Winter cover - a rip off?

[cookehouse]

Having spent the last umpteen months resisting Mrs Captain Webb I have now finally been broken down and must say am now looking forward to taking the plunge ! (sorry)

Having got loads of quotes and listened to the various arguments for example, between salt and chlorine and filtration systems etc etc  we have now come to some conclusions and are now left with the endless list of "extras". 

Can anyone tell me what is the difference between a winter cover and a tarpaulin - except of course the price.

Whilst it makes little diffence in the overall cost of the project I am reluctant to pay for a name.

 

 

[Eos]

Our winter cover is fixed in place very securely against winter winds.

There are metal reinforced eyelets at close intervals through which "bungy" ties go. These in turn are hooked into the circular ends of metal spikes, drilled about 6-8 inches into the terracing.

The cover has a rain drain so that the water drips into the pool rather than gather awkwardly on a tarpaulin. 

Best of all though is that my son can run onto the cover to get any stray footballs that find their way onto it! Not to be recommended for trampolining but, for us , a priceless feature.

[Clair]

[quote user="cookehouse"]

Can anyone tell me what is the difference between a winter cover and a tarpaulin - except of course the price.

[/quote]

Covers used on private pools must conform to norm NF P 90-308. Whilst undoubtedly cheaper, would a tarpaulin would meet the required standards, which say:

[quote]La norme NF

P 90-308 définit les exigences minimales de sécurité, les méthodes d'essai

et les informations aux consommateurs relatives aux couvertures de

sécurité et à leur dispositif d'accrochage afin d'empêcher l'immersion

involontaire d'enfants de moins de 5 ans.

Sont exclues les couvertures

destinées uniquement à la protection de l'eau (bâche à bulles seules,

bâches flottantes,…)

La couverture de

sécurité doit être construite de façon à empêcher l'immersion involontaire

d'enfants de moins de 5 ans. Elle ne doit pas blesser les enfants qui

chercheraient à la manipuler ou à la franchir : les risques de coupure,

piqûre, cisaillement, coincement, suffocation et étranglement doivent être

évités.

Les bords ne doivent pas être considérés comme coupants et les

pointes ne doivent pas être considérées comme acérées.

Un jeune enfant

ne doit pas pouvoir passer sous la couverture, ni s'enfoncer en marchant

dessus. D'ailleurs, les couvertures doivent résister au franchissement

d'un adulte de 100 Kg sans que l'on constate ni déchirure, ni

désolidarisation des systèmes de fixation.

Après avoir subi un choc

d'un poids de 50 Kg, le dispositif d'ancrage sur la plage, ne doit pas

être détérioré.

Les systèmes d'ancrage ne doivent pas être source de

blessure pour les enfants. A cette fin pour ne pas faire trébucher et

chuter un enfant qui se déplace sur la plage, et blesser un enfant qui

tombe de sa hauteur sur le dispositif d'ancrage, le dispositif d'ancrage

fixe ne doit pas dépasser plus de 25 mm au-dessus de la plage.

D'une manière

générale, les matériaux constitutifs de la couverture, les systèmes

d'ancrage et les systèmes de fixation doivent être conformes aux normes

françaises et européennes en vigueur.

Les familles de couvertures

couvertes par la norme :

• les
  couvertures à barre
• les
  volets automatiques ou manuels (immergés, hors sol ou enterrés), aux
  fonds mobiles rigides et aux couvertures submersibles
• les
  couvertures de type cloche
• les
  systèmes motorisés
• les
  systèmes manuels
• les
  autres types de couvertures

[/quote]

[Chas]

Surely a conforming security cover is required only if the pool has neither a conforming alarm nor fence.

[The Ps]

Tarpaulin will not meet the legal requirements for safety covers.   They do not allow rain water through and a child could drown in the residual pooling rain water.   You could pierce the tarpaulin but this will weaken the cover.   They will not last as long so it could be false economy.   The winter covers come with removable or recessed fixings which tend to be less unsightly than that which you may have to use with tarpaulin.   Winter covers are much more robust against the elements than tarpaulin.   If it makes little difference to the overall cost then why not go for a winter cover.

John

[Poolguy]

[quote user="cookehouse"]

Having spent the last umpteen months resisting Mrs Captain Webb I have now finally been broken down and must say am now looking forward to taking the plunge ! (sorry)

Having got loads of quotes and listened to the various arguments for example, between salt and chlorine and filtration systems etc etc  we have now come to some conclusions and are now left with the endless list of "extras". 

Can anyone tell me what is the difference between a winter cover and a tarpaulin - except of course the price.

Whilst it makes little diffence in the overall cost of the project I am reluctant to pay for a name.

 

 

[/quote]

I understand your confusion, to a new pool owner it all sounds a bit too fancy to do a simple job. But to long time pool owners it worth every penny. A conforming security cover I am referring to

If you go for a cheap solution you will be buying another next year, provided that the winds have not made trash out of it early in the season, in which case a number of them every year.

Personally, I always recommend a floating security cover, even though it is more expensive again than a conforming winter cover. The reason is for ease of use, as the winter covers are impossibly heavy and difficult to manoever on and off, its a good job that they only need moving once a year. In constrast the floating security cover will open an close in about a minute and you lift nothing heavier than a key. And if you combine the cost of the alternatives, sommer/winter covers, plus a security fence then its actually cheaper.

If you want to see what I am taking about look at http://www.poolguy.fr/products/product-security.mht

But that isn't the end of it, these type of covers can only be used on pools with two parralel sides (or converging) and one perpendicular end. That is to say that free form or kidney shapped pool need a barred cover which are not as easy to use but perform much the same function. PM me if you need any more information on these.

 

Andrew

[The Ps]

Shop around.  There are plenty of suppliers who have shops and/or on line sites.   It is not impossibly heavy or difficult to manoeuvre standard winter covers off and on.   Many people do it without a problem.   You may need two people if it is over 8x4 though.   As you are still at the planning stage it may be worth pricing the fence + summer cover (including roller) + winter cover to find out whether it is worth going the whole way.   You don't necessarily need a summer cover, depending on where you are.   Pools are better with them though.

John

[Graham & Brenda]

Our cover is an all seasons security cover (conforming) with aluminium bars running through it. We use a manual roller to open (easier with 2 people) it and it pulls closed with a "tape" style attachment.