Weight Of Safety Covers (dry)

[reduca]

We've been looking at safety covers for our 16x32 kidney shaped gunite pool. We'd prefer a solid cover for the total protection it provides. However, my regular pool guy only deals with Anchor covers. I called Anchor directly and was told that their solid cover for my size pool would weigh about 200 lbs. A friend of mine with a similarly sized pool got a solid Loop-Loc cover. She said they store it in the 3'x4' box it came in and it's light enough for her to lift. Is there really that big of a difference in weight between these two covers? Are other brands of solid covers really heavy also, or is it just the Anchor brand?

[quantumchromodynamics]

Anchor covers are a slightly heavier material than Loop-Loc, but not that much heavier. I think that 200 pounds is a bit of an overestimation.

I would estimate that the Anchor would weight about 60 to 70 pounds. If you do get the Anchor, I recommend the 5-Star Safety Pool Cover with the springs, not the straps.

Anchor lists their fabric weight at 14 ounces. Assuming that that means 14 ounces per square yard and that the total number of square yards is about 55 to 70, I get about 48 to 61 pounds.

Loop-Loc and Anchor make good covers. Either one is a good choice.

Here is a good cover pump. It is automatic.

[Erik MPS]

We've been looking at safety covers for our 16x32 kidney shaped gunite pool. We'd prefer a solid cover for the total protection it provides. However, my regular pool guy only deals with Anchor covers. I called Anchor directly and was told that their solid cover for my size pool would weigh about 200 lbs. A friend of mine with a similarly sized pool got a solid Loop-Loc cover. She said they store it in the 3'x4' box it came in and it's light enough for her to lift. Is there really that big of a difference in weight between these two covers? Are other brands of solid covers really heavy also, or is it just the Anchor brand?

Most of the solid covers are pretty heavy and do not fold up in boxes well. In fact, they barely roll up well. I don't know if 200 lbs is the answer, but it'll be heavy.

Does your friend FOR SURE have a solid loop-loc, or is a smart mesh/safety cover?

Merlin makes a smart mesh cover that is similar to a net with a weave so tight it acts like a solid cover.

[Erik MPS]

If you do get the Anchor, I recommend the 5-Star Safety Pool Cover with the springs, not the straps.

+1 to the springs, not the straps. I've seen the straps fail at the deck anchor holes.

Here is a good cover pump. It is automatic.

I'll also vouch for the Little Giant pump. Lately we've been using this pump with great success. The only benefit to the first pump is you can bypass the float switch if necessary/desired.

-Erik

[quantumchromodynamics]

A 16 x 32 kidney is not that large. The covers are somewhat heavy, but I don't think 200 pounds is even close. I really don't think that the cover could be over 100 pounds.

Contact Anchor by e-mail and request the exact weight of your cover. They should be able to give you the correct weight. The person on the phone was probably guessing. A written response should be much more accurate.

[reduca]

In an attempt to get an accurate approximate weight for a solid safety cover, I sent emails to six different cover companies. Without naming names, here are the esitmates I received:

90 lbs

100-120 lbs

100 lbs

90 lbs

125 lbs

160 lbs

Ironically, the estimate from the company that we're most interested in is the 160 lb one. And they advertise that their solid safety cover is 33% lighter than that of other companies. I still can't believe that their's could be 25-44% heavier than the others.

[quantumchromodynamics]

I put on a 20 X 40 solid Loop-Loc the other day. I would estimate its weight at about 140 to 150 pounds. That includes the springs. The cover was 22 X 42 to give 1-foot overlap and it had cut corners. I estimate a total area of 900 square foot.

Your 16 X 32 kidney would need an 18 X 34 to allow 1-foot overlap and you would subtract about 40 square feet for the kidney shape. I would estimate about 572 square feet for your cover. Assuming the same weight per square foot, I would estimate that a solid Loop-Loc for your pool would weigh about 88 to 95 pounds.

Assuming a 14 ounce fabric and a total square yardage of 63.5 (572/9 = 63.5) would equal a fabric weight of 55.6 pounds. Add on about 25 pounds for webbing and about 15 pounds for springs and you get a total cover weight of about 95.6 pounds.

I think that 160 pounds is high. Perhaps they got their numbers from total shipping weight. Total shipping weight includes the shipping box, paperwork, metal installation tool, cover, springs and brass anchors.

I would estimate that the total shipping weight would be about 30 pounds heavier than the cover weight. That would mean that the 160 pound cover estimate (I'm assuming it's the Anchor cover) would be about 130 pounds for the cover with the springs.

Also, note that your neighbor has the same size solid cover and describes it as

She said they store it in the 3'x4' box it came in and it's light enough for her to lift.

The Anchor is a heavier fabric, but I still think that they are overestimating it. Although it may be accurate.

Ask your pool person if they can get Loop-Loc. It's a good cover and you know that it will be a reasonable weight based on your neighbor's cover.

[quantumchromodynamics]

I think that it would be worthwhile to e-mail the company that quoted 160 pounds and ask them if they could please double check their estimate.

Tell them that you would like to get their cover but that 160 pounds is going to be a bit too much. Point out that they say that their cover is 33 % lighter but that you have gotten other estimates that quote substantially less weight for the same size cover.

[reduca]

Actually, the quote for the 160 lb cover was from Loop-Loc. After receiving their email quote I called and just asked them the weight of their solid cover. I was told that they only weigh the covers right before they ship them and that there is not any way for them to determine the weight prior to shipping. That leads me to believe the weight I was quoted is the shipping weight.

I asked my friend to double check the brand of her cover. She did, and it turns out that hers is actually an Anchor. I'm now convinced that I won't know how much a cover for my pool is going to weigh until I actually purchase and receive one. I'm going to assume that it will be in the neighborhood of around 100 lbs, which is acceptable. My wife and I should be able to handle that weight just fine.

[JFP]

J,

I have been handling 18' x 34' solid with mesh drain safety covers for over 30 years.

Believe me it probably weighs at least 160 - 200 lbs. It's hard to handle by yourself but it can be done. Lots of dragging, not good, but I get it done. The reason I'm trying to get the weight is that I need a better hand truck and wanted to make sure I get one that can handle the weight of the cover.