Tips for keeping winter cover on

rj2222 · Oct 27, 2023

So I have a solid cover I'm going to use for the winter. It's branded Coleman and has a drawstring type deal with a little plastic clamp thing to tighten it.

Either I'm doing it wrong or this thing won't get tight enough with the built in string to stay solidly around the pool, it keeps falling in in spots.

The drawstring and clamp part does get pretty tight but the clamp thing maybe just keeps letting the string loosen like after rain gets on top. There's no pre-built loops to tie the edges down like tarps might have.

Any ideas to get it to stay on? It'd be ugly, but a bunch of plastic clamps to keep it on the horizontal frame bars? Hoping someone has good ideas

Tnt17tnt · Oct 27, 2023

You want it to sit on the water and not too tight as it is.
I can't tell you how this will turn out but I feel confident it will be great for the winter with my cover (27 foot above ground so cover is about a 6" to 8" overhang).
Harbor freight clamps/clips. Also if you don't have one then Amazon has some as well. Just know the medium to large size or better and the smaller ones are more like chip clips.

Spring Clamp Set, 14 Piece

Amazing deals on this Spring Clamp Set 14Pc at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Tnt17tnt · Oct 27, 2023

There's a red tie cable for my cover I haven't even tighten it yet- I may eventually but I have a leaf cover over the winter cover so I want to get that off once the leaves are done. And I might just put it back on and add more clips if needed.

Mdragger88 · Oct 27, 2023

There are “clips” that are basically like 1/2 radius pieces of thin pvc pipe that can secure it a little better - i have never used them personally.
Pool Cover Clips Pool Clips for Backyard Above Ground Backyard Swimming Pool (White) Amazon.com

With my 16’ I just used several ratchet straps all hooked to each other & it worked fine . As mentioned above the cover should rest on the water in the pool which will give it support when it rains otherwise the cover will pull on the top rails & can cave the pool in.

rj2222 · Oct 28, 2023

Thanks everybody. I did buy an air pillow and did not drain (yet, still deciding) even a drop of water from the Coleman/Bestway AGP. Just with the drawstring I can only get it so tight. I filled my air pillow like 80% full but it still makes a big bump in the middle of the cover, used string to keep it centered. Could the air pillow being such a bump be the problem or is it ok if the entire cover isn't sitting right on the water. When it rains I do get a little moat of water around the pillow like a halo.

Could definitely get some clips like that from the hardware store or off Amazon too.

Tnt17tnt · Oct 28, 2023

Most companies on the air pillows are recommending a 60% inflation, however I probably went 70% myself.. I have 2 huge Yankee 4 foot by 8 foot ones myself. I had them tied but let them loose when I covered it, assuming they would stay in the center together. But now they moved a little to the front so I had to lift the cover up in a spot and unclip it and used the telescopic rod and pushed them back to the middle.
You could try deflating a little see if that helps with the cover. As far as it not all the way sitting flat on the water I am not sure myself what will happen. Possibly a tear in the cover if it's stretched too tight? First year and winter for me as well.

Mdragger88 · Oct 28, 2023

So long as the water is supporting the cover you’re ok - even if its just the moat part & the pillow is keeping the middle supported.
Heres some handy graphics that came with my new cover

The string is just there to keep the cover from falling into the pool or coming off. Its not gonna be air tight or anything. You can always buy one of these to replace the string. I went with the ratchet straps because I already had them. Anything you tighten should be snug but not cranked down so much that you might make the legs move.

rj2222 · Oct 28, 2023

First year keeping it up for the winter for me too so definitely learning as I go.

Figure 2 upper left with the checkmark is my moat

I see what you mean on the ratchet strap now, thanks for that picture. Would that even work for Bestway pools or only the more legit AGP with the harder/firmer parts (not sure how to describe it)?

Gonna run to the hardware store later, see what they have. But having to fish 18 feet of cover out of the water except the part on top of the 4x4 pillow is getting old fast

Thanks for the tips everybody.

Mdragger88 · Oct 28, 2023

When using the supplied rope I recall looping it around some of the legs.
When I mentioned the ratchet straps I meant these kind that I already had laying around

But I use the red cable kind for my big pool now as I would need alot of those pictured above!
It may take a little finagling but any of these options would work. As mentioned, you want it snug & secured but not so tight you bend any legs or move them.
If the issue is that the cover is not large enough to enough overhang then get a larger diameter cover.

rj2222 · Oct 29, 2023

I see what you mean now. I ended up buying some spring clamps, and about a day later so far so good, will see how it holds up the first time it rains or snows.

phonedave · Oct 31, 2023

rj2222 said:
I see what you mean now. I ended up buying some spring clamps, and about a day later so far so good, will see how it holds up the first time it rains or snows.

Rain or snow should not cause your cover to pull any more than it already is. You cover (aside from the part over the pillow and the part over the wall) should be laying on the surface of the water of your pool. It should not be suspended. Any accumulation of water on the top of the cover should not pull on the cover to any great extent.

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Tips for keeping winter cover on

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Spring Clamp Set, 14 Piece

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