When someone gets a vinyl liner in ground pool installed with an Automatic Pool Cover, there will usually be some questions that arise regarding that cover. Should I close my pool every night? Should I open it during the day while I am at work?
These are good questions and the answer to both of them is… It’s up to you. I say that because ultimately it is up to the owner of the pool to decide what he or she wants to do with it. There are some questions you should ask yourself before making this decision. Is the pool fenced in? Is it heated by a gas heater or heat pump? Do you rely on the sun to heat the water? Are there a lot of trees nearby?
If your pool is heated by a heat pump or gas heater, then I would recommend closing the cover at night. This will help save money on heating cost in the long run. Basically cool summer nights can really suck the heat out of a pool. The result would be that you would have to run your heat source more frequently to keep the pool water at the desired temperature. This in turn would result in an increase in your electric bill or gas bill. By closing the cover over night you will effectively trap the heat in the pool. Therefore you will be able to maintain that desired temperature without having to run your heat source as frequently. Granted there still may be some heat loss over night but I assure you that by keeping the pool covered, you will minimize the amount of heat loss. If there are a lot of trees around the pool then by keeping it open for long periods such as over night or during the day while you are at work you will run the risk of creating a chore for yourself. Trees lose leaves throughout the summer and fall. If you have an open pool nearby then you will likely find that these leaves are landing in the water resulting in you having to scoop them out.
The other thing that should be considered is do you have a fence around you pool/backyard. Obviously an open pool in your yard that is not fenced in, and sits open is somewhat of a liability. If you have a fence around your pool and you don’t have a heat pump or gas heater then you may want to leave your pool open during the mid day heat to allow your water to heat up. Although you may have a fence around the pool there is still a certain amount of liability to worry about.
Ultimately I find it to be more beneficial to keep your pool covered when it is not in use. You will cut down on heating costs, decrease the amount of potential debris in your pool, and be able to rest easy knowing that nobody can gain access to your pool while you are not around.
