I am trying something different this year with my above ground pool cover and want to stake it into the ground to keep it off the water. Does anyone roughly what size bungie chords I should get to go from the cover grommets to ground stakes?
Anyone rough bungie chord size for above ground pool cover to ground stakes?
- Thread starter spacerobot
- Start date
- Nov 30, 2019
- 854
- Pool Size
- 8500
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
You can get cord material along with separate terminal ends from Amazon and custom fabricate to desired length.
Depends entirely on the cords. They range anywhere from 2x to 5x length expansion. Personally I think I'd use something like paracord before I'd use a bungie.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,775
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
If it is a solid cover (no mesh strip) when water/snow/ice collects it will pull on the walls/top rails if the middle of the cover is not supported by sitting on the water inside the pool.
I drain to about 4-5 inches below the skimmer and let the cover sit on the water, as well. It's held in place (just slightly snug, to prevent it becoming a neighborhood UFO 
) by just the winch and cable that came with the cover. We get the most aggressive winds from the west/northwest direction. I have on occasion, staked a few weighted chlorine jugs on that side using paracord, just to keep the cover from billowing. It seems to help a bit.
As for suspending completely off the water? Personally, I would never, as stated above, want the cover pulling that hard on the wall/top rails of the pool. But it's your pool and your decision.
Actually, that's the beauty of this place. You can ask for advice, but you're not obligated to follow it. And if you choose to follow your own path and run into future trouble, the same folks who offered "alternative" advice, will still be here to help you fix any problems you have. No bashing, no name calling, (maybe just a little judging.)
How can you beat that?
Good luck with whatever you decide!
) by just the winch and cable that came with the cover. We get the most aggressive winds from the west/northwest direction. I have on occasion, staked a few weighted chlorine jugs on that side using paracord, just to keep the cover from billowing. It seems to help a bit.As for suspending completely off the water? Personally, I would never, as stated above, want the cover pulling that hard on the wall/top rails of the pool. But it's your pool and your decision.
Actually, that's the beauty of this place. You can ask for advice, but you're not obligated to follow it. And if you choose to follow your own path and run into future trouble, the same folks who offered "alternative" advice, will still be here to help you fix any problems you have. No bashing, no name calling, (maybe just a little judging.)
How can you beat that?Good luck with whatever you decide!
I'll weigh in as #3 on it not being a good idea.
Every cover I have ever had states in the instructions that it needs to be supported by laying on the water. Suspending it over the water is just asking for the pool walls to pull in and collapse.
It sounds like a great idea, until you realize how much inward force it is putting on the pool wall, which is designed to take outward loads, not inward.
Every cover I have ever had states in the instructions that it needs to be supported by laying on the water. Suspending it over the water is just asking for the pool walls to pull in and collapse.
It sounds like a great idea, until you realize how much inward force it is putting on the pool wall, which is designed to take outward loads, not inward.
FYI, fun story.
My father in law (back before I knew him) had an oval ABG. He built a giant PVC pipe contraption to suspend the cover off of the pool, with a peak running down the middle to keep the water off.
It worked great, rain and leaves ran right off the cover. . . . . then it snowed.
Luckily he was into SCUBA diving at that time, so he had a dry suit. He suited up, and had to retrieve a bunch of collapsed PVC pipe from the pool.
My father in law (back before I knew him) had an oval ABG. He built a giant PVC pipe contraption to suspend the cover off of the pool, with a peak running down the middle to keep the water off.
It worked great, rain and leaves ran right off the cover. . . . . then it snowed.
Luckily he was into SCUBA diving at that time, so he had a dry suit. He suited up, and had to retrieve a bunch of collapsed PVC pipe from the pool.