Your Guide to the Advantages of Pool Covers

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by: EmilyPowell
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Word Count: 704
Date: Sat, 5 Mar 2011 Time: 5:49 PM
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If you own a swimming pool, you already know that the costs involved in keeping it heated and clean can add up significantly.
One of the easiest solutions to keep these costs down as well as reduce your maintenance bother is to buy a pool cover.
The following guide will outline the benefits you can enjoy from this simple and affordable investment.

Retain Heat
At night, when the temperature drops, a large amount of energy is lost from your swimming pool. If you've spent a small fortune keeping it heated, this is a massive waste. It's equally wasteful to throw away the free heating which the sun generates naturally during the day. Pool covers are a simple but effective way to lock in the heat, thus reducing your energy bills.

Reduce Evaporation
The main way that your swimming pool loses water is through the process of evaporation - for those who've forgotten their elementary lessons, this is how water is turned into vapour and thus lost. The main factors which cause evaporation are air temperature, humidity and wind. Pool covers significantly reduce all of these issues - you can end up saving 30%-50% on the amount of top-up water your swimming pool requires to stay full.

Decrease Pool Chemical Consumption
Swimming pool chemicals are a must-have to keep the water clean, however not only do they add up in price since they're required regularly, if used too much they can cause swimmers to have allergies, asthma and red, aggravated eyes. By using a cover, you can decrease the amount of chemicals your swimming pool will need by as much as 35%-60%.

Save Money
What makes pool covers so great is that while being a simple product, they have the potential to save you around 50%-70% on your energy bills per year. Whether you heat your swimming pool using electricity, gas or solar power, as explained above they will lock in the water's warmth so you don't need to generate as much to keep the temperature pleasant. It has also been explained that you will enjoy a significant savings on your pool chemical bills.

Minimise Maintenance Fuss
Pool covers are effective at preventing dust and debris such as leaves, twigs, insects and pet's toys from entering the water, meaning you will have to spend much less time bothering with cleaning and maintenance chores to keep your swimming pool looking lovely. Simply brush off the debris from the cover before you remove it.

Peace of Mind
Young children and pets can be at risk of accidentally falling into the swimming pool when unattended - it only takes a second for mistakes to happen. If safety is a big concern to you, there is the option of buying specialised pool covers which will hold up to 400 pounds of weight per square foot. These are generally made with fibreglass mesh for ultra strong reliability. Because they are very heavy, you will need to have an automatic or manual track system to operate them. Make sure when shopping around to be clear to the retailer that you want a swimming pool cover for safety, as the basic vinyl and solar covers will not be of any help if someone were to fall in.

Ease of Use
Pool covers are extremely simple to use. You can put on and take off the basic models manually without much fuss as they fold up into a tidy bundle. If you really want to make life super easy, you can buy them with an automatic system which will allow you to cover or uncover your swimming pool at the touch of a button. As mentioned, the heavy safety models will also require this feature.

Conclusion
When it comes to saving on your heating and chemical bills, plus keeping your swimming pool beautiful with minimal fuss, pool covers are a simple and highly effective solution. Their prices will vary depending on your individual needs, so be clear on what these are to help you make the right choice when shopping around.

About the Author

Andrew Astonville is a retailer of pool covers.