As winter approaches...

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Whjr15

Member
Jul 6, 2019
14
NE Ohio
Hi all,

As the season is nearing the end, I am trying to think of a way, or a procedure, to keep water from pooling on my winter cover. Last year so much accumulated, that I was left with less than half of the water in the pool that I closed with! The water on top of the cover pushed down on the water in the pool, and it went right out the return hole! I was none the wiser, as the water level appeared to be the same from the outside!

My cover is the solid (tarp-like) ratcheting style. There’s gotta be a way to raise the center enough so that the rain/melting snow just runs off, right?! I can’t be the only person this has happened to! I’m ready to fabricate something out of pvc, because opening this year was a bear (although, what was left of the water IN the pool was crystal clear thanks to you guys & this site!!)

What have some of you, more experienced above ground pool owners, found to be the best remedy?

Thanks!
 
What size and type of pool do you have? Weight and wind will push water out. Also leaks I learned makes one think that water is lost through the top when it is not. I lost far less last year with a fixed liner leak than the two years previous.

I'm in TN. We usually don't have a lot of snow, but we had those two years with all those bruttal polar vortices that reached us. If I remember, I used the back end of a push broom and scraped the snow towards me and basically kept it swept off. When I got the snow out near the outer rim; I'd take my arm or the broom handle and scoop it out on the ground.

For water, I use several pieces of water hose set around the pool. I don't use a pump. Just put one end of the hose under a limestone rock as far as I can reach and siphon the other end. Sometimes I'll attempt to keep the short hoses primed but sometimes those six inch rocks will move and get out of reach; so I recommend moving the rock or other weight when done. My pool is only 18' round AG.
 
I can't offer much, as I don't close or ever cover my pool, but I've had similar issues with keeping rain out of boats. For one I made a tent of a tarp using the boat's mast (horizontal) as a center support. For the other, I built a PVC frame that supported a tarp in the middle. Is there a reason "closers" don't use a PVC "tent pole" in the middle of their covered pools? Or a triangular truss that spans the pool from side to side if putting things on the bottom is the issue? I've read here often about the swamp created on top of winterized pools. Some use pumps to keep the water from pooling too much (or is that just at winter's end?). Seems like making a pitched roof of sorts out of the cover would be a common solution? Just spitballin'... I'm sure I'm missing something about the winterizing process...
 
Well, in spite of my state of denial, pool season is waning I guess. :( Here are a few threads to keep an eye on. And/or check the "What's new" page for threads about closing in general and your particular issue.

Do I need a pillow in my pool?

Hello, I'm about to close my pool and I have always use a pillow but it always keeps shifting and by the end of the winter it also get deflated. My pools is an above ground pool but it is mostly under ground, see pic bellow. So the question is do I need it or not. Thanks. Henry.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

winter float needed

Hello again all! Well this wasn't a great year for the pool with all the rain and storms and such here in CT! Actually never really got in it! About that time of year to close! Didn't have much luck with the air pillow last year! Deflated mid winter! Tried a siliconed plastic trash...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
Dirk said:
I can't offer much, as I don't close or ever cover my pool, but I've had similar issues with keeping rain out of boats. For one I made a tent of a tarp using the boat's mast (horizontal) as a center support. For the other, I built a PVC frame that supported a tarp in the middle. Is there a reason "closers" don't use a PVC "tent pole" in the middle of their covered pools? Or a triangular truss that spans the pool from side to side if putting things on the bottom is the issue? I've read here often about the swamp created on top of winterized pools. Some use pumps to keep the water from pooling too much (or is that just at winter's end?). Seems like making a pitched roof of sorts out of the cover would be a common solution? Just spitballin'... I'm sure I'm missing something about the winterizing process...
Click to expand...
Yeah I must be missing something too, because putting together a simple pvc structure seems like the way to go. Those floats never made much sense to me because the water is drained to a level below the return, which would require at least a couple feet of additional height to raise the cover enough to let water roll off... Also, it seems like it would move around too much to be relied upon.

I’m gonna try the pvc frame route and will update at closing! Unless someone chimes in and gives me a great reason not to!
 
gregsfc said:
What size and type of pool do you have? Weight and wind will push water out. Also leaks I learned makes one think that water is lost through the top when it is not. I lost far less last year with a fixed liner leak than the two years previous.

I'm in TN. We usually don't have a lot of snow, but we had those two years with all those bruttal polar vortices that reached us. If I remember, I used the back end of a push broom and scraped the snow towards me and basically kept it swept off. When I got the snow out near the outer rim; I'd take my arm or the broom handle and scoop it out on the ground.

For water, I use several pieces of water hose set around the pool. I don't use a pump. Just put one end of the hose under a limestone rock as far as I can reach and siphon the other end. Sometimes I'll attempt to keep the short hoses primed but sometimes those six inch rocks will move and get out of reach; so I recommend moving the rock or other weight when done. My pool is only 18' round AG.
Click to expand...
24’ above ground. No leaks, brand new liner last year, and didn’t have to add water at all the entire season. I was looking for a “hands-off” solution, as manual removal of water/snow/ice would be crazy tedious, and not at all “trouble free” lol!

I guess I was looking for a concrete reason as to why the “pvc framework” idea was a bad idea. Unless there’s something obvious I’m overlooking, I will update at closing! I WON’T go through, again, what I went through this spring... That’s for sure!
 
you could potentially use a micromesh cover. that's what I do. keeps the leaves dirt out and is lightweight and rainwater just passes right through it. Though there are a few times during the year I have to pump out some excess rainwater from the pool
 

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Whjr15 said:
24’ above ground. No leaks, brand new liner last year, and didn’t have to add water at all the entire season. I was looking for a “hands-off” solution, as manual removal of water/snow/ice would be crazy tedious, and not at all “trouble free” lol!

I guess I was looking for a concrete reason as to why the “pvc framework” idea was a bad idea. Unless there’s something obvious I’m overlooking, I will update at closing! I WON’T go through, again, what I went through this spring... That’s for sure!
Click to expand...
look into the little giant with the extra arm attachment. I just kept it on all last winter and it pumped water out as needed.
 
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