Importance of Removing Water/Snow from pool Cover

[bjxds]

New pool installed this year. We will be gone for an extended period of time after the pool is closed. I was concerned about torrential rain and or unusual snowfall and not being able to immediately pump the water off a cover or out of the sump tube if needed.

The salesman recommended a mesh cover. His reasoning was that any rain and snow melt would go thru the cover into the pool and since the skimmer and returns were sealed any excess would just run over the pool/deck and drain into the yard.

After further research about both types and talking with the guys that close the pools, I am considering having a solid cover installed. The consensus is that it will keep the pool cleaner and it is better to have any rain/snow melt pumped off the cover or allowed to run off the cover and onto the deck as opposed to overflowing the pool and on the deck.

How much water normally is held on the cover?
I understand pumping the water off is better sooner rather than later, it may be a few days before I could have someone pump it off when we are gone.

What about the snow, it could be weeks before it melts, and what if we get an unusual blizzard type event? I assume there is really nothing that can be done to prevent that if we are home or away.

 

[ajw22]

A properly installed solid cover will sit on the water and can hold lots of water or snow load until you get home to pump off the water.

Here is what my solid Meyco cover can look like...

 

[bjxds]

Thanks for the pic, that’s more snow than I want to ever see.
Makes sense about the cover sitting on the water to help support the water/snow weight.

I assume the water must still be lowered below the skimmer and returns and the springs that are connected to the anchors allows the cover with the extra water/snow weight to drop to the level of the water that provides the support.

 

[shanebo]

I leave a sump pump plugged in and sitting on my pool cover all winter ... automatically pumps water off when it reaches a few inches.

 

[Mdragger88]

Automatic cover pump. I do remove mine in freezing weather so its not stuck & doesn’t try to pump with a frozen hose. The rest of the time its on there doing its job.

 

[ajw22]

I assume the water must still be lowered below the skimmer and returns and the springs that are connected to the anchors allows the cover with the extra water/snow weight to drop to the level of the water that provides the support.

Lower the water below the skimmers but not the returns.

With a fiberglass pool you should not lower the water much below the skimmers as the water weight holds the pool in the ground.

The springs stretch with the snow and water weight.