Winter cover advise - time to close the pool

[bigretic]

So, I'm fairly new to the whole pool thing. This is the 2nd full year of it. Happy wife, happy life, right?
Anyway, it's a 27 foot above ground (round). The winter cover that came with it was a piece of poo. Ripped at the seam in the middle of the pool during the winter last year, so I need a new one. Wife says, just by another like that and keep replacing them. I say horse poo. I don't like the wire and tensioner fastening system of it either - and the fact you have to over flood on top of the cover with water to keep it down, which doesn't really even work because the wind gets under there anyway and water moves and the dumb thing is flapping in the wind anyhow. I think the whole setup sucks. Why isn't there a way to put the floats in the middle and create a high point so that no water collects on top of it? Would snow be the issue, weighing it down?
If you like or have some input for me I'm all ears. Need to buy or order a new winter cover setup asap.
Thanks. -d

 

[CountryBoy19]

Although your situation is a bit different, I'll weigh in with what little I know. My parents have an in-ground pool at their place. When they winterize they put 2 tractor tire inner-tubes under the cover as floats. These keep the cover elevated just enough to keep snow-melt/rain running off the cover. This is the way I have always seen it done. I, personally, don't know much at all about winterizing a pool so I can't say much more than that.

 

[littletommy]

We have a 20' round pool, and I experienced the same thing with the cover. I bought a 27x27 tarp from harbor freight, it was $19 and some change, and have used it for 2 years now. I rolled a 2x4 up in it and ran a few deck screws to secure it on the deck side, and used tent stakes and gallon jugs full of water around the rest of it to hold it down. I bought some cheap inflatable beach balls to keep a high point in the middle, but still had to pump water off a time or two last winter.

 

[vanguard2010]

Go to intheswim.com they have everything you need for winterizing and super fast shipping. I have used the cover I bought from them for 5 years now and it is still in good condition.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Somebody makes a system that creates a "dome" under the cover. Not sure how it works though. I have just seen it at the pool place near my house as I drive by.

 

[Booya]

I have a 33,000/Gal unground and I bought a safety cover for several reasons (kids mostly), but the thing I like the most is it blocks sunlight/dirt/leaves... Etc. It also allows water/snow to drain through. Meaning, I drain it down to just below the skimmer when I close it, but by the time the snow melts and the rain starts it's full again when I remove it. Clean as a whistle.

 

[SkullDaddy.45]

I have a 33,000/Gal unground and I bought a safety cover for several reasons (kids mostly), but the thing I like the most is it blocks sunlight/dirt/leaves... Etc. It also allows water/snow to drain through. Meaning, I drain it down to just below the skimmer when I close it, but by the time the snow melts and the rain starts it's full again when I remove it. Clean as a whistle.

Same situation. I closed mine about a week ago. We drain it down about 6 inches under the return jets, by spring time the water is right where it needs to be. I used to pay to open and close it, was costing me $850 a year. Now I can close and open it in about an hour!! $850 is now used for buying guns!

 

[bigretic]

Go to intheswim.com they have everything you need for winterizing and super fast shipping. I have used the cover I bought from them for 5 years now and it is still in good condition.

Which cover and is it the cable type or the clip type?

 

[Hardscrable]

So, I'm fairly new to the whole pool thing. This is the 2nd full year of it. Happy wife, happy life, right?
Anyway, it's a 27 foot above ground (round). The winter cover that came with it was a piece of poo. Ripped at the seam in the middle of the pool during the winter last year, so I need a new one. Wife says, just by another like that and keep replacing them. I say horse poo. I don't like the wire and tensioner fastening system of it either - and the fact you have to over flood on top of the cover with water to keep it down, which doesn't really even work because the wind gets under there anyway and water moves and the dumb thing is flapping in the wind anyhow. I think the whole setup sucks. Why isn't there a way to put the floats in the middle and create a high point so that no water collects on top of it? Would snow be the issue, weighing it down?
If you like or have some input for me I'm all ears. Need to buy or order a new winter cover setup asap.
Thanks. -d

Welcome to the club ! And yes, our pool is to keep the wife happy. I have tried cheap covers & expensive ones. Ours is in an area hit hard with northwest winds so winter is hard to deal with. I have yet to find a cover or fastening system that works well for us. We have wood covering the edge of the entire pool. I have resorted to screwing slats down all the way around. This works better than cables , clips, water filled jugs, etc. for us. The downside is that each screw puts a hole in the cover. After a couple years these holes get bigger and become an issue. We live in a rural area and the covers that let water through also let all the dirt blowing from farm fields in.

You definitely need a "pool pillow" or inner tube in the center under the cover. As water freezes & expands, it absorbs t he pressure and relieves the pool walls.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

PM Mrs Evilwrench. She is a professional pool goddess and qualified as a Certified Pool Operator. She teaches the experts what they know. She knows the answer to every question you could think to ask. She knows everything else, as well. Telling her she may expect a PM.

 

[SkullDaddy.45]

PM Mrs Evilwrench. She is a professional pool goddess and qualified as a Certified Pool Operator. She teaches the experts what they know. She knows the answer to every question you could think to ask. She knows everything else, as well. Telling her she may expect a PM.

Umm, she's standing right next to you isn't she? Nice, extra points before bedtime!!

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Well, she's up half a flight of stairs (trilevel), but I told her what I was posting. She approved.

 

[Mrs Evilwrench]

Gentlemen, the very first thing I always recommend is this: check your homeowner's insurance policy! Oftentimes they will not cover a claim, especially for Above-ground pools, if weights are hung on the cover or things like railroad ties and concrete blocks are used to hold a cover in place. That being said, for AG pools put an inflatable pillow, a few cheap inflatable rings, etc into the center of the pool. DO NOT INFLATE THEM ALL THE WAY!! You want expansion room once the water freezes. Use some method to hold the cover/tarp in place: I used clips from the pool store. Ten shrink wrap the cover all the way around! Make your kids do this part- they like to run in circles and get dizzy! the wind cannot get under the edges of the pool! Put a couple of inches of water around the "island" of inflatables and rest easy until Spring. You do want to pump excess water off of the top of the cover. That's it. Easy-peezy and no one gets hurt.