Safety covers are proven to be one of the safest and family friendly covers in the industry, whether traditional for seasonal safety or automatic for daily safety. Even though the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) sets performance specifications for pool safety covers how can you tell when your safety cover... is no longer safe?
WARNING SIGNS THAT YOUR SAFETY COVER IS NO LONGER SAFE
Over the years, UV rays and unattended debris such as leaves, acorns, and small twigs will slowly but surely play a major role in the longevity of your safety cover. Most covers, in reality, last an average of 10 years to 12 years. Knowing this, it is crucial you inspect your cover before installing it on your pool each season for the following signs of wear and tear.
- The sewn straps are failing or the stitching is coming loose
- The straps are starting to shred
- There's visual wear or deterioration in certain spots; worn areas are a hazard
- The material is showing signs of dry rot or being brittle
- The cover has noticeable holes, even small ones
- There's signs of insects or rodents treating the cover like a buffet
Many of these early warning signs of cover damage can be avoided altogether with proper storage of your safety cover during the off-season(s). Here are some details on proper storage as well as other tips for your cover.
- Keep cover clean and dry when on the pool
- Keep your cover dry and in a storage bag when not in use
- Keep children, pets, games, vehicles, drunken friends, and basically anything else off of the cover
- Patch small, cosmetic holes as soon as they are noticed. Safety Cover Patch Kits are available here!
Important Note: Even though the current static weight limit required for pool cover fabric is 485 pounds, they are not recommended or designed to be walked on unless in the case of an emergency.
Here are some additional resources for swimming pool covers:
- Winter, Safety, and Auto-Covers: The Pros and Cons for Each
- Mesh vs. Solid Safety Covers: Which Type is Right for My Swimming Pool
- Do I Have to Cover my Pool in the Winter?
- Can an Automatic Pool Cover be Used as a Winter Cover?
- Pool Safety Covers vs Winter Pool Covers: Which Should I Get?
- How to Add an Automatic Cover to a Pool
- Pool Covers and Solar Blankets in the Summer
- How to Winterize Your Pool
- Caring for Your Winter Mesh Cover
