PowerPlastics Pool Covers continues to lead the industry and champion pool safety in South Africa through superior products and educational initiatives. As the original creator, designer and manufacturer of the South African Solid Safety Pool Cover or baton Safety Cover in South Africa, replicated by several others, PowerPlastics Pool Cover continues to innovate by adding a new automation system for the solid cover. This has just launched in time for the summer season.

The PowerPlastics Pool Covers VektorPro is an automated rollup system designed to aid the use of the cover.

“When it comes to children and pool safety, one of the most dangerous mistakes parents make is to purchase a safety cover but not actually use it. While it is easy enough to manually cover a pool right after use, adding the PowerPlastics Pool Covers VektorPro makes it truly effortless,” says Roger Bester, managing director of PowerPlastics Pool Covers.

The VektorPro rollup station is also a great alternative when fully automatic slatted covers are too expensive for the average home. VektorPro bridges the price gap and is favoured for its affordability and the added convenience of a semi-automatic cover.

“It’s the perfect accessory for those with a safety cover and small children. Although the PowerPlastics Solid Safety Cover is fully workable on its own, the VektorPro assists users of this cover, especially those operating the cover single-handedly. The unit slots into the cover’s batons and rotates the cover,” says Bester.

What to look for in a solid safety pool cover – understand safety compliance

Substandard materials and installation methods have a direct impact on a solid safety cover’s efficiency and longevity. When efficiency relates to lives, it can’t be more critical. Choose a brand that understands compliance and has been covering pools for decades, not weeks.

“Wide industry collaboration and years of research has gone into laying out the pool safety guidelines and, in South Africa, the function is addressed by the SABS, forming part of the national building standards, specifically SANS 10134,” says Bester.

The cover specs you need to know / the technical questions you should be asking include: 

• Are there any gaps or openings that allow unsupervised entry? If yes, can one fit a ball of 9cm x 14cm x 30cm through the gap? (this being the size of a child’s head or torso)
• Can the device bear weights of up to 220kg? (static load test)
• Opening test – is the cover sufficiently anchored to prevent a child from gaining access to the pool water?
• Does rain or sprinkler water drain off, so the cover is dry within 10 minutes, with no pools forming on top of the cover?  
• Is the cover installed by an accredited installer?  

The PowerPlastics Solid Safety Cover is SA’s bestselling safety cover to prevent drownings. The baton and ratchet system creates a tensioned PVC cover that a child is not able to tamper with and small drainage holes prevent pooling on top of the cover. The cover also comes with a compliance certificate.

“Safety aside, this innovative cover also addresses two critical areas in South Africa – the need to save water and electricity. The cover keeps the water cleaner, which leads to a reduction in filtration and it stops evaporation too. Local innovation for local issues,” concludes Bester.