Manufacturers offer a wide range of options today in swimming pool covers. If you own an in-ground pool, you can find a variety of features to help you protect your investment, while saving you money on heating costs as well as reducing routine maintenance costs to keep your pool attractive and in optimal condition.

 

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, evaporating water contributes to the single-largest energy expenditure in the overall cost of maintaining a pool. It costs more to replace and heat fresh water in your pool than it does to maintain the temperature of pool water protected by a cover.

 

A good cover, the Energy Department reports, can conserve water by as much as 50 percent, cut the costs for pool chemicals by upwards of 60 percent, and keep debris out of the pool, ultimately conserving the energy it takes to clean, filter, and sweep the water. In hot weather, an uncovered pool can loose as much as 800 gallons a week, meaning greater costs to replace water and heating it to comfortable temperatures.

 

Selecting Your Pool Cover
Technically speaking, a single sheet of plastic can help conserve water and energy costs, but solar covers, childproof retractable covers, or safety covers offer greater utility and value. You can buy solid fabric covers (polyethylene, vinyl, or polypropylene) in a wide range of thicknesses and colors. Mesh covers allow water from the elements to enter the pool rather than to pool up on the surface. Solar blankets won't provide safety in the event someone falls in the pool, but they trap heat beneath the cover and allow the sun to penetrate, cutting heating costs.

 

Depending on the size and shape of your pool, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars for an effective in-ground pool cover or several thousand dollars for a fully featured model that provides all-around protection.

 

Sources
Better Homes and Gardens, Pool Accessories & Other Extras

Sunset Magazine, It's time to cover up-pool and spa covers, by Peter O. Whiteley

U.S. Department of Energy, Swimming Pool Covers

 

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.