Pool Covers: Heat Retention, Cleanliness and Safety

A pool cover keeps water warm, cuts evaporation and dirt, and some types also protect children. Which cover you need depends on how the pool is used.

A pool loses most of its heat through the water surface. When the night cools or the wind picks up, evaporation increases, the water cools and the heater has to work harder. In summer, leaves, dusty wind and insects land on the open surface and the filter clogs quickly. A cover reduces both problems at once, but not every cover does the same job. Some are meant for heat, some for winter protection and some for safety.

Solar (bubble) covers

A polyethylene cover with air bubbles floats directly on the water. Its main task is to cut evaporation and keep the heat gained from the sun during the day through the night. It is light, inexpensive and can be trimmed to the pool's shape.

It has drawbacks too: it becomes brittle over time in sunlight and is awkward to handle by hand, so a roller reel at the edge is advisable. Most importantly, it will not hold a person. A child who falls onto it can end up trapped underneath, so it does not count as a safety feature.

Winter and protective covers

A winter cover made from heavy PVC fabric keeps leaves, sand and light out while the pool is closed. Its edges are fixed around the pool with anchors or straps. Mesh versions let rainwater through but hold back dirt; solid versions block light completely but require water that collects on top to be removed in time.

Safety covers

A safety cover is tensioned and anchored around the pool and designed to bear the weight of a child or animal that falls onto it. When choosing one, check which safety standard the manufacturer declares compliance with, the number of anchor points and that no gap remains between the cover and the pool edge. No cover creates safety on its own unless keeping it closed becomes a habit, so families with children think of it together with a fence and a lockable gate.

Automatic slatted covers

A cover made of plastic or polycarbonate slats opens and closes at the push of a button. The slats float on the water, retain heat and keep the pool clean. Some models also offer a safety function.

The key point is that this system is planned together with the pool:

• the roller can sit in a visible box at the pool edge or be hidden in a recess below the waterline;
• a concealed installation needs extra space designed into the pool structure;
• because the slats travel in a straight line, they suit rectangular pools far more easily than free-form ones;
• the power supply and earthing for the motor are installed during pool construction.

A slatted cover can be added to an existing pool, but the roller then usually stays visible at the edge.

Telescopic and sliding enclosures

A glass or polycarbonate enclosure that moves on rails over the pool turns it into a partly indoor space. It extends the swimming season, but it is no longer a cover but a small structure: rail positions, humidity and condensation inside and the effect on the look of the garden all need separate thought.

Quick questions before choosing

• In which months of the year will the pool be used?
• Is the water heated, and how much does heat loss matter?
• Are there small children or pets around?
• Is the pool rectangular or free-form?
• Who will open and close the cover every day, and how important is convenience?

The answers often lead to two covers rather than one: an automatic cover during the season and a protective cover in winter, for example.

Whichever cover you choose, its care should be considered too. Leaves and sand left on top are rinsed off regularly, because the grit scratches the material and falls into the pool when it is opened. Closing a cover straight after a shock treatment is not recommended: high chlorine levels can age plastics and fabrics prematurely. At the end of the season a removed cover is cleaned, dried and stored out of the sun.

Zaferoğlu İnşaat designs pools together with the overall garden plan. An automatic cover needs a recess and a power point that are easy to forget, so raise it with us while the pool is still on paper.