We are purchasing a home that has a swimming pool built in the late 50's with a hydraulic lift, 2 panel, fiberglass pool cover. by turning a level the cover lifts off of the pool and converts to a shade awning on either side. we have never seen anything like it and are trying to decide if we should keep it or not. the pool needs to be re-done, it has not been touched in over 7 years. does anyone know anything about these covers? should we keep it?

I personally have never seen a gizmo like yours but it sounds like a great idea, as long as it works properly I would keep it, every pool needs a shady area to loaf in. Also there should be less of a drain on your chemicals if you use the cover for shading. Direct sun has a tendency to use them up in a hurry.

707: What decision did you make, keep it or trash it?

IT Test

We purchased an older home with the same pool cover as yours. These pool covers are awesome, they lower chemical use, keep the pool spotless, and they also serve as a solar heater to keep the water at a "swimable" temperature in cooler weather. The company who made them is no longer around, but the covers are very basic and you can repair them almost entirely yourself with a little research. The hydraulics system is very basic and can be repaired by anyone with knowledge of hydraulics. Keep the cover. There is nothing like it made today and these things cost thousands of dollars to install. Most people cannot afford one, which is probably one of the reasons the company is not around.