Winter cover hold down - jugs, bags or cable?

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Taylorbay

Taylorbay

0
Jun 10, 2014
27
Heiskell, TN
hi All

Last year was our 1st year with a pool (above ground) so we used the cable/wench that came with the cover, we also used one pillow, then we added clips as the winds started blowing, then the pillow made its way from the middle to one end to the other end so on and so on. We spent about every 3-4 days pumping water off that cover (lots of rain i guess in East TN last winter).

When we went on vacation last month we threw the leaf net over the pool (we have a ton of trees around the pool) and bungee corded water filled jugs to the leaf net. I was pretty happy with the way it has held so I've decided to use the ole' water filled jugs for the winter cover. A couple questions please --

are there water bags that work the same? while I'm not completely opposed to jugs, matching bags would look nicer and be easier to store over the summer, are they reusable? how long do they last?

are the jugs all i need?

what do you all use? pictures would be appreciated :)
 
We have struggled with this also. I had the same experience with a "pillow" (used an old tire inner tube) moving the first year and that year our cover flopped up and down all winter like Jiffy Pop popcorn. Enough so that I ended up with a leak between the cover and my pool water, drained about 6-8 inches of pool water when we were opening it up in the spring. I tried the cover clips also and found them to be junk.

Last year, we stuffed cloth in the gaps around the pool supports and also used the "pool cover wrap" (2 rolls on 24' pool). We also used straw bales as a wind block on the north end of the pool. That was a lot better but still the cover flopped around and drove me batty. We kept a few inches of water on the cover also, but the wind would blow the water to one side. Finally we decided to use some jugs of water to hold the cover down. It worked the best yet.

This year, we are not using the cover wrap (DH idea, mine was to use three rolls), and we are going to use some clamps like for woodworking to hold the cover on, and I have saved several bleach bottles over the summer and we are going to bungee cord or somehow use them. It won't be the most attractive look, but luckily I live with no neighbors behind me. I am optimistic but also ready to read others experiences.

Good luck


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With the wind today I can see that the winched cable can probably use a little help and I thought about using plastic jugs but then I got a bunch of nylon rope out and ran a number of crisscross ropes above the cover between the pool support arms. I think that should do the trick. Still might add a number of jugs, can't hurt.
Larry
 
I'll try to post pic(s) tomorrow or Sunday of mine. I have a 28' round 52" Doughboy Tuscany.

It has been a b***h the last few years, but kids are high school age now so it's gotten much easier for all of us. I use 2 air pillows, tying mason string to keep them about 12-16 inches apart. Then I tie each to opposite sides of the pool onto our solar cover reel bases that stay on the top edge (rail). Keeps them from shifting. I winch the cover tight as I go around...pulling and easing it until it's as good as it's going to get. Then I fill and use 8 of the last 1 gallon chlorine jugs filled with pool water that I saved, tie a 28"-30" piece of mason string to the jug handle and then leave enough to tie thru a grommet in the winter cover AND the cable...(important) and double knot it, then lay jug up and over onto the cover along that pitched angle of cover - suspended on cover, not down to water line. Then I use that shrink wrap looking stuff in a 500' roll and run that around the perimeter until it's gone, trying to get as much coverage over the lip of the pool and the cover and underneath the edge to block wind from creeping under and disturbing it all. Seems to be worth the money and hassle. Then...I run about 10 minutes worth of the garden hose and run water onto both sides of the 2 pillows that split the cover basically into 2 halves, so we have two small "ponds", one on either side of pillows and this keeps it from flopping in the wind and the pillows from shifting. Has worked flawlessly the last 3 years...and I live out in the boonies with no trees to speak of and it gets windier than you could even imagine out there.

Wife works with a gal that bought one of those bigger winter covers that runs down the inside edge of pool and comes over edge and further down the outside, so you winch it tight about 32"-36" off of the ground level rather than right underneath the lip....swears it's the way to go, and ours is getting to the point of replacement, so I may go that route next year. I know Poolsupplies.com has them. Attached is a pic of it from their site. PC.jpg
 
richierich said:
I would use a micro mesh cover so you don't have to worry about pumping water off the cover. To keep it on don't use jugs or cables. Use these. Work amazing. HDX 2 in. Spring Clamp-80002 - The Home Depot
Click to expand...

In the past I've used a few shorter hoses and sucked to a siphon to rid the water on top. Now I own a 1 hp pump that pulls any water I have off and out thru a hose in a matter of about 3-5 minutes max. If I used a micro-mesh cover (like a neighbor did....once) my pool would look like chocolate milk when I opened it up. And I own those clamps and some smaller than that and bigger. Mother Nature where I am laughs at that, my friend.
 
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