Pool Covers FAQ

• A pool cover must be ASTM compliant to be considered a safety cover. ASTM compliant means that the materials and the method of installation have been tested and approved by an independent ASTM certified lab to meet national safety standards.
• All-Safe offers three types of ASTM compliant covers:
  • Pool safety net: A lightweight, easy to use, ASTM compliant safety cover through which the pool water can be seen. It provides an excellent layer of safety on pools and spas of almost any shape and size.
  • Winter pool cover: A tightly woven, ASTM compliant mesh cover used primarily to reduce maintenance or to close down the pool in the offseason. While this type of cover is very safe, it is heavy and cannot be quickly or easily removed for frequent pool usage.
  • Automatic pool cover: An easy to use, motorized, ASTM compliant cover designed for both safety and maintenance. Suitable for use on rectangular or simply shaped pools with a deck free of elevation changes. Most pools are not designed to accommodate an automatic cover.

• All-Safe offers four cover options that will help keep dirt, leaves, and debris out of your pool and reduce cleaning maintenance:
  • Pool safety net with leaf cover: This is an option where a lightweight mesh style custom leaf cover is used together with your safety net. This combination will provide safety while keeping the majority of leaves and debris out of your pool or spa.
  • Leaf pool cover without a safety net: This is a lightweight mesh style pool cover option designed to keep out leaves and debris. It does not provide ASTM compliant safety.
  • Winter pool cover: Winter pool covers can be used to winterize your pool in colder climates. A winter pool cover is an ASTM compliant safety cover that will keep most debris out of the pool. These covers are not a good option for someone who still wants access to their pool or spa on a frequent basis.
  • Automatic pool cover: Automatic pool covers will keep most dust and debris out of your pool. It will also reduce evaporation, help retain heat and cut chemical costs. These are the easiest covers to use as they open and close with the turn of a key. They are, however, they are the most expensive and will not fit on all pools.
• All-Safe pool safety covers have been laboratory tested to comply with nationally recognized ASTM standard for swimming pool safety covers.
• All-Safe offers the largest selection of pool safety netting material in the industry. There are multiple color options, various anchor styles, tensioning choices and material thicknesses. All-Safe is the only company to offer the Titan Tool and the Round Loop Tool which make it easy to install or remove your net in a matter of minutes.

• The automatic pool cover is the only pool cover carried by All-Safe that will help with pool heating. An automatic pool cover is a solid non-transparent pool cover so solar rays do not go through to raise the temperature more than a few degrees. But once the pool is heated, the automatic pool cover will do a great job of keeping the heat in. If you want to keep your pool at a comfortable swimmable temperature year-round, the automatic pool cover will more than pay for itself.
• One of the most common requests we get is for a cover that will use the sun to heat their pool. There is a cover that can do this, traditionally known as a “bubble cover”. These covers are not safety covers and can actually be a safety hazard if someone were to fall on it when the cover is still on the water. For this reason, All-Safe does not offer solar bubble covers.

• This is one of the most commonly asked questions. Unfortunately, there is not a hard or solid safety cover that is designed to be walked or played on. However, ASTM compliant pool covers are tested to hold 485 pounds of weight without breaking. If it is necessary to walk on the cover, in the case of an emergency or to retrieve a child or pet, the covers will support the weight. That is not to say it will hold 485 pounds entirely above water. With enough weight placed on the cover, you may get your feet wet. If it becomes normal practice to walk across your pool cover, it will reduce the life of the pool cover and jeopardize its integrity.

• Although All-Safe does install covers on empty pools, all ASTM testing is done with water in the pool. The water provides buoyancy that helps hold the weight of the cover and whatever is on top of the cover. So when any ASTM compliant pool cover is installed on a pool without water it will require a liability release and can have an effect on the warranty.
• With the exception of the net, All-Safe pool covers will allow you to cover a pool that is not being used to keep a large majority of the debris out. They will still allow access to check and adjust chemicals and add or pump water out as needed.

With proper routine maintenance, your pool cover fabric should last for about 10 years. If you notice any holes or tearing, make sure to look into fabric replacement as soon as possible to ensure your pool cover functions as needed.

• Unfortunately, if you have an irregular shaped pool you will need to order a custom pool cover. You’ll want your pool cover to be fitted to the exact dimensions of your pool for maximum pool safety.

• This will depend on the type of pool cover you own. Automatic pool covers are attached to tracks and a motor, so they will automatically roll up for storage. Mesh and vinyl pool cover storage is pretty simple, too! We recommend removing and cleaning the pool cover, laying it out to dry completely, and then folding until it can fit into a large storage container. The key to pool cover storage is ensuring it’s enclosed so termites or animals cannot get to it.