Depends on your geo, but since leaf nets tend to have rather large holes, any broken debris will drop through. These nets tend to sink too, so the organics will be in the drink too, not a good place. Wet organics are heavy making things worse.

If this is an in-ground, the leaf net is a serious safety concern. Just about anything alive that falls in will become entangled be it a person, dog, wildlife, etc... Above grounds, with their wall (assuming no decking around it, are somewhat less of a concern to people.

Scott

Thanks Scott! I hadn't thought about the safety concern. Yes, it is an inground pool and we live in Georgia.

I am looking for similar information. We live in Houston and will not be closing/winterizing our pool. When the leaves drop around December it is necessary to empty the skimmer baskets at least three times a day. We usually go out of town for a week or so around that time and having someone come to the house 3 times a day is difficult to arrange. We were thinking that when we go away we could cover the pool with a leaf net temporarily for a week at a time while still running the filter. All of the leaf nets I've seen are designed to go on top of a winter pool cover. Any suggestions?

While you don't winterize in your neck of the woods, a mesh safety cover might serve you well. While somewhat costly, leaves tend to blow off. Since the pool isn't used but is being circulated, lifting a corner to add liquid bleach for chlorine is not a difficult thing to do once or twice a week or as testing indicates the need.

Scott

Scott,
I have a salt pool and would leave the Aqua Rite on. What type of "mesh safety cover" are you referring to?

There are many brands. I sell Loop-Loc brands and so I will point you there. Other reputable brands in my area are , in so far as the actual cover is concerned are Merlin and Meyco.

Cover makers sell to the channel who in turn sell to the end users. Most are not DIY initial installations. Experience counts! Poorly done installations will take years off the cover life.

Attaching the cover after an initial installation is typically a two person affair and should be taught to the homeowner. It's not hard to do. I taught my teen aged daughters several years ago as well as hundreds of homeowners.

Because mesh safety covers are stretched tightly over the pool's perimeter, it stays dry. A safety cover's primary function is safety but has an added benefit in that leaves that land on it normally get blown off by the wind. There may be some slight blow under of debris in windy conditions but not enough to mess a pool up like an uncovered pool would get. A pool sweep run on occasion is usually enough to keep it spotless.

Remember that when the pool water drops to just below 60-F, the salt cell will shut down. Fortunately, chlorine loss, bio-baddies and algae growth also slow so adding bleach on occasion is needed but not often. The colder the water, the less frequently it will be needed.

Scott

Here is a link that might be useful: Loop-Loc Safety Covers