If you’re shopping for a pool cover, the question of whether are pool covers are dangerous may have crossed your mind. Not all covers are made to the same safety standards, and some are made only to keep out leaves and other debris.
If there are young children and pets with access to your pool area, some types of pool covers may actually be incredibly dangerous for them. Ensuring that your cover is a pool safety cover is incredibly important to help prevent fatal accidents.
Misapplication Makes a Pool Cover Dangerous
Misapplication — including both applying the product in the wrong manner and choosing the wrong type of product to apply — is the main variable that can make a pool cover dangerous, and the element of danger could potentially be great. With that in mind, here are five things that give an affirmative answer to the initially quizzical question: are pool covers dangerous?
Covers by All-Safe are custom-fitted for pools. The installer records measurements at the pool site. Other manufacturers that sell to individual consumers, as distinguished from the consumer pool cover market at large, often do the same. Even when someone buys a readymade cover from a big box retailer — inspection not included — dimensions are printed on the box.
How do some pool owners end up with an undersized cover that leaves a gap of water exposed at the edge of the pool? Usually, it happens because they can’t find a cover that perfectly matches the dimensions of their pool, and decide to buy the closest fit available.
The degree to which the gap makes the pool cover dangerous depends on its width. It can look deceptively large compared to the covered portion of the pool. Even gaps of a few inches can permit toddlers to slip through sideways — and if they do, the covered portion makes them nearly impossible to see. A cover with a poor fit can be a tragic choice that claims a life.
The most reliable types of pool safety covers are attached to anchors drilled directly into the pool deck. But not all pool covers are made with the same design, or installed correctly. Some are simply made to be draped across the pool without attaching themselves to the deck. This gives them a lot of slack as the center of the cover dips into the pool and floats on top of the water.
A child or pet that falls into a slack pool cover is in danger. These covers make the pool area very difficult to climb out of. Their weight may also pull the cover entirely into the water where they could drown.
The primary purpose of a leaf pool cover is to keep leaves and debris out of the pool. To keep debris from slipping under the cover, they’re often anchored to the deck in the same way a safety cover is, but leaf covers by definition aren’t made to provide the same safety benefits
If you have a leaf pool cover or would like to get one, the best course of action is to invest in a pool safety net. These safety barriers can be installed underneath leaf covers to give them a substantial boost to their strength.
Ideally, your pool should have multiple layers of protection. The first should be a perimeter fence to create an enclosure for your pool area. These are great for keeping your pool area private, but your children and pets will likely still have access to your pool after this
The second layer of protection for your pool should be a mesh pool fence that encloses the pool. These fences by All-Safe are made with aircraft-grade aluminum poles, and a semi-transparent ultra-strong mesh material that’s very difficult for children to climb.
Safety barriers only work if you use them. Some pool covers are easier to use than others, and it might be tempting to forgo attaching the cover. Automatic pool covers are the best option in this case. These covers automatically extend to provide protection for the pool with the flip of a switch.
Investing to Protect Your Family
Are pool covers dangerous? As a general line of products, no. However, depending on the context of a cover’s application, including the failure to even apply the product, some things do make a pool cover dangerous.
Need help securing your pool? Find your nearest All-Safe dealer to talk with a local expert who can help.
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