The standard that the pool cover industry references is from ASTM, a company known and referenced widely for safety standards for many industries. The ASTM standard for pool covers requires the ability to hold at least 435 pounds.
Above Ground Pool winter Tips and Guidelines
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.
While covered throughout winter, water is sure to build up on the pool cover. This is when a cover pump is essential to keeping water off the cover. Automatic pumps can be left on the cover. But Aqua Pools recommends removing the pump, including the hose, and bringing it inside during freezing weather.
The water level should not be lower than 18” from the top of the pool. If your water level goes down further than 18”, the cover could stretch out too much and either rip or cause anchors to pull out of your deck. For most manufacturers of Solid Spring type pool covers, this could void your warranty!
The official standard states, "In the case of a pool with a width or diameter greater than 8 ft. from the periphery, the cover shall be able to hold a weight of 485 lbs. (2 adults and 1 child) to permit a rescue operation." In certain unusual circumstances, the weight may be even greater.
The standard that the pool cover industry references is from ASTM, a company known and referenced widely for safety standards for many industries. The ASTM standard for pool covers requires the ability to hold at least 435 pounds.
The important thing to make sure that a pool cover is able to hold that much weight is that it should float on the water and evenly distribute any weight that is put on it. Saying that, it is NOT ADVISABLE to stand or walk on the pool cover, however durable it is, except in cases of emergency.
Safety covers should be drum-tight, with only a slight deflection in the middle. When covers are too loose, leaves can blow under easily, and a high water level in springtime quickly traps leaves and turns your cover into a giant tea bag.
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.
Although it's not recommended for a major storm, you can use a pool cover for lighter sprinklings, or moderate rain that doesn't involve any severe wind to protect your water. Remember, the rain is acidic and is out to get your chlorine.
Possibly the most dreaded step of the process is removing the pool cover. Before you can remove the cover, you have to remove the water that's on top of the cover. While you can try siphoning the water off with a garden hose or scooping it with a bucket, a much more effective method is to use a pool cover pump.
After most of the water is evacuated, you can open your cover 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to gather any remaining water, put your cover pump back on for a couple of minutes to remove remaining water, and then you are ready to open the pool cover the rest of the way to swim.
For safety reasons; if someone should end up under the pool cover, air will come in through the holes. These small holes prevent a large pool of water from getting on the pool cover.
Safety cover sagging is okay, well in most cases. It is not the safety-cover that supports the snow and ice. It is the water underneath your cover that helps it and keeps it from sagging too much. Whoever sold you the cover should have warned you or directed you to read the directions.
Cover is Loose or Slack
Many times the cover is simply too large for the pool. In this case, fold the cover under itself, to leave 3-4 ft of overlap all around the pool. For areas of limited space, use extra water bags.
If your dog falls through a pool cover, they can become trapped and disoriented and potentially drawn. Fortunately, you can prevent such a tragic event from ever happening by training your dog to avoid the pool cover and using preventative safety measures to keep them safe.
You should cover your pool every night for several reasons. First off, a pool cover saves energy and conserves water by decreasing the amount of make-up water. Also, it reduces the consumption of chemicals, and finally, it saves a lot of cleaning time since it keeps the debris out of the pool.
Pool fences are ideal because they are very secure, and they are easy to open and close. Pool covers take time to secure and un-secure, so they can be quite inconvenient. This often leads to accidents, because people don't want to take the time to secure the pool cover.
High-quality pool covers can safely hold about one to two feet of snow before they start straining. If you expect a large amount of snowfall, make sure you're constantly cleaning snow off your pool cover.
Most automatic safety pool covers on average last 4 to 6 years if you maintain them properly. We recommend that you buy a pool cover that comes with a pro-rated warranty. That way, you can always ask for a replacement if you notice issues within a few weeks of purchase.
Many automatic pool cover pumps can be fully submerged in water and will collect leaves and debris from the cover in addition to pumping water.
Problem: When motors are submerged under water, the drowning is usually fatal. Occasionally a partially submerged motor will survive, if taken apart and dried internally, unless it was running at the time of the flooding!