Do I need a pillow in my pool?

[hel2002002]

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.

 

[cowboycasey]

and that is the question.... The reason behind it is to keep the water of the cover... If you have a way to tie it and keep it in the middle that would work... Or just get a cover pump and pump the water off...

I just don't cover mine

 

[Donldson]

IMO it's a totally pointless thing to use. I don't understand the logic behind it, water gets on the cover and isn't going to spill over anywhere else. The pillow just creates one small area that's not under the water. And removing water from the cover doesn't have much of a point either, the cover isn't holding the water up it's just laying on top of the pool water. So if anything a pillow is just putting unnecessary stress on the cover. I have never read a good reason to use them, they all seem to boil down to "I've always used one so it must be important".

 

[wireform]

It may be a bit early to close. Water temp above 60 degrees will create a algae swamp in a short time. If you absolutely have to cover and close make sure you have a way to get liquid chlorine in and have a submersible pump mixing it up until the weather gets cool enough that the water remains below 60.

 

[jark87]

I use styrofoam pieces that came with my cover. The cover attaches to anchors around the pool and the styrofoam pieces help keep it taut. That helps when blowing leaves off the cover.

 

[hel2002002]

Thanks for the replies!

 

[jlt19]

I feel like when we bought our pool, the store owner said the pillow was to keep the water from icing and putting pressure on the walls. I get it's not useful for directing where the pooling water goes, but is there another way to protect the water from creating an ice layer? I do keep a submersible pump on the cover in the middle, so maybe that will serve that purpose as well?

 

[bover907]

It's my understanding that the pillow is actually called and ice compensator. The theory is that the pillow lets the ice expand inward instead of outward, thus not affecting the walls of the pool.

Many people think the pillow is to keep the cover off the water, and go to great lengths to keep their cover tight like the cover on an in ground pool then wonder why their cover is ripped in the spring. It just doesn't work that way.

An AGP cover is supposed to float on top of the water in the AGP. You pump off excess water build up with a pool cover pump, or siphon it off with a hose periodically to keep it from getting too heavy. I've seen people say they don't cover their pool, but I have a giant row of cedar trees next to my pool, so I have to cover it. I've always had the best luck when I just let the cover lay on top of the water. No tension, no ripped cover. This year I tried this thing called a Pool Pillow Pal. It basically uses velcro to adhere the pillow to the center of the cover. Since this is my first time using it, I'll have to report back how it works, but I can tell you it was very easy for the wife and I to cover it ourselves, as the pillow being stuck to the cover actually helped us float it over the surface of the pool.

 

[1Sammy]

I'm with Donldson on the use of a pillow. For most it will sit on top of the water and once freeze up comes the ice will form under it and the full surface will be frozen edge to edge. Now if it was under the surface, sure it could aid in the expanding of the ice. My wife always says, it don't have to work, it just needs to sell.

 

[Newdude]

I have known a few dozen people with above grounds, some going back 30 years. Not a one of them ever had an ice expansion problem due to pillow or no pillow. Some of those years it was a foot thick or more. Ice expands up and not out. If it’s frozen above the cover, it’s frozen below also so that line where the cover sits has the same pressures on the wall either way.

the only real concern is if the skimmer fills and freezes. When the mass of ice shifts while melting it can take the skimmer with it and buckle the whole wall.

personally I like the pillow for a totally different reason. If it stays somewhat centered it will keep the leaves and debris towards the edges where it is easier to scoop out.

 

[bover907]

What @Newdude said. I wasn't saying I agree with the selling point, just what they say. I also like it for keeping the debris and the excess water near the edge for easy removal. A good number of my friends don't use them.

 

[Wes_Clark]

Bover907 is correct, the air pillow is an "ice compensator", and it is for the water on TOP of the cover, not in the pool. Because water, ice and snow will build up on top of the cover, the weight and pressure will continue to push on the cover near the edges of the pool. My brother in law didn't use one and the ice pushed out his sidewall and he needed a new pool. The pillow allows for the ice and snow to compress in towards the pillow, alleviating some of the stress on the cover and sidewalls of the pool. As Bover907 mentioned, The Pool Pillow Pal helps float the cover in place on the pool and keeps the pillow centered. Also, Hel2002002 said the deflate, which they do. If if "pops" due to pressure of the ice, it did it's job, but if it leaks or deflates, it can become useless. I used and Air Valve Sealer which is on Amazon to seal the valve of the pillow.