Anyone have any secrets on taking a cover off a 27' AG with it being just the wife and myself? This time of year I am working or going to baseball game (nephew high school baseball team is ranked #2 in the state, and it is playoff time) so it makes it hard to set up a day or time to get people over to help. So I am trying to figure a way to do it myself.
AG cover removal
- Thread starter Poolidiot
- Start date
I don't have much experience on that side but what about some type of a reel system and a hand crank? Just a suggestion... I am sure others will jump in as well. Good Luck.
We leave one side (1/2) of the cover attached to the pool and then pull the opposite side across using rope attached to the cover. This causes any items on the cover to stay on the cover. After getting it folded in half we start removing additional clips and continue to fold. When the cover gets folded to a managble size, approximately 2 feet wide by full length, we then carry it to an open area, unfold clean and dry for staorage. After its clean and dry it is then folded like a salvage cover so it is easy to put back on in the fall.
The problem I see with rolling it up like a solar cover is what ever is on top ends up in the pool. this is one reason I am switching from a Solar Blanket this year and going to try the Solar Sun Rings and see how they work out.
Good Luck and Happy Pool to all
The problem I see with rolling it up like a solar cover is what ever is on top ends up in the pool. this is one reason I am switching from a Solar Blanket this year and going to try the Solar Sun Rings and see how they work out.
Good Luck and Happy Pool to all
I find the solar cover to be a major hassle, and I cannot think of anything I hate more about a pool. Everything else is fine. To me though, the easiest way to get the cover on or off of my AGP is to just get in and fold/unfold it and roll/unroll it. Then I set it on the edge, get out, grab it, and toss it in my rubbermaid short shed type whatever it is. The lid opens up and the front opens out.
I have thought of a reel, but they take a big footprint in the yard. I have thought about a reel system that I could transfer from posts over to my fence, but with the landscaping that would be a hassle. It is doablle though, you could wind it on, then transfer it from one side to the fence, then the other side to the fence.
I have also heard of people cutting it up into 6' wide strips. Not too sure if it would actually help or not though, if the pump kicked on, I would imagine that they would just spin all on top of one another.
The rings look fine, and I think my brother is going to get some, I am interested in seeing how they work out.
I have thought of a reel, but they take a big footprint in the yard. I have thought about a reel system that I could transfer from posts over to my fence, but with the landscaping that would be a hassle. It is doablle though, you could wind it on, then transfer it from one side to the fence, then the other side to the fence.
I have also heard of people cutting it up into 6' wide strips. Not too sure if it would actually help or not though, if the pump kicked on, I would imagine that they would just spin all on top of one another.
The rings look fine, and I think my brother is going to get some, I am interested in seeing how they work out.
sevver said:
I agree with you. I have a reel for my solar blanket and do hang it on the fence, but that still requires 2 people minimum. It rolls from the center and like I said dumps any dirt on top of it into the pool. :x
I have ordered 12 of the rings and should be here next week. I got them at a good price on E-bay through a best offer bid and saved a few bucks that way. Hopefully with my Garden Hose Solar Heat and the rings all will be good. I will post a review on them after I can evaluate them.
DrC,
That is the way i was thinking of trying, you do it with just you and the wife? and it is doable with 2? Thanks all for the post
That is the way i was thinking of trying, you do it with just you and the wife? and it is doable with 2? Thanks all for the post
DrC said:
Garden hose solar heat? would that be a diverted water stream through a black garden hose?
- Apr 8, 2007
- 1,616
- Pool Size
- 17450
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
We built a reel system on posts in concrete about 2.5' off the end of the pool - hand crank, rolls right up one person operation both off and back on (pull 2.5 into pool, straighten out then pull as it unreels.) This design was thanks to Matt - it works great. We used black steel posts set about 1.5' above pool level, alum conduit runs from post to post - bearings in the end with crank. Very nice.
What size posts? What size conduit. What did you use for a bearing chase? Do you have close up pics of it? I would like something like that, but I would want it to be able to have one side lifted off, and swung over to the fence, then lift off the other side and walk it over there to the fence and have it slip onto similar mounts that it came from. I am more interested in how to make it easy to crank than I am in how to make it easy to relocate.
Poolidiot said:
NWMNMom has an oval pool. You can see some pics here, though they are not close-ups (at all!) Pic 1 and 4 give you a vague idea.
Poolidiot said:
Yes it is very managable for me and the wife. The hardest part of removal is carrying it out to the side yard to unfold and clean but just due to the 24 foot length. Putting it back on if folded as a Salvage Cover (both sides folded into the center) makes that easy also.
sevver said:
You got it. I have (4) 120 foot sections of 5/8 black garden hose on the south side of my garage roof, soon to be 600 feet total. I added a 1/2 inch tap off of my return line that feeds the hoses using PVC Schedule 40 hard plumbed to the roof level. A pair of quarter turn ball valves control the amount of flow in and out of the hoses.
Yesterday was a good sunny day, finally. Pool temp was 72, I opened the valve at 10:00 and the water temp from the roof was 94 (had been sitting there) allowed it to full flow and at 5:00 when I turned it off the water from the roof was still at 82 and had lost part of the sun due to a neighbors tree.
Total cost less than 100.00 :-D
- Apr 8, 2007
- 1,616
- Pool Size
- 17450
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Cover Reel
Matt is the one that came up with this design I used - He has a round pool and I believe Huskerfan (Donya) on PF also has a round pool and used Matt's design as well, except I think she used a swing out design so it was moved out and away. Ours uses 1" black steel pipe for the uprights/posts which stand appx 1.5' above pools top rail - they are concreted into the ground appx 1'. The conduit is 2" -
Its funny I saw this thread again today as we were working on these this week anyways. I just ran out and snapped some pics. We are in the middle of replacing the straps so they are not re-attached perm to the conduit until tonight - DH originally attached them too short to start with and I have since then been unhappy with the 2" gap it left at the front of the pool so I cut them and replaced with new except to attach to the conduit. I have them wrapped and taped until he wakes up - he is on shift work so I am guessing just about sundown I will have them attached again at the length I LIKE! He rivets the straps. (excuse the long grass/weeds - its been raining for days and now teenagers need to get busy with weed whip today!)
black steel posts/pipe into the ground
from front of pool viewing the setup
[color=]View of the crank - bearings welded into large washers, welded onto post/pipe[/color]
Matt is the one that came up with this design I used - He has a round pool and I believe Huskerfan (Donya) on PF also has a round pool and used Matt's design as well, except I think she used a swing out design so it was moved out and away. Ours uses 1" black steel pipe for the uprights/posts which stand appx 1.5' above pools top rail - they are concreted into the ground appx 1'. The conduit is 2" -
Its funny I saw this thread again today as we were working on these this week anyways. I just ran out and snapped some pics. We are in the middle of replacing the straps so they are not re-attached perm to the conduit until tonight - DH originally attached them too short to start with and I have since then been unhappy with the 2" gap it left at the front of the pool so I cut them and replaced with new except to attach to the conduit. I have them wrapped and taped until he wakes up - he is on shift work so I am guessing just about sundown I will have them attached again at the length I LIKE! He rivets the straps. (excuse the long grass/weeds - its been raining for days and now teenagers need to get busy with weed whip today!)
black steel posts/pipe into the ground
from front of pool viewing the setup
[color=]View of the crank - bearings welded into large washers, welded onto post/pipe[/color]
- Apr 8, 2007
- 1,616
- Pool Size
- 17450
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Yes it is empty and it has never sagged. We originally built it with the black iron welded across too - but that DID sag. The hollow conduit works wonderful - even when the cover is rolled up and has some water in it, no sagging AND it is light and easy to roll up or out. This works so GREAT, I love it.
Mine's a 30 foot pool, this is what I have - one change - it now rests on 4x4's fastened into teh ground instead of on Patio blocks.
Reel easy to roll up - pardon the pun, sometimes the cover wants to suck towards the middle and bunch up, I just do two turns one side, pull cover out, go to other side, pull cover out, two turns, pull again back to side one etc, takes all of 1 minute to remove.
Putting it back on is easy and can be done two ways - from inside pool, just pull and walk it backwards - 15 seconds, from outside of pool with a couple of back and forths, maybe 1.5 minutes at worst in windy conditions.
The sag that's there is what it came with (recycled irrigation pipe) however, I'm glad it's got it, it stops it from being grabbed by the wind and just being unrolled as I'm trying to cover the pool - gives just enough resistance but does not make it tough by any means - still a one hander.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ ... 0_2895.jpg
Reel easy to roll up - pardon the pun, sometimes the cover wants to suck towards the middle and bunch up, I just do two turns one side, pull cover out, go to other side, pull cover out, two turns, pull again back to side one etc, takes all of 1 minute to remove.
Putting it back on is easy and can be done two ways - from inside pool, just pull and walk it backwards - 15 seconds, from outside of pool with a couple of back and forths, maybe 1.5 minutes at worst in windy conditions.
The sag that's there is what it came with (recycled irrigation pipe) however, I'm glad it's got it, it stops it from being grabbed by the wind and just being unrolled as I'm trying to cover the pool - gives just enough resistance but does not make it tough by any means - still a one hander.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ ... 0_2895.jpg
After reading all these posts, I have come with an idea. My solar frame is close to the pool. I do not have the space for a huge roll of solar cover so I was thinking about getting some webbing and making about 6-8 cradles attaching one end to the solar frame and the other end to the pool supports. (any ideas ?) Then rigging up a roller and using plastic tubing a bit higher then the side of the pool. Strickly to roll the cover over the end caps. I saw someone put ilets in the cover with rope....5-6 then rope to a single ilet, attach another rope to pull the thing across to the other side. Not too sure how to get it off the pool and into the "craddle" though..Any thots?
If you have space, you can permanently mount the reel off the end of the pool, one man operation is easily possible - mine on a 30 foot round takes me maybe 1.5 - 2 minutes to roll up NICELY, or 15 seconds all bunched up. You can use the design I came up with across the center of your pool too - it allows you to roll up and unroll the cover with one person as well, but you would need a 3rd post to swing the reel away off the center of the pool using one of your posts at the pivot end.
Oh - BTW - with regards to the dirt that sometimes gets in your pool when removing the solar cover.....the way I look at it is if you didn't have the cover, that dirt and a whole lot more would be in your pool anyways - that's why we have vacuums!
Oh - BTW - with regards to the dirt that sometimes gets in your pool when removing the solar cover.....the way I look at it is if you didn't have the cover, that dirt and a whole lot more would be in your pool anyways - that's why we have vacuums!
Re:
DRC:
Would you mind giving me a little more info on your solar system and maybe a picture of how you have it mounted?
I am very interested! Thanks! Tammi
DrC said:
DRC:
Would you mind giving me a little more info on your solar system and maybe a picture of how you have it mounted?
I am very interested! Thanks! Tammi