Read this before buying Meyco Rugged mesh pool cover

[aggiejet]

I live in Tulsa, ok area and for 20 years have used cheap 30x50 tarp and water tubes to close pool. However, we decided to try a mesh cover this year because well, you know, “the tarp is so ugly and the tubes and the……..” So we paid $6000 to have a Meyco Rugged Mesh safety cover installed. I have a fairly big pool, and it is irregular shaped. Here’s the result after pulling the cover off on Memorial Day. (I have better video but I can’t post those)

We have 25 mature trees on our lot, mostly huge oak trees. In the spring, there is a lot of 2-3” twigs of yellow pollen balls that are so numerous they require a wheat scoop to clean them up off of the surrounding pool deck. Needless to say, the way in which the cover lays on pool surround was inadequate to keep those out of the pool. Additionally, there was. LOT of good old fashioned dirt in the pool. Needless to say, I’m irate.

So next year, I’ll use the over priced mesh cover to support yet another cheap tarp and water tubes and hopefully that will mitigate the tarp from sagging in and collecting rain water and leaves in fall and rain water and pollen fur balls in the spring.

So if you need a safety cover to protect children and pets, go ahead. But know that depending on your surrounding flora and fauna, you’ll need extra protection.

 

[Homebrewale]

Fine dirt will go through my Loop-Loc mesh cover. That is expected since it's mesh. I had a solid Loop-Loc cover previously. It was heavy to put on and take off. I hated having to run a cover pump. So I have gone back to mesh. I don't wait until Memorial Day weekend to remove the cover. If I did, it would be a green swamp. I pull back a corner on the cover. When the water hits 60F, I start up the equipment. That is usually in April. Since it is still pollen and other spring debris season, I leave the cover in place while running the equipment. It's called a soft open. By keeping the chemicals at their proper level, I have a clear pool when I finally remove the cover.

 

[PoolStored]

Fine dirt will go through my Loop-Loc mesh cover. That is expected since it's mesh. I had a solid Loop-Loc cover previously. It was heavy to put on and take off. I hated having to run a cover pump. So I have gone back to mesh. I don't wait until Memorial Day weekend to remove the cover. If I did, it would be a green swamp. I pull back a corner on the cover. When the water hits 60F, I start up the equipment. That is usually in April. Since it is still pollen and other spring debris season, I leave the cover in place while running the equipment. It's called a soft open. By keeping the chemicals at their proper level, I have a clear pool when I finally remove the cover.

I do the same, soft open April 15, but I put the dolphin in the pool and run it at least daily for a month until I remove the cover. Everything that got through the dolphin picks up, and I have a clear pool when I take the cover off on May 15.

 

[aggiejet]

Last year I pulled the solid tarp off on Fathers Day and there wasn’t any algae in my pool.

I netted and vacuumed a lot of pollen ball debris out of my pool on Monday. Maybe my cover is improperly sized but I doubt it. Regardless, there was a lot of debris that migrated under the cover and into the pool. I had higher expectations for that kinda dough.

 

[PoolStored]

I had higher expectations for that kinda dough.

Mom always said..."Happiness is the degree to which your expectations are met." LOL

I love my mesh and robot. Makes it simple. Other like the solid. More than one way to skin a cat. (Mom again...lol).

 

[1poolman1]

I live in Tulsa, ok area and for 20 years have used cheap 30x50 tarp and water tubes to close pool. However, we decided to try a mesh cover this year because well, you know, “the tarp is so ugly and the tubes and the……..” So we paid $6000 to have a Meyco Rugged Mesh safety cover installed. I have a fairly big pool, and it is irregular shaped. Here’s the result after pulling the cover off on Memorial Day. (I have better video but I can’t post those)

We have 25 mature trees on our lot, mostly huge oak trees. In the spring, there is a lot of 2-3” twigs of yellow pollen balls that are so numerous they require a wheat scoop to clean them up off of the surrounding pool deck. Needless to say, the way in which the cover lays on pool surround was inadequate to keep those out of the pool. Additionally, there was. LOT of good old fashioned dirt in the pool. Needless to say, I’m irate.

So next year, I’ll use the over priced mesh cover to support yet another cheap tarp and water tubes and hopefully that will mitigate the tarp from sagging in and collecting rain water and leaves in fall and rain water and pollen fur balls in the spring.

So if you need a safety cover to protect children and pets, go ahead. But know that depending on your surrounding flora and fauna, you’ll need extra protection.

You learned a lesson that most don't realize.
Regardless of how high a chlorine level you may have in the water, dirt sitting on the bottom/stairs/shelf or any other horizontal surface WILL grow algae.
The chlorine in a pool that is not circulating, especially not sending water to the lower part of the pool through a suction cleaner, pressure cleaner, robot, is in the upper two feet of the water.
Algae is a "plant," plants grow especially well in dirt. A mesh cover allows dirt into the pool. Without being cleaned algae will grow.

 

[wireform]

If this makes you feel any better here's a pool I was called to for an opening quote just yesterday.

 

[1poolman1]

If this makes you feel any better here's a pool I was called to for an opening quote just yesterday.
View attachment 578905View attachment 578906

I am very glad pools are not closed for the Winter in my area.

 

[Newdude]

The chlorine in a pool that is not circulating, especially not sending water to the lower part of the pool through a suction cleaner, pressure cleaner, robot, is in the upper two feet of the water

Rain stratifies the pool over the winter with a mesh cover. It's 0 FC on top, increasing to how it was left at closing on the bottom.

I ran tests at different depths for FC and also salt to conform this. I started draining only the top water by suspending the submersible in a bucket. Even after a couple hours of water movement into the submersible draining a foot, the top water still had 0FC. So I added mixing with the submersible afterwards as part of my winter draining procedure. Doing so I opened this year with considerably more FC, salt and CYA than I ever had at opening. I only lost 1/3 of each instead of 2/3+ when I used to drop the submersible to the bottom and unknowingly pump pool water out.

 

[Newdude]

My ride or die never questions why we are flooding the yard. No sir. He just helps the only way he knows how. He is the best helper.

 

[1poolman1]

Rain stratifies the pool over the winter with a mesh cover. It's 0 FC on top, increasing to how it was left at closing on the bottom.

I ran tests at different depths for FC and also salt to conform this. I started draining only the top water by suspending the submersible in a bucket. Even after a couple hours of water movement into the submersible draining a foot, the top water still had 0FC. So I added mixing with the submersible afterwards as part of my winter draining procedure. Doing so I opened this year with considerably more FC, salt and CYA than I ever had at opening. I only lost 1/3 of each instead of 2/3+ when I used to drop the submersible to the bottom and unknowingly pump pool water out.

View attachment 578928

Add water, or have rain, and your SWG will start reporting "Low Salt" for a while as well.
Test the water on a pool that has sat with no circulation over night and the upper 18" or so will show a higher chlorine reading than reaching down about an arm's length with the test block inverted then get the sample from there.
We had a nationally recognized pool educational facility, FPSIE, (until COVID killed it) that had a great test pool. A class by Taylor or LaMotte (don't remember) demonstrated that to us. I'd been in the business about 10 years before I learned that. After a couple of hours of circulation the upper water is an accurate measure of what is in the pool.

 

[Newdude]

After a couple of hours of circulation the upper water is an accurate measure of what is in the pool.

We are discussing a closed pool over the winter with no circulation and rain being added.

It's 0s on top and that's what bites people on the warmer days who open too late.

 

[1poolman1]

We are discussing a closed pool over the winter with no circulation and rain being added.

It's 0s on top and that's what bites people on the warmer days who open too late.

No argument there. Just an observation.

 

[1poolman1]

We are discussing a closed pool over the winter with no circulation and rain being added.

It's 0s on top and that's what bites people on the warmer days who open too late.

Its also likely 0 on the bottom as the dirt will "neutralize" whatever chlorine may be there and protect the algae from it.

 

[Newdude]

Its also likely 0 on the bottom as the dirt will "neutralize" whatever chlorine may be there and protect the algae from it.

I used 3/4 electric conduit / pvc to take bottom samples and they were exactly how I left them months later.

*sample size of 1* notwithstanding.

 

[ajw22]

I advocate for solid covers over mesh. Managing the weight and cover pumps is less of a hassle to me then the SLAM Process at opening.

YMMV.

 

[Newdude]

@aggiejet members have had good results from adding 3/4 or 1 inch foam rope under the perimeter of the cover to help stop crud from blowing in when the cover billows in the wind.

Which raises another question. Did you adjust the straps at all over the winter ? Both of my covers stretched the first year and needed tightening 2 or 3 times. Once it's taut it billows alot less.

 

[aggiejet]

@aggiejet members have had good results from adding 3/4 or 1 inch foam rope under the perimeter of the cover to help stop crud from blowing in when the cover billows in the wind.

Which raises another question. Did you adjust the straps at all over the winter ? Both of my covers stretched the first year and needed tightening 2 or 3 times. Once it's taut it billows alot less.

I did not. I didn’t know that was required. I got zero education about how to manage a mesh tarp other than “you could get a robot” when I asked about dirt getting into the pool. When I released the springs on Monday, it was very difficult. I interpreted that to mean there was plenty of tension.

I gotta got the impression that the salesman didn’t want to allude to any extra gear or work to use a mesh cover. So we naturally thought for that kind of money, the dang thing would be “the answer.” After reading these posts, I get the impression that there isn’t a an easy solution.

What is this foam rope you speak of? I’m aware of the stuff you cram in cement cracks as filler when trying to seal cracks with Sikaflex. Is that what you are talking about?

 

[aggiejet]

If this makes you feel any better here's a pool I was called to for an opening quote just yesterday.
View attachment 578905View attachment 578906

It does make me feel better. Here’s where I’m at.

 

[Newdude]

What is this foam rope you speak of? I’m aware of the stuff you cram in cement cracks as filler when trying to seal cracks with Sikaflex. Is that what you are talking about?

Yes. Closed cell backer rod or such. Home depot / Amazon has spools for cheap. Or piece meal it with 25 footers.

When I released the springs on Monday, it was very difficult. I interpreted that to mean there was plenty of tension.

Yes on the first couple. After that they may have been tight from the weight of the cover with some springs off.

So we naturally thought for that kind of money, the dang thing would be “the answer.” After reading these posts, I get the impression that there isn’t a an easy solution.

Hit us up when you start thinking about closing time. We'll hatch a plan.