Rain on pool Cover, in several spots

[Finkle]

So, this is my first year in this house, and the pool has a mesh safety cover. When I opened in the spring, it took me a week and a half and at least a dozen bags of shock to clear my pool. I plan on switching to a solid cover, especially since this cover is old and has some holes in it, but cannot afford it just yet. So this year I decided to buy a tarp and zip tie it over the safety cover with water bags around the perimeter so I can prevent the rain water and other organic material from contaminating the pool. However, now I have a different problem. The rain water is pooling in three different spots on the cover (one at each end and one in the middle). I have a sump pump in a 5 gallon bucket that I drilled a bunch of holes in so it will pump the water but not get clogged with leaves.

The cover is collecting in three spots, which seem to be square in shape, like one section of the cover between the seams. Its becoming a pain to keep moving the bucket around to pump the different spots. Any ideas on how to get the water to collect in one spot in the center? I tightened the straps in some spots in an attempt to get it to pool in the middle , which may have been a mistake, now the springs are completely compressed which probably isn't good. I expected to see the cover sink a bit, but it doesn't take much water to do it. This is just really motivating me to make sure I can afford a new solid cover next year.

Any help is much appreciated.

Nick

 

[duraleigh]

I don't have an answer. I don't cover my pool but have a big tarp over firewood that I try, without success, to keep ANY water from accumulating in the low spots. Same principle and I have never done it with complete success.

You did a nice job with the tarp and your sheet rock bucket is clever, too.

I have often wondered if anyone who closes their pool has attempted to "tent" the cover so it remains off the pool and high in the middle. Snow would probably collapse it, I guess.

Others that cover the pool might have better insight but I think yours is a common issue that you can perhaps minimize but maybe never get rid of completely.

 

[JohnT]

It looks like your water level in the pool may be way too low.

 

[Finkle]

Where should my water level have been? The folks that came out to blow out my lines said 4in below skimmer.

 

[JohnT]

Usually mesh covers are specified as 15 below the deck.

I suspect your problem is that you have a mesh cover that stretches, but you are asking it to hold weight like a solid cover.

No matter how you cover the pool, it will need vacuuming when you open. It would seem to be less trouble to just let the cover drain into the pool.