Installing Winter "Shrink-Wrap" on AGP

[NE Surfer]

Hi - first closing on our new pool and I am going to try out the wrap stuff to seal around the winter cover. Any suggestions or feedback on using this? I am in a coastal/high wind area.

Also, how have people worked the stuff around the skimmer??? I usually see this wrap extending like 12" below the bottom of the cover, but I see no pics or suggestions of how to handle the wrap when you get to the skimmer and the winter cover is basically just bunched up under the top rail and cinched down...

Has anyone tried folding / rolling the excess cover over the cinch cable, and rolling it up towards the top rail to eliminate the portion down over the outsides?

 

[Woodstock1234]

I am not sure what you mean about rolling the excess, but mine looks like this. It's an Intex, so I removed all the plumbing before wrapping. I wrapped it around about 5 times.

 

[NE Surfer]

Thanks... appreciate the response.

Anyone have experience with the skimmer still installed?

 

[NE Surfer]

Bumping this in hopes of someone responding who wrapped with a skimmer...

 

[toolerb50]

I did not wrap around the skimmer when I installed mine and wrapped above the top of the skimmer. Basically the plastic wrapped is squeezed in this area...

My pool store recommended a foam plug insert for the skimmer instead, it's fairly large at about the size of a coffee can and fills the skimmer area.

 

[NE Surfer]

Thanks!

 

[cj133]

I'm sorry but, what is the idea behind the shrink wrap?
All I see it doing is putting more pressure on the tops of the pool wall which already has the stress from the cover, and the fact the water level is dropped significantly.

I tighten my cable and leave some water on the cover and have never had an issue?

 

[NE Surfer]

I live in a high wind, coastal area. I stumbled upon the concept when looking at options for covering the pool during winter. This is my first year with a permanent pool, trying this method. My understanding is that wrapping the pool diminishes the impact of winds creating too much lift or strain on the cover. I guess the season will tell how effective the method is in that scenario. I can say that I had a day with 40 mph gusts before I wrapped the pool and another day with similar gusts after I wrapped the pool and the cover was moving significantly less after wrapping it.

 

[cj133]

I live in a high wind, coastal area. I stumbled upon the concept when looking at options for covering the pool during winter. This is my first year with a permanent pool, trying this method. My understanding is that wrapping the pool diminishes the impact of winds creating too much lift or strain on the cover. I guess the season will tell how effective the method is in that scenario. I can say that I had a day with 40 mph gusts before I wrapped the pool and another day with similar gusts after I wrapped the pool and the cover was moving significantly less after wrapping it.

Interesting.
You had issues even with a good amount of water on the cover?

 

[NE Surfer]

Interesting.
You had issues even with a good amount of water on the cover?

To your point, I had just put the cover on, so I did not have any significant amount of water for the before and after wrap scenarios, and there is a bit more play in my cover, with the pillow added, than what seems to be ideal? I did have gallon bottles filled with water set on top and the lift was less with the wrapping.

Do you typically flood your cover with some pool water, when you install it, to start off with water coverage?

It has rained a bit over the last couple days, here is what it looks like now.

Being my first year, I expect I will learn by trial and error to some degree- any other suggestions from your experience?

 

[cj133]

To your point, I had just put the cover on, so I did not have any significant amount of water for the before and after wrap scenarios, and there is a bit more play in my cover, with the pillow added, than what seems to be ideal? I did have gallon bottles filled with water set on top and the lift was less with the wrapping.

Do you typically flood your cover with some pool water, when you install it, to start off with water coverage?

It has rained a bit over the last couple days, here is what it looks like now.

Being my first year, I expect I will learn by trial and error to some degree- any other suggestions from your experience?

No, I had thought about it but unless I hear of wind in the weather forecast I just wait for rain.
Then, I use 3/8" clear rubber hose and a hand pump to siphon the water off when it gets too deep. Basically, I let it siphon until it stops and whatever is left behind stays there. That and the wet leaves seem to be plenty in my area.

I'm considering a bigger cover next year as I believe it's supposed to just rest on the water of the pool. Mine is on the tighter side, but now you have me wondering if that's actually a good thing and not as bad as I thought. It's a good point, if it's just laying on there, water on the cover won't pull on the edges at all to keep it down.

Hmmmmmmm.

 

[JoeSelf]

You could try cover clips that clip on over the cover and top rail. I use these on my pool. Wind still does funky things if there is no water.

 

[Mdragger88]

For what its worth i use medium/ large binder clips to clip the cover to the top rail & it works quite well. That way i can easily just remove a clip to look in the pool/ get a sample. I also have a deck 1/2 way around my pool so I couldn’t ever use the wrap.

 

[NE Surfer]

@Mdragger88 - thanks for the suggestion, not sure how well those would hold up in my area (NE Massachusetts), we get lots of heavy wind and snow... must be nice to live in an area where you can even take a winter sample! I would need to drill through ice for one... lol

@JoeSelf - I may look into those, at least they would be re-usable.

 

[NE Surfer]

Any one have trouble with the water having a lot of debris / dirt when not using the wrap (obviously not including what may have been on top of your cover). That seemed to be one of the benefits mentioned by people in reviews, but not sure if it was more hype or what...?

Hoping to get as much in this thread, so if others search for the subject, it will be helpful.

I will update after the season with how it goes as well.

 

[NE Surfer]

Any one have trouble with the water having a lot of debris / dirt when not using the wrap (obviously not including what may have been on top of your cover). That seemed to be one of the benefits mentioned by people in reviews, but not sure if it was more hype or what...?

Hoping to get as much in this thread, so if others search for the subject, it will be helpful.

I will update after the season with how it goes as well.

 

[JoeSelf]

Only stuff I get in the pool is what ever gets away from me when taking off the over. Water is usually clear, but still needs a SLAM to get ready. The solid cover really helps.

 

[Floorguy]

I tried it for a rectangle pool....

Worked for about 2 weeks.. lol

You cant pull it tight enough like i imagine you can on a round pool