Winter covers for swimming pools

All about pool winter covers

The winter cover is the essential equipment to protect your pool during the cold season. Unlike the bubble cover used in summer, this heavy-duty, resistant cover is designed to stay in place for several months. It allows for a peaceful passive winterization by blocking light and impurities, ensuring an easy start-up in spring.

Why install a winter cover?

Installing a winter cover offers three major benefits for the longevity of your pool:

1. Water quality: It prevents leaves, insects, and debris from polluting the water, thus avoiding filter saturation and liner stains.
2. Anti-algae action: Opaque models block sunlight. Without light, photosynthesis is impossible: algae cannot develop. This saves you money on chemical products in the spring.
3. Pool safety: Most of our winter covers comply with the NF P90-308 standard. Once stretched and secured, they prevent accidental falls of children or pets.

What's the difference between an opaque cover and a winter safety net?

This is the most frequent question. The choice depends on your environment and your expectations:

• The Opaque Cover (Waterproof PVC): This is the most complete protection. It plunges the pool into total darkness, preventing the water from turning green. It has small cavities or a central grid to allow rainwater to drain without letting light through.
  • Ideal for: Those who want to find crystal-clear water effortlessly and limit cleaning.
• The Net Cover (Filter Grid): Lighter, it lets rainwater and melted snow pass through but retains leaves and large debris. It does not block light (algae development is still possible if the treatment is not sufficient).
  • Ideal for: Areas with heavy snowfall (no water pocket weighing on the cover), secondary residence pools, or pools with complex shapes.

How to choose the size of your winter cover?

A winter cover doesn't stop at the water's edge! To ensure optimal sealing and safety, the cover must "overlap" the coping. Generally, you need to allow for an overlap of 35 cm to 40 cm around the entire perimeter (i.e., 70 to 80 cm more than the length and width of the pool). At Pool Planet, we offer custom-made models adapted to rectangular, round, oval, or free-form pools.

When should you install your winter cover?

Don't cover the pool too early! Winterization should be done when the water temperature consistently drops below 12°C to 15°C. At this temperature, bacteria and algae stop proliferating. This is the ideal time to clean the pool, adjust the pH, add your winterizing product, and install the cover.

How to secure the cover to the pool deck?

Wind resistance is crucial. Our covers come with fastening systems adapted to your type of ground (wood or concrete):

• Anchors: Fixed into the deck (retractable anchors to avoid injury in summer).
• Bungee cords (tensioners): They ensure the cover's tension while absorbing wind shocks. Installation requires a little effort during the first fitting (drilling holes), but handling in subsequent years is quick.

Winter Cover or Bar Cover?

The bar cover is a "4-season" cover that can stay on all year round. It is more expensive to purchase but replaces both the bubble cover and the winter cover. However, the classic winter cover (opaque) is often more aesthetically pleasing for winter (less bulky) and, above all, lighter to handle if you remove it alone in spring. If you already have a bubble cover for summer, the winter cover is the perfect economic complement.

What are the delivery times?

As with our bubble covers, manufacturing is often custom-made to perfectly fit the shape of your pool. Allow generally 3 to 4 weeks between order validation and home delivery (mainland France). We advise you to order your cover at the end of summer to be ready for the first cold weather.