Best way to get the water off the cover?

[DThompson55]

I'm looking for recommendations to get the pool cover off without spilling any muck from the pool cover into the pool. I've never done this successfully as long as we've owned the pool. This year I've been using a little pump, recommended in these forums, with a weighted end and a squeeze ball to get the syphon going. And it's fine as far as it goes, but it's slow, and the weighted end forms a kind of a well where new pool water seeps in through the cover, so there will still be a lot of water left if it ever finishes. Thoughts?

Or... are you supposed to just let the muck go in and let the filter clean it up for you?

Also, I figured out how to connect the vacuum hose directly to the pump, prime it, and use it to pump just over a foot of water off the top, that just leaves a few dozen gallons to deal with tomorrow. Happily, no leaves to speak of but i've never seen the water this low.

Also, no idea what happened to the pillow. It was there 8 months ago.

 

[Edge70]

I use something like this on top of my auto cover to pump off the rain water. I'm sure it would get the majority of water off for an opening also..... Submersible Pool Cover Pump | Pool Supplies Canada

 

[DThompson55]

@Edge70 - Brilliant - I know I have one somewhere, or I had one. I'll have to keep looking. Thanks!

 

[Mdragger88]

To help your little siphon pump out u can also just use a water hose to siphon with a brick or something holding it down.
Put the business end of the hose on the cover (with a weight) then hook the other end to the spigot, turn on the water until u see no more air bubbles coming from the hose end on the pool cover, next quickly turn off the spigot, unscrew the hose & take it down near the pool & throw it on the ground - the siphon should begin.

 

[Mdragger88]

Also, When the water gets quite low - flip the little bulb siphon pump u have upside down (with the holes facing down) to get the rest of the water off the cover.
It also helps to take the pool broom & sweep the water into a puddle (avoiding known holes) so the pump never sucks air or too much pool water. When removing the cover 2 people is best. That way u can fold it in 1/2 (like a soft taco ) keeping all the water/debris inside the taco persay.
then pull it towards u, gathering the edges as u go & pump out the rest when u only have a little pocket of water left in the cover before u pull it over the wall.

 

[DThompson55]

@Mdragger88 - brilliant - we did the soft taco idea, undoing the wire only half way around so that one side is always attached. Did what you suggested, pumped that water out, worked the edges in, undoing the wire as we went until we had a smaller and smaller bag. Ran the surface pump in there for an hour and easily removed the tarp by rolling it over the side. Possibly the easiest pool opening ever.

 

[phonedave]

Water is heavy (8+ lbs per gallon), so if you think you are just going to heft a big bag of water over the pool wall, think again. You did the right thing, work into into a smaller and smaller bag, while pumping out the water

I use this pump on my pool - 1/3 HP Submersible Utility Pump 2000 GPH

and for my hot tub as well.

I use it with 100' of this hose to get the water to a drain in my backyard.

1 in. x 25 ft. PVC Discharge Hose

Amazing deals on this 1In X 25Ft Pvc Discharge Hose at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com