During the swim season, if you know a storm may be coming your way, plug in your pool cover pump and place it on top of the pool cover as close to the middle as possible. (The pump and cord are fully submersible – except the plug itself.)
After it rains, you should remove standing water as soon as possible. To do this, you'll want to use a siphon or a water pump. An automatic pool cover pump is one of the most useful pool supplies in New Haven County, CT because it can remove standing water from your cover without you needing to do the work.
If a major storm is in the forecast, it's best to skip the cover altogether. Automatic covers are even less advisable because they are costlier, and you can't “secure” them any more than the original design. So, don't use the pool cover in heavy rains and major storms.
Permeable safety covers allow rainwater to enter your pool and flow out through the built-in overflow mechanisms. But a solid cover can collect rainwater, weighing it down and causing damage. Any pool that uses a solid safety or winterizing cover must also have a pump to remove water from the cover after it rains.
Essentially, any time your pool cover has more than 2 inches of water on top of it, be sure to drain the excess water off as soon as you can before it builds up. Remove as many leaves as possible after they all fall and before the water on top of your cover freezes.
Water displacement in above ground pools is quite common. Over the winter, the weight of the snow and ice push down on the cover, which can cause the cover to displace some of the pool water. The displaced water spills out harmlessly onto the deck, unbeknownst to the pool owners.
If a pool cover is durable and is installed properly, it can hold a considerable weight and therefore it is enough to be walked on, if necessary.
They Keep Your Pool Clean
Your pool will quickly become very dirty, and it may even be unsafe to swim in if you leave it uncovered for more than a day or two. It also makes it much easier to keep your pool clean since the pool cover will catch all this debris.
Keep it covered.
Covering the pool is a good way to prevent algae growth. The right cover keeps algae from entering the pool, but it also keeps leaves, bugs, bacteria, and dirt from decomposing in the pool, providing algae with food.
In dry and/or windy conditions, the evaporation rate of the pool increases. Therefore, it is generally beneficial to have a transparent or bubble cover on during daylight hours. In warm, humid conditions the evaporation rate decreases. In this case, it may be more beneficial to leave the cover off during the daytime.
Hassle And Energy
Even with all their great benefits, having a pool cover means you need to take it off whenever you want to use the pool. This process is made much easier today with roller systems and the like, any pool cover will require a small amount of manual labour.
Color. “A UV-protected, translucent blue color offers a better balance between heat retention and pool chemical protection,” Dobrica says, adding that a clear cover will warm the pool water the most, but it will also allow more UV rays, which can make chlorine less effective as a disinfectant.
According to the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), most pool covers should be able to support a weight of 485 pounds. But keep in mind that this standard is for pools with a diameter of 8 feet or more, and different covers can have different weight capacities.
Without the pool air pillow, ice would expand outward, putting pressure on your pool walls and causing potential damage to your cover, liner, and pool walls.
It is vital to remove excess water from solid tarp style winter covers, commonly used on above-ground and some in-ground pools, to avoid damage to the cover and the pool. This can easily be done with a submersible pump on your pool cover whenever temperatures are above freezing, and liquid water is present.
We recommend covering your pool with the bubble side facing down for the best results in warming your pool in the summer sun. The sun's UV rays will heat the bubbles and in turn, transfer heat to your pool water.
Typically, a good-quality solid safety pool cover lasts from five to ten years, depending on how often it is used and how much it is exposed to many elements such as dirt and sunlight.
For example, a vinyl pool cover with maximum sun exposure may only last a year while an automatic pool cover may stay viable for 3 to 7 years.
A common reason for high chlorine can be the addition of a pool cover. Leaving the pool cover on for extended periods, can dramatically increase the chlorine very quickly. Sun will "eat" away chlorine fast, however the pool cover will prevent this from happening.
We recommend it, yes. A pool cover does much more than just cover your pool in the winter. It can keep heat in your pool, keep leaves out of the pool, and save your chemicals and water from evaporating.
Spread it out so you have a chance to inspect it for any rips or tears. If you own an Arctic Armor winter cover place it black side down, as this is the proper configuration for when the cover is actually installed on the pool.
An automatic pool cover is one of the best ways to prevent pool heat loss because it keeps the warm water inside your pool and keeps cold air out so the water maintains a consistently comfortable temperature. Pool covers can reduce your pool heating costs by up to 70% by reducing evaporation.
Some people use an inner tube or exercise ball instead of a pool pillow, but they often deflate during the winter season, as these items are not designed to stand up to the elements.