Winter pump under cover?

[jtech1]

I see a lot of threads about cover pumps, but I have a SmartMesh cover, and it was recommended by the installer to put a sump pump in the pool to automatically drop water level if it gets too high... but, if I sit it on my swimout and adjust the float switch to keep the level where I want it, the pump and discharge line will freeze and the motor will be toast. If I put it in deep water and manually turn it on and off when I need to drain water, the discharge line will still freeze and I wont be able to pump when frozen. Other than checking it every month and dropping the pump in and taking it out each time, any better way to do this?

It is also a pain in the neck to unhook and re-hook 5-6 cover straps just to check the water level. I would love to find a device that will detect water level... I was even thinking of an IR wireless camera under the cover. Anything to make this easier.

The main thing I am trying to prevent is the water getting to skimmer height, or shelf height. I have 3 color cascade bubbler niches on my shelf and if water gets into them it will freeze. I put foam in the niches but I doubt that will keep things from getting messed up if it freezes.

I dropped the water level to 16" below coping since I was told that is what Merlin requires... but the installer told be it did not matter... just below the skimmer would have been fine. They said the Merlin cover does not need any support from the water. There is no pillow or support under the cover. Is this correct?

 

[steveg_nh]

Hmmm. Wish I had a suggestion, but I'm curious about the same thing...

 

[duraleigh]

the discharge line will still freeze and I wont be able to pump when frozen

I don't close so I am speculating but it seems like you could "blow" the discharge line down to the pump in the deep end and then uncap it when you need to drain. Depending on how often you have to do it, that could be a PITA or perhaps just an infrequent chore.

 

[Bama Rambler]

You could get a sump pump and a float switch like this one. If you don't install a check valve and the discharge line is open, the line will empty itself when the pump shuts off so it won't freeze solid.

 

[jtech1]

Yeah... I was definitely going to use a float switch, but even without a check valve, it will only flow back down discharge line to the pool water level and still freeze.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Not knowing your location I didn't know that the pool froze. You'd have to figure out some way to blow the line out and valve it off. That might be more trouble than it's worth.