Here’s what you should know about automatic pool covers

by habiba_abudu | March 22, 2019 3:42 pm

By Michael Shebek

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Automatic pool covers have become a standard offering in many pool builder bids and are no longer just an option on their projects. As more and more consumers request these products, some pool professionals—new and old—could use a refresher course on why automatic covers can be somewhat scary to those who do not understand them, and profitable to those who do.

Understanding how they work

Many pool professionals across the country agree the automatic pool cover market is growing exponentially, which is largely due to the fact consumers are now more aware of these products as an option for their pool.

The inability for a builder to explain to a potential buyer how an automatic cover generally works, or how they can benefit from one, can make that builder a riskier choice for that buyer. At the simplest level, an automatic cover comprises two parallel tracks, one on each side of the pool. Each track has two channels which allow a rope to travel down the poolside, around a pulley at the track’s end, and then along the backside of that same track into a housing. The vinyl cover is attached to the poolside rope so when the non-poolside rope is pulled, the cover is drawn out over top of the water.

A tube is used to retract the cover into the same housing.
The manufacturer’s drive system contains the ‘brains’ as to how fast or slow the system moves. It determines how the cover will stop at each end of the pool, and it may have technology to prevent damage if the cover becomes under stress during operation. For specific details on how the drive system works, depending on the cover being installed, builders should contact one of the industry’s four cover manufacturers, including:

• Aquamatic
• Automatic Pool Covers Inc.
• Cover-Pools (Zodiac Pool Systems Inc.)
• Coverstar and Pool Cover Specialists (Latham)

Understanding cover savings

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The automatic cover may be unrivaled in the savings they can provide a pool owner; therefore, it is essential for pool professionals to remember to promote these cost-saving benefits. Covers actually reduce the overall costs of maintaining a pool and help retain heat when it is not being used by preventing chemicals and water from evaporating, which together contributes to a reduction in the operational cost of running the pool.

For instance, gas-heated pools equipped with automatic covers can save approximately $2000 in heating cost per year (depending on the region). Further, the use of a cover can save approximately 30,283 L (8000 gal) of water from evaporating throughout the year.

Being able to cover a pool with an automatic cover in approximately 45 seconds, consumers can save thousands of dollars in unnecessary pool utility bills. Best of all, the annual cost to operate an automatic cover is roughly $5 per year.

Understanding convenience

Today’s consumers are looking for maximum enjoyment from their pool investment. They do not want to work at maintaining the pool; they simply want to enjoy it. Understanding this customer reality is why the demand for automatic covers is rapidly growing. These devices open or close in less than one minute, and do not require the consumer to store them in their garage, pool house, or at the service company’s warehouse. When a pool professional is discussing the idea of a cover with a prospective customer, it is important to include these convenience factors as part of the conversation.

Convenience also relates to water chemistry. For example, pool builders should explain why it is important to keep debris out of the water and how the use of an automatic cover can help them do this. Once consumers realize they will spend less time keeping their pool clean by installing one of these products, it continues to be a much easier sale.

Understanding cover safety

Automatic pool covers are also purchased for their safety benefits. Pool owners recognize the security that comes along with these products by being able to cover and close their pool when it is not being used. Some pool owners have told the author they feel better knowing their pool is closed when they are away or on vacation and not supervising the pool. They know the cover cannot be re-opened without a security code or a key, which gives them peace of mind. On new pool sales, the ability to offer this safety feature to a potential customer may further the opportunity to sell the prospect a pool.

Many pool professionals agree selling the benefits an automatic cover offers can be much easier than that of a non-automatic one. On the flipside, many installers say that after the automatic cover has been installed, most homeowners state they chose it for the convenience of not having to manually remove a mesh cover each time they want to use the pool.

While seasonal safety covers are a good option for six months out of the year, when they are not being used during the summer months they do not provide safety.

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Understanding cover esthetics

Though it is not necessarily among the top reasons
a pool owner chooses an automatic cover, the product does offer an added ‘esthetic’ bonus that it can ‘disappear’ when it is opened. This feature often seals the deal when selling these products on a new pool project.

Pool professionals should encourage customers who are wrestling with the idea of selecting an automatic cover to do so prior to the construction of their pool. By doing so, it allows the cover to be installed under the coping with a hidden track. If they wait to add the automatic cover later, they will need to contend with a track on their deck, which is not as appealing for those who are concerned with the overall esthetics of their pool and backyard.

Finally, with so many colour options available today, automatic covers can complement the backyard design and complete the look of the entire pool area.
A cover’s colour options are an added esthetic benefit that pool owners can easily choose to co-ordinate with other feature items in the backyard.

Understanding installation and labour options

Installing automatic covers requires a certain amount of skill. As with any installed product, the question pool professionals need to determine is whether they want to sell, install, and service the automatic cover, or simply include it in their quote and outsource everything.

Some builders start the process by selling and installing these products but then outsource these services as their sales volume increases. Another reason why some builders choose to outsource automatic pool cover installation and service is it eliminates the need to hire, fire, and/or lay off employees in the off-season. In fact, by outsourcing these services, it allows builders to concentrate on installing more pools. In either case, the final decision comes down to each builder’s personal preference and competitive advantage.

The market demand for automatic covers continues to grow each year. Pool professionals have tremendous profit potential when they truly understand how automatic pool covers work and the benefits they can offer their customers. Whether a builder chooses to install and service them or subcontract this work, now is the time to become educated on automatic covers and add them to the company’s product offerings. It is up to builders whether they are ‘scared of automatic pool covers’ or not. Once a builder becomes familiar with these products, they will soon relate with pool owners who say, “I’d never own another pool without an automatic cover.”

Many pool professionals across the country agree the automatic pool cover market is growing exponentially.

[4]Michael Shebek is the president and owner of Automatic Pool Covers Inc., a manufacturer of covers based in Westfield, Ind. Shebek has more than 20,000 hours of in-field pool cover service experience. His business was started in 1979 as a pool cover installation and service company and today the company creates innovative automatic pool cover products. He can be reached via e-mail at mshebek@apc-mfg.com.

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/whats-scary-automatic-pool-covers/

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