Cover For The Winter Or No Cover ?

[bstevensa]

OK I have a 33' round above ground pool. This will be my second winter. I live in the south so winters are not to harsh BUT in the late winter we fight pollen bad. Last winter, per advice from a local pool installer, we DID NOT install a cover. I was told to keep the pump running at least 12 hours a day, turn the chlorinator off and shock once a month and I should be fine. Obviously I had to keep the leaves out of the pool which was a bit of a challenge due to the fact it is hard to reach the center of my pool with out getting in. I did manage to keep the pool clear and pump running all winter until pollen started to fall. At this time I was not able to run the pump while I was not home due to the fact that the skimmer would stop up in less that 4 hours. Due to this the pool turned green, I was unable to see the bottom to see what debris I needed to remove from the bottom. It took me nearly 3 weeks to get the pool cleared and clean. This year I have seriously considered a pool cover. I have been told to cover the pool but keep the pump running to prevent freezing and still shock once a month. I realize leaves and pollen and water in accumulate on top of the cover. Since I was told that while covered the pool water would remain clear I feel keeping the cover cleaned off will be easier than trying to keep the pool clean all winter. I also have heard that covers are not the way to go but I have not heard clear reasons why. I am curious to keep an idea of what everyone here is doing and would suggest.