I don't know about Loop Loc, but I use a Meyco mesh safety cover. This current one is about 5 years old and still looks brand new. I had to go out on it twice to retrieve things and I'm not a small guy. I think with any safety cover the quality of the anchor installation is key.

With safety covers, you get what you pay for.The major names like Loop Loc, Meyco, and Merlin are all well built. The use doubled webbing all over, thicker thread and more of it and higher quality stainless and brass.

Cheaper covers are cheaper for a reason and that isn't to the consumer's benefit. The market is very competitive so all they can really do is use less materials like single webbing, less stitching, thinner thread, etc...

While these other brands may meet the ASTM/ANSI specs for safety covers, they don't last as long.

Differences in support I have found, with different brands, is why I, as a dealer and installer, chose Loop Loc. I've installed a number of brands before I started in business for myself.

I don't do lesser. Lesser means my customers pay more later. That costs me customers. Ever buy something at, say WalMart, only to have to go buy it again before its time? Now you're paying twice. Did you save anything? Please note that not everything at WalMart is crap but it's variety of wanted things at low prices makes it hard to ignore. If WalMart sold safety covers, they wouldn't be any of the big three I mentioned.

Scott

@nofearfred: thanks for the info. I'll check out Meyco as well.

Scott: can you give a general idea (starting cost, perhaps) for a Loop Loc? We're not thinking of skimping on safety, but would like to have a sense (ballpark) of the cost ranges for a Loop Loc cover.

PB gave us info on Defender-something, but wasn't sure of the strength/durability compared to LL.

I have a loop loc cover,it's about 5 yrs old. As far as safety goes their great. Good looking cover too. Only decision u need to make is mesh or solid. I was talked into mesh by the pool installer. Big mistake....when u open your pool in the spring it is a green swamp.

The only way to combat this is to close late,I just closed today and open early. Now that's a longer pool season,running your pump. My neighbor has a solid cover,opens up to sparkling water. He closes labor day and opens memorial day.

I highly recommend the solid,more money but worth it in long run. You may have to pump the water off sometimes durning winter but you save money on electric n pool chemicals.

Please note the following:

The mesh is actually stronger than the solids. Elephant vs Hippo. Not a big deal, is it?

The mesh is much lighter though UltraLoc is about 30% lighter than solid vinyl covers. They also fold up smaller. This makes storage so much easier. That is a big deal.

The solid and mesh made by Loop Loc are 100% recyclable. Solid vinyl covers made by other companies are not.

Late closers can reduce the pump's On time due to the reduced temps and sun, often as much as 1/2.

Adding a few gallons of liquid chlorine and Poly 60 algaecide and circulating with a small cover pump for an hour will help reduce swamps significantly when done ever 2-4 weeks in the Spring as temps start to rise. This is true for just about all brands of mesh covers.

Scott

Scott,

Would you recommend the mesh Loop Loc cover over the solid Loop Loc?

As mentioned, safety is our primary concern, but would also like a cover that has the least required maintenance (on our part)...if this even makes sense.

Do I have this correct: with a solid cover, we'll also need a pump to eliminate standing water on the cover's surface? Mesh cover...no pump, but we'd need to add chemicals to reduce any swamping-effect?

We're in the N-east, and have a 400K BTU heater, so we're hoping to extend the life of our swimming season...on both ends.

Thoughts?

Scott,

Would you recommend the mesh Loop Loc cover over the solid Loop Loc?

As mentioned, safety is our primary concern, but would also like a cover that has the least required maintenance (on our part)...if this even makes sense.

Do I have this correct: with a solid cover, we'll also need a pump to eliminate standing water on the cover's surface? Mesh cover...no pump, but we'd need to add chemicals to reduce any swamping-effect?

We're in the N-east, and have a 400K BTU heater, so we're hoping to extend the life of our swimming season...on both ends.

Thoughts?

Apologies for the dupe...not sure what happened there.

This depends on the pool and your wants. Most manufacturers can make a solid with mesh drain panels so a pump is needed on top. Little light can get in.

If there is a raised wall, be it a raised bond beam or waterfall, a mesh should be used to help minimize the weight a snow load would present.

Gunite pools should have a step pump to keep rain, snow melt, and displaced water from a snow load pressing the cover into the pool off the tile line.

Liner pools will slowly let water out at the skimmer(s). The top section is placed, not glued, just before the concrete is poured or pavers set. They don't need a pump.

Most attached gunite spas (8 or 9 feet) should have the water lowered about a foot below the tile in my area to allow for the above conditions unless they have an equalizer hole in the spa wall that helps ensure the spa and pool are at the same height during operation. This isn't the norm with today's construction practices though. Raised spas and spas further north may need the bottom drains blow and plugged. That means draining and then refilling as mentioned before.

Raised thermoplastic and fiberglass spas just get drained and the returns plugged after being blown and the Styrofoam insert based cover set back in place. Since they are raised, they will be out of the range for the water table.

If these tubs are not raised, a liner should be set inside after the blowing out and plugging. These spas normally have bottom drains that can't be plugged. The liner material covers the drains and when the tub is refilled, the water pressure covers the drains with liner material. Note the liner should flow over the rim by about at least a foot or so and then a safety cover can be used. Since there isn't usually any tile with these, no pump is needed and if they overflow, the spillway will drain the excess. The weight of the water on the liner will keep the tub down if the water table rises.

Scott

can you recommend a good step pump?

can you recommend a good step pump?

Scott,

We don't have a spa, but do have a 3x3x5 rock waterfall, so should we use a mesh cover?

Do the mesh Loop Loc covers allow for drainage, but block out sunlight? We'd like to avoid having the pool water turn into a soupy green mess.

Water flows straight through the mesh,no need for a pump. To avoid the green swamp,like I said in previous post close late n open early or like Scott said when temps raise in spring circulate liquid chlorine n polyquat with a pump.

I personally will open early before the water temp hits above 55 degrees.

For a step pump, I like the Little Giant APCP-500.

Can you post a pic of your pool sdemjsully?

I encourage mesh owners to close when the temps cool and open early, as hogan_nj suggests.

Scott

Scott,

Attached is a pic of our pool (work in progress). We're going to finish it in the spring next year, but I know that we'll need a cover for next year, and trying to get ahead of the curve.

The pool is 650 sq ft. The wall opposite the sun shelf is where the rock water fall will be built (above the bench with the two returns.

Thanks.

Steve

How long does it take to put the loop loc cover on each winter? Can you do it as one person? Would it be safe to let kids bounce on it like a trampoline if the water level was lower? This may be an ignorant question...but I saw a youtube video of a little girl running across one. It looked like she was having fun. But not sure that is a good thing to allow all the time!

We are currently considering a rectangular pool - about 17x27. One PB said that we could put the cover on/off each day even in the summer and it would take only 30 minutes for me alone. Is that true?? Seems like a complete pain.

Is there any type of cover that people would use in the summer that's not automatic. They gave us a ballpark of $10k for automatic, and we are considering saltwater anyway, which sounds like it won't work together.

Pretty new to this process here, so thanks for the info!

I have a 20' by 40' kidney pool with side spa and a loop-loc mesh cover.

I close the pool in November and open it up in April. Just opened it last week.

It takes me about 40 minutes to install the cover and probably 25-30 minutes to take it off. About 10 minutes of that time is spent using the provided hex wrench to raise the anchors out of or lowering the anchors down in to the patio as needed.

I do it solo. It's really not hard at all.

I've had my cover for 12 years. It's still in great shape. The only damage is a couple of small melt holes due to floating embers from a fire pit we have out by the pool. Patched those with a patch kit.

I've only opened up to a green pool twice. Both times due to me being out of town and the pool not being opened up until late late late. Other than that, nary a worry.

I drain the pool down in the fall, and snowmelt and rainwater have it filled back up pretty close to where it needs to be when it's time to open in April.

I wouldn't ever let my kids use the pool cover as a play toy. Not only is is dangerous to the kid, but movement against the pool patio could abrade the bottom of the pool cover, shortening it's life.

We have a Loop-Loc that we are trying to get replaced on warranty at 5 years due to UV damage. We originally got the cover due to their advertising of a high quality product, ASTM approved, and warranty that should last years beyond it's warranty. Apparently, the cover is not intended to be used all year round. It should be taken off during the summer that is why the stitches on ours are disintegrating. So at the 5 year pro-rated warranty, we are paying half the original cost to get it replaced due to UV (sunlight) damage. We live in Texas. Wish we would have known that before we bought it.

I purchased a Loop-Loc cover in 2007. This year when I took the cover off a large amount of the stitching was coming loose. I called Loop-Loc to see what to do and was informed that I should contact UPS to send it back. I sent it back and they called to say it was not safe to use, that the UV rays had destroyed the stitching and could not be re stitched. After doing some research about the stitching I found that the stitching was the same that is used in feed sacks (called locking chain stitch) which if one stitch comes loose the entire stitching will unravel. That is what has happened to my cover. Seems strange that only the stitching was the only part that was affected by UV rays. They told me that I needed to contacted a dealer for replacement price, that only through a dealer. I have 5 years left on the warranty and it cost more to replace than the original cost. They will not stand by their product. DO NOT buy from them!!!!