Air Pillow for above ground pool closing?

[ChaosChris]

Hey guys how many of you are using an air pillow under your winter cover? I have used one for the last 2 years and I am finding it is just causing my cover to blow in the wind more than anything since the water tends to shift to one side of it the first big wind we have causing the air pillow to move to one side of the pool more. Than i have no water on the other side of the cover to keep it from blowing in the wind. I have to buy a new cover this year so I was thinking about just leaving the air pillow out. I usually install my cover then put some water on top to keep the cover from blowing. I am in a high wind area so it still blows even with pool wrap around the whole pool.

Just wondering what others think. Some people claim the air pillow is a must to help when the water freezes so it won't damage the pool.

 

[wjr75]

With my parents above ground pool I would drain about a foot below the skimmer and then use one of the big blue pillows. I used strong string connected on the opposite corners of the pillow to center the pillow in the pool and connected the other ends to the rail on opposite sides. You need to leave slack in the sting so it lays on the water so when the cover is on you don't leave pressure on it. I then added some water on top of the pool cover to help keep the pillow centered. You want a good cover so the water on top doesn't leak through to the pool.

 

[woodyp]

I think you'd need 2 to maybe 3 pillows and tie each pillow off on each long side of the pool to stop from shifting.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I read once that some folks use big beach balls, which at this time of year should be discounted to move them out.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I've done it with and without the pillows. I prefer without. I tied the pillows off on the four corners and they still broke loose and wound up on one side.

To me it's easier without the pillows. I use a leaf blower to keep the leaves off the cover so the pillow isn't really a help. Granted, it doesn't freeze solid here but I have to syphon off a lot of water over winter.

 

[gtty]

I used multiple pillows (one large 14ft long and 4 smaller 4x4 pillows) on my pool and held the cover down with bungee cords that kept the cover tight against the pillows.

 

[layla2052]

I prefer no pillows. I don't lower the water so the cover is fairly shallow on top of the pool. I have pool cover pump that has auto on/off ($40 on Amazon) that keeps the water off & I use a leaf blower on anything else.

 

[PridgNYC]

I use truck innertubes, 3 of them tied together and anchored to opposite sides of the pool.

 

[danpik]

Plastic 55 gallon drum. Picked one up at a local place here for $5.00 (clean).I have used it for at least 10 years now

 

[JoeSelf]

If you use the pillow, the trick is not to blow it up all the way. I needs to be partially inflated not fully inflated. I use two circle floats that look like inner tubes. I tie them together and they stand up to being in the water better than inner tubes. i can adjust the location of the floats by pulling on the strings that I tie them with at the ends of the pool.

 

[phonedave]

I use one. I just tie it off and it stays in place. I like it because it lets all the leaves and water collect near the edges, for easier removal.

-dave

 

[SueCoop]

I use truck innertubes, 3 of them tied together and anchored to opposite sides of the pool.

Are these regular trucks, like F-150....or the big tractor-trailer trucks?

 

[PridgNYC]

Are these regular trucks, like F-150....or the big tractor-trailer trucks?

Big ones, they double as rafting inner tubes... Huge New Truck Inner Tubes River Tubes Snow Tubes Rafting Tubes 10 00 20 | eBay

 

[jeffchap]

I used a truck tire inner tube last year, but it didn't work very well. I'm going to try putting my solar blanket under the cover this year.

 

[DianeF1]

We used a huge truck tire and two "River Rat" tubes - tied all of them together then tied them to the sides of the pool to keep them relatively centered. We lower the water and use a giant tarp to cover that we then tie down to eyes we have screwed into boards that are along the sides of our pool - rectangle Intex are super difficult to cover IMO. We then criss-cross rope over the top of the pool to try to limit (doesn't eliminate) the "jiffy pop popcorn" lift on the cover as our pool is in a major wind area.