Routine maintenance and cleaning
Looking after a pool cover
A cover keeps out debris, reduces evaporation and holds heat. It needs a little care of its own to keep doing that.
Pool covers in Dubai are used for different reasons depending on the season: to keep sand and leaves out, to cut evaporation in summer, or to hold heat in winter when a heat pump is running. Whatever the type — automatic slatted covers, solar bubble covers or safety covers — debris on top, chemistry underneath and sun on the material all affect how long it lasts.
Routine guides describe one part of regular pool care and how to do it properly.
Leaves and water left on a cover add weight and stain it; debris can slide into the pool when the cover is removed. Under a closed cover, chlorine lasts longer because sunlight is blocked, so dosing may need reducing to avoid very high levels that can damage the cover material. Removed covers should be stored clean, dry and out of direct sun.
The short version
Keep the top clean
Debris and standing water add weight and fall in when the cover opens.
Adjust dosing under a cover
Chlorine lasts longer in the dark; very high levels can harm cover materials.
Protect from sun when off
UV and heat age covers that are left lying in the sun.
Cover care routine
Cleaning
Removing leaves and sand regularly and rinsing the cover before it is rolled up.
Chemistry
Testing more carefully when the cover stays closed for long periods, and venting after shock.
Mechanisms
Automatic covers need their tracks, motors and slats inspected as the manufacturer recommends.
Watch for
- 01
Discolouration or brittleness
Signs of chemical or UV damage.
- 02
Water pooling on top
It adds weight and stains.
- 03
Debris falling in on opening
Clean the cover before retracting it.
Common questions
Can the cover stay on while shocking?
It is better to leave the cover open after a shock dose until chlorine falls back, as very high levels can damage some cover materials.
Does a cover reduce chemical use?
Often, by reducing debris and sunlight loss of chlorine.
Should a cover be used in summer?
It reduces evaporation and debris, but can raise water temperature; that trade-off depends on the pool.
Related pool care guides
- Cleaning pool steps, benches and ledgesA routine task that prevents the same trouble.
- Cleaning the coping and deck around a poolA routine task that prevents the same trouble.
- Maintaining a rooftop or terrace poolPool care for a related situation.
- Weekly or fortnightly pool serviceA related choice about how the pool is looked after.
This guide sits under pool maintenance. Browse all pool care guides. We look after pools at homes and commercial properties across Dubai.
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Describe the pool and the question. We will answer directly, and say when the honest answer is that nothing needs doing.
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Next step
Have a cover that needs attention?
Tell us the cover type and what you have noticed. We will advise on care and chemistry.