. We figured we could add a pool house later when budget allows. If this is the route you decide to go, just make sure they do the wiring & plumbing when you're all torn up and it will save money later. I guess you need to decide what's important to you & your family but we don't regret a day getting the cover. But some of those "facts" the builder told you just aren't true. (snow & water & leaf problems) Don't let those negatives influence your decision. Good luck!

It is really hard for me to envision needing a poolhouse - were it me, that is the first thing I'd cut. We don't have one now and I honestly can't really see the need for one. Our house has a decent (albeit not PERFECT) set up for bathroom accessibility and the pool is right by the house. I agree that I would not go with basic concrete, nor would I cut out either a slide or diving board (we went with the latter). You might find pool size and deck size are not as big of a deal as you might think. I am actually one of the few people who wishes we hadn't poured such a big deck. But the difference wouldn't make up enough to buy an auto cover. And I find an 18 x 36 pool to be just the right size for our yard and for what we do with it - mostly sunbathing and watching the kids play.

I can certainly understand your struggle to find the right balance of features for your budget. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Thanks again, Sharla and murray93. Dearest Wife's cousin put in a pool last year and we just talked to him this evening. He did a 20x40, SWG, and auto-cover. He loves it. So now we are more unsure than ever. We were really digging that big "L" shaped setup.

We did discuss it, and we are considering nixing the slide but keeping the diving board. I've also come up with a way to reduce the amount of retaining wall needed without affecting the overall design. So we are getting closer. If I keep burning brain cells I just might be able to afford the cover and keep everybody happy.

Something just occured to me. If the biggest decision I face in the next four weeks is how to afford the automatic cover on my new inground pool, I must be leading a kick-a$$ life.

All is good.

Thanks, Ponz.

You can always build the pool in anticipation of the cover, then put it in as you budget allows.

Ponz,

Interesting quandary! We are going through the same decision right now. We are planning a pool house and pool. Our issue is not related to the budget, but the design limits of a pool fit for a cover. We absolutely want to have a slide (tacky as they may look) BTW - you should look at SR Smith - their turbo twister looks awesome. Lucky for us we can tuck the slide at the back of the yard close to the block wall where it won't be the focal point of the pool. Also, if we were limited to a rectangle shape, the pool would have to be about 25% smaller. With this in mind, we could sacrifice the Baja shelf and spa, but we want it all (of course).

I have asked a lot of people about the cover. I have a sister plus several close friends that have the cover. All of the people with a cover are happy with the cover and try to talk me into putting one in, however, everyone who I've talked to that have a pool without a cover love their pool. I have also asked people who were going to put the cover on and decided not to if they regret not putting a cover on - the answer was no. What does this tell me - everybody loves their pool. Good news considering the size of investment.

Some things I have considered:

*The tile located under the cover (where it is rolled up when fully retracted) always seem to turn a lovely shade of slime. This has happened after a few years with each pool I've seen. What this says to me is - maintenance! It kind of grosses DH and I out - I know I would be under there with a kitchen brush on a regular basis.

*After a year or two the cover ends up looking really bad. My sister's is 5 years old - which is probably the average life of a cover - and it is faded and stained where water puddles on it. Again, you can probably scrub the puddle stains off - but again - maintenance.

*This may be a Las Vegas thing only, but when the pool cover is on in the summer, and you open up the pool, some spots in the pool are so hot that it is unbearable to get in. We have actually added cool water to the pool to make it swimable.

*Replacement cost. It is a hard number to believe, but my sister keeps throwing out $5k as the replacement cost for her cover and says it will need to be replaced every 5-7 years.

Now I know I am probably going to stir a little reaction with this post from the cover lovers. I am not totally against them; I just think there are positives and negatives.

The main reason I considered the cover is for the safety issues. I have resisted getting a pool until now (my 4 children are 4-12 yrs) because drowning risk scares me to death. DH and I do not feel comfortable that a fence can prevent a drowning. We are now pretty sure we will get a pool safety net. There is a time commitment involved, but the 100% safety rating is the piece of mind I am looking for. We have absolutely decided that safety is non-negotiable, so the net will be on each day after swimming and during all breaks from swimming if a non-swimmer is in the vicinity.

We made our final decision based on the feedback that we received from friends without an auto cover, personal observation, and input from kids. Nieces that are in teens wish they had a more exciting pool, always seem to be at other friends pools with slides, diving boards, spas, etc. Son practically begged us not to get a rectangle pool.

On a different subject, how much do you think you will spend on the pool house? We need one as the closest bathroom in the house is through the kitchen and down the hall (all over wood floors). Also, hate the look of pool equipment in a tuff shed or scattered all over the deck. As mentioned before, land is at a premium, we can only eek out about 8'X11' for the pool house. I'm curious if you have received a price for yours and how large you are planning.

Good luck with all your decisions!

Kim

Kim,

Your survey results don't suprise me. I've gotten pretty much the same feedback. Most people I've talked with don't have the cover, and they universally view it as a "luxury" item. (What does that make the pool? An absolute necessity? :-)) They will admit it's usefulness, but the vast majority of the pools in this area are vinyl liner, and tend to not be glamour pools. So the cover is a major budget item relative to the overall pool cost. It's probably the second costliest item after the actual pool, unless there is very extensive decking involved. But this is a good debate and I think it will help others in the same predicament move one way or the other in their decision.

Regarding the maintenance, I haven't gotten any feedback on that. I'd really like to hear what the "cover lovers" (great tag) have to say. What maintenance is involved? Cleaning? Repairs? Cover replacement? How often? How much? What is the estimated cost savings? Is the cover maintenance and the cost worth the benefits?

The too-hot-pool could be an issue here in Cleveland also. I know some people who don't use their solar covers in July and August because the water temp will approach 90 degrees.

What makes this so agonizing is that there are profound consequences no matter which way we go.

Regarding the pool house. Bathroom/changing room (I'd like a shower, Dearest Wife says no), equipment room, and storage for pool stuff at a minimum. Four hundred square feet (20x20) would be great. That would allow for seasonal storage of all the deck furniture also. I want to keep as much of the pool mess out of the house and garage as possible. 8x11 is pretty small, bu could work, however. A standard bathroom with a tub/shower is 5x7. A smaller shower would save room. You might consider putting the equipment in a "closet" with a double door swinging outward on the exterior of the building. Doing the same for the storage area would be efficient also. The idea is to reduce or eliminate "hallways", or space needed to swing a door or manuver in the building.

As far as cost, I couldn't tell you at this point. And even if I could, it might not be useful, as I'll definately build the poolhouse myself. I might pay a friend of mine to help me frame the roof and shingle it, but other than that, no labor cost. Well, the foundation and floor. I'm not pouring concrete (I think).

I might start a poolhouse thread.

Take care,

Frank

The link is a DOE table of cost savings resulting from using a pool cover. It seems awefully optimistic to me.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dept of Energy

Frank,

Thanks for the pool house input. I agree 8' x 11' is very small. Land is at a premium here and we don't have a great deal of it. Luckily we have a door to a fairly large garage with storage space close by. The storage area will strictly be for flotation devices, etc. We actually did design a closet for chemicals. Also, my sister has a shower in her pool house and it is never used. I don't know if this is typical, but they actually store towels in it. I will look for your pool house thread to discuss further.

Kim

Frank, if your pool becomes too warm there is an easy answer - leave the cover open. :) I am in MN and we did have a week stretch last year where the temps were in the 90's and 100's and I did leave the pool in the evenings. Otherwise, it's closed 24/7 for safety purposes.

As far as cleaning goes - we clean the cover once in the spring after the pollen drops. I would like to do it more frequently but we are usually too busy enjoying our pool. :P The cleaning process is rather simple and takes about a half an hour. You just scrub the cover with your pool brush and then pump the water off. Since I've never had a pool without a cover, I can't compare cost savings. All I can say is that our neighbors (who by the way don't have children and don't need to safety aspect of the cover) wish they had one from a maintenance perspective.

We did have on service call last year where the cover wouldn't fully retract - it was still under warranty, though. The motor was cutting too early so it was a quick fix. I do have a bit of an anxious feeling about what the future holds in the next few years for repairs - but as I understand pools in general are like this. I hope we get more than 5 years out of our cover - I thought we were told 15?? And keep in mind that a nice Loop Loc winter cover costs quite a bit as well and needs to be replaced along the same time frame.

Great discussion. Just wanted to weigh in with my odd considerations, in the off chance they might be applicable to someone else. In the area where I live you must legally have either a certain type of barrier fence or an auto pool cover. Although it's no fun to be forced to provide either of these, I was planning on the pool cover anyway partly because we go out of town so much, and I worried about the neighborhood kids coming onto the property. We are on five acres and it would cost a fortune to put the appropriate kind of fence all the way around the property. Right now it's a wide-spaced farm style fence. Putting the fence directly around the pool really chops up the view (one of the main reasons we purchased the property), and it dissects your entertaining area in a way I don't love. Plus, if I'm sitting on our back deck, it's harder for me to watch my own children in the pool with the fence up. But I've seen people put the fence around with double door openings so that they can see into the pool area and there is better flow.

The retractable pool enclosures look amazing! ..but the costs :(
- swimming pool enclosures

Im getting a pool 15x30 and the price for the electric cover is 16 thousand dollars!!!

Thats the main reason i am now debating it.

Any thoughts?

This guy should be jailed. I am a pool designer. The auto cover is called a "Pool safety cover" - get it "safety". This has got to be one of the most un-educated pool builders in the country.

First of all. You can keep the cover open when in view, and BTW it's not ugly, it can be blue.

The cover reduces the need for additional chemicals since airborne polutants including bird dropping never enter the pool. The pool will be spotlessly clean when you open it each day.

No kid or elderly person can drown in a covered pool. And yes. It will eleiminate the need to heat the pool for most of the season. If the water gets to warm, you can leave the cover open for a night, and the pool will cool off. Imagine, never seeing leaves in you pool again. It can only be used as a winter cover where there is little to no snow. Otherwise the pool is winterized as normal. Here in the Northeast all pools are winterized and the standard winter cover installed. The guy may not know how to install an autocover. get a new pool contractor ASAP.

I don't get it. So, no cover during rain and wind blowing in twigs and leaves? How is that easier than flipping a switch and covering the pool from all that carp after every swim?