If you use MCCC you could just disable it as an autonomous option entirely with the MC Tuner features. That's what I generally do with things which sims are entirely too obsessed with.
I haven't seen very many mods which just reduces the autonomous attraction of things, usually they just turn it off completely, making those mods superfluous if you use MCCC. There are quite a few things where I don't want it off, just not quite as desirable as the default game tuning, but I almost always have to make my own tuning mod for it..just not many such options out there.
I totally agree about pool covers, btw...I just said that in another thread a couple days ago.
