An automated pool cover is a hard vinyl covering that is installed to completely cover the pool when closed and is fully retracted when the pool is in use. It automatically opens and closes by using an electric motor so pool care is made much simpler that using a manual pool cover. An automatic pool cover offers safety features, prevents leaves and other debris from entering the pool when it is closed, and helps the pool retain heat too.
An automatic pool cover can cost $12,000 – $22,000 for a good quality model that is professionally installed below the pool deck. You might find cheaper options for models that are installed over top of the deck cost less and can run $8,000 – $10,000. Expect to start replacing parts every 3 years and good quality automatic pool may only last 5 – 7 years before replacement. Depending on how harsh your winters are, the up front cost and potential damage caused by snow and ice may make the choice of an automated pool cover difficult to justify. An automatic pool cover is best suited for a pool with square edges like a perfectly rectangular pool shape.
Pool Cover Overview
In general, pool covers serve different purposes depending on how they are designed and what they are trying to accomplish. The main types of covers you might consider for you pool are:
Solar pool cover: A thin, relatively light cover with bubbles that is used during the pool season to retain the heat in during days you aren’t using the pool and overnight when the temperature drops. It’s typically put on and taken off the pool manually either with a pool cover roller or by dragging it on and off as needed. Depending on your pool size and the quality of the product, expect to pay $70 – $250 for a standard solar blanket with bubbles. A manual reel for the solar cover to easily roll it on and off your pool can cost $100 – $500 and an electric solar reel system that rolls the cover on and off automatically can be in the $1,200 – $1,400 range.
Safety winter pool cover: Typically made of mesh or vinyl (solid) a safety winter pool cover is fastened over top when closing the pool for winter at the end of pool season. Depending on the model you purchase, your safety cover typically provides protection so that humans and animals don’t fall in accidentally and also to prevent leaves, twigs, branches and other debris from entering the water during wintertime. A vinyl safety cover will additionally not allow any water (or other substance) into the pool at all. Both mesh and vinyl safety covers are placed over the pool and are then secured around the decking and tightened until the cover is trampoline tight. Good quality safety winter pool covers range from $700 – $3,100 largely dependent on the brand, model and pool size.
Automatic pool cover: An automatic pool cover is built into the pool itself – either when the pool is being built or to an existing pool – and automatically opens and closes as required with an electric motor. The cover itself sits on tracks that are built slightly below the pool surface ideally and the cover moves out and retracts along these tracks. It can also be built slightly above the pool for odd-shaped pools but it’s more noticeable and can be a tripping hazard.
Let’s go into more detail regarding the benefits and drawbacks of automatic pool covers.
Automatic Pool Cover Overview
An automatic pool cover provides several main advantages but several considerations to think about as well.
Pros
- Quicker and easier than using a manual solar pool cover which has to be pulled on and off each day.
- Acts as a solar cover of sorts with some manufacturers claiming water temperature can increase by 6-10 degrees when the cover is closed.
- Helps the pool retain heat overnight when temperatures go down.
- Reduces water evaporation which is a huge source of water loss for pools.
- Will keep leaves, twigs and other debris out of the pool.
- Some models can support up to 2,000 lbs and may additionally act as a safety cover. At a minimum it will prevent small animals from falling in.
- Tends to reduce chemical usage and pool maintenance in general as it protects the pool water and thus the chlorine from direct sunlight when closed.
- Better brands come with a rainwater removal feature to automatically clear water that sits on the cover surface.
Cons
- Very expensive. While a cheap model may cost as little as $5,000 expect to pay in excess of $12,000 depending on the manufacturer and model as well as your pool size and shape for a decent brand.
- Parts often need replacement after 3 years and the whole cover system may need to be replaced in the 5-7 year timeframe.
- Only really suitable for a rectangular-shaped pool with square edges. If you have steps leading into the pool, the cover will have to be installed above the pool. A pool ladder will need to be removed before closing the cover each time.
- May not be suitable for very cold, wintry environments that get significant snowfall due to the damage that can be caused by heavy snow and ice sitting on top. Or you keep the cover open during winter and cover your pool with a safety pool cover.
- If the cover stops working while closed, you can’t use the pool until it is fixed.
Automatic Pool Cover Winter Care
An automatic pool cover does not replace a winter safety cover. While an automated pool cover will keep your pool warm and clean during the summer, it can’t be operated during the winter particularly if you live in an area with snowfall, ice and freezing weather. The cover isn’t strong enough to hold heavy snow and may get damaged with significant snowfall and cause the cover to come off its tracks. While some automatic pool covers are rated to hold 2,000 lbs, snow and ice get very heavy especially when melting occurs and the water pools to one central area.
An automatic pool cover should not be opened or closed during icy or snowy weather as it can damage the motor and tracks that the cover moves on. Again, an automatic cover is really only meant to be used during pool season.
Heavy Snowfall
If you live in an area that gets significant snow and ice during the season and already have a winter safety pool cover of some kind, you probably know what happens when the weather starts to warm up. Snow and ice that have built up on the pool cover starts to melt and inevitably a large ice block begins to develop near or at the center of the pool cover which causes the cover to sag, drawing more ice and water (and thus heavier ice if the temperatures drop again and freeze) to the center of the cover. This places a great deal of stress on the safety cover particularly in the center but as long as it is properly installed and secured it will hold.
Every spring, we end up with a big chunk of ice right in the middle of the pool cover and it is always the last part to melt. The pool cover sags probably by about 1 foot or so. So I see this every spring as the temperatures are going up.
Winter Pool Closing
With an automated pool cover that is fully closed and covering the pool, the centralized weight of the snow and ice may press down hard on the cover, can cause the cover to sag, resulting in significant damage up to and including the cover completely caving in. This is especially true if you drain your pool below the water returns to cap them to prevent pipes from freezing over the winter like we do. The water is not high enough to support the weight of the snow and ice over the automatic pool cover.
The reality is that even if you buy an automatic pool cover that costs $20,000 or more, you’re only buying it for summer use when the pool is open. You’ll need to look at another option for winter pool protection such as a winter safety cover in mesh or vinyl which can add another $700 – $3,100 or more in costs depending on the size of your pool, the shape, brand and model of safety cover and whether you need shape customization for pool steps.
Other Considerations
Here are few thoughts regarding adding an automated pool cover to your swimming pool.
- An automated pool cover can be added to a new or existing pool at any time. It doesn’t need to be added while the pool is being built.
- The reality is that an automatic cover works best on a true rectangular shaped pool given that it operates like shades on a window except it moves horizontally.
- While an automatic pool cover can be added to odd-shaped pools that aren’t rectangular, the tracks that the cover moves on will have to be added above ground which is somewhat ugly to look at. Plus people can trip on the tracks when walking or running around the pool.
- A quality automatic pool cover is strong enough to walk on so it can act as a safety cover to prevent people and animals from falling in.
- The cover helps to keep debris from falling into the pool but you will likely need to remove debris manually before opening the cover to swim in so that the leaves, etc don’t fall into the water.
- Even a good quality automated pool cover will need be replaced every 5-7 years with possible repairs done in between as needed, too.
Pool Cover Alternatives
While a solar blanket is the standard go-to pool cover option for most pool owners, it’s strictly a covering that is used to retain heat in the pool and one that also helps to prevent small amounts of debris like leaves and twigs from falling into the water. It can also help to keep small rodents, frogs, etc from falling into the pool.
If you live in an area where you can use your pool throughout the year, you might consider covering the pool in a glass enclosure like the one shown above. You may also consider this option regardless of where you live and the weather you experience. This option provides security since the pool is completely surrounded by a covering that effectively turns it into an indoor pool. This would additionally help to keep the pool free of debris and out of the reach of birds and rodents.
Glass enclosures of this kind vary wildly in price due to the large size and materials used. Expect to pay $5,000 – $30,000 and perhaps much, much more if you have a larger pool.
Conclusion
- An automated pool cover is easier than manual use of a solar cover each day and night but it is costly, often in the range of $12,000 – $20,000.
- Being a motor-based product with moving parts, an automated pool cover will eventually need to be replaced typically within about 6 years but you may also start replacing parts every 3 years additionally.
- An automated pool cover is really only suitable for summer use and can’t be opened and closed in winter especially if you live in an area that receives significant snowy and icy weather.
- If you live in a northern climate with harsh winter weather, I’d be very careful about purchasing an automatic pool cover as it’s a large investment and may not suit your local weather conditions come wintertime.