NEW AUTO COVER ISSUE

[kaseydog]

Hi folks....new pool here. Filled about a month ago. The auto cover was installed last week, while we were on vacation. We discovered the PB uilt the bay 2 inches wider than it should've been (the guys doing the work must've been under the impression that we had larger coping). So we have this 3 inch gap instead of, what I assume to be correct, a 1 inch gap between the end of the coping and where the cover sits. They don't make our kind of coping in that size so the solution is to use the same coping and cut them into the right size so we'll end up with like twice as many panels along the cover bay than the other sides of the pool. Not ideal at all, but whatever.

Fast forward to yesterday and our first chance to use the cover/drain in a rainstorm. As you can see in the pictures there was a good 2-3 inches of water that was sitting on top of the cover that was left in the bay while the rest was over the pool. The weight just pulled the excess cover down to the bottom of the bay. That doesn't seem normal to me. I am assuming it is because there is a 3 inch gap there instead of 1.

This morning when uncovering it there was still a little bit of water that the pump didn't get out (I brushed water towards the pump and then also pumped again after uncovering about 2/3's but there was still just a little left) that ended up in this same spot. Shouldn't it have rolled right over into the bottom of the bay instead of just sitting there?

Our project manager told us it is normal to have some water that we'd have to manually push out ourselves, but I don't know if I believe him. I am assuming the extra couple of inches will help, but any advice or opinions you guys have is very much welcomed.

The other thing---my wife thinks the cover is not at tight as it should be. There seems to be parts on the side that are loose and sagging a bit. So we're wondering if maybe they just designed it to be larger based on the pool builder giving them the wrong dimensions for the bay and that they just kind of finagled it to fit when they installed it? Lol...is that at all possible? Hope all this makes sense. We've had so many issues from start to finish. let me know what you think. Thank you.

You can see the water sitting on top of the cover in there during the storm:

Below is the water sitting on the cover rolled up in the bay during the storm:

Lifted one piece of the coping to give you a better look:

The coping piece at the bottom is where the coping should come out verses where it is currently:

Below--this is what is telling us the cover might be too big? Is it normal to that excess amount right there?

Finally...the below pic is from this morning after we uncovered. I got most of the water removed but there was just a little extra that just sits right in there. Is that normal or should that have rolled off over and into the bottom of the bay?

 

[kaseydog]

@PoolBrews --hello....was wondering if you could help with our questions? I've seen other folks link to you so hope that is okay!

 

[stevo777]

I had an auto cover installed, it fits similarly as yours. According to the PB, the cover is intentionally oversized so that it droops a bit and is supported by the water beneath. As for the coping, that's a flaw. Should not be a gap like that.

 

[kaseydog]

@stevo777 Thank you. But do you get water sitting on top of the cover inside the coping bay though? That last picture was from this morning after I uncovered it. There was just a little water left on top. I expected it to rollover into the bottom of the bay.

 

[kaseydog]

I also put this in the Equipment section but figured I would put here too, if that is allowed, as I am still "getting started"

Hi folks....new pool here. Filled about a month ago. The auto cover was installed last week, while we were on vacation. We discovered the PB uilt the bay 2 inches wider than it should've been (the guys doing the work must've been under the impression that we had larger coping). So we have this 3 inch gap instead of, what I assume to be correct, a 1 inch gap between the end of the coping and where the cover sits. They don't make our kind of coping in that size so the solution is to use the same coping and cut them into the right size so we'll end up with like twice as many panels along the cover bay than the other sides of the pool. Not ideal at all, but whatever.

Fast forward to yesterday and our first chance to use the cover/drain in a rainstorm. As you can see in the pictures there was a good 2-3 inches of water that was sitting on top of the cover that was left in the bay while the rest was over the pool. The weight just pulled the excess cover down to the bottom of the bay. That doesn't seem normal to me. I am assuming it is because there is a 3 inch gap there instead of 1.

This morning when uncovering it there was still a little bit of water that the pump didn't get out (I brushed water towards the pump and then also pumped again after uncovering about 2/3's but there was still just a little left) that ended up in this same spot. Shouldn't it have rolled right over into the bottom of the bay instead of just sitting there?

Our project manager told us it is normal to have some water that we'd have to manually push out ourselves, but I don't know if I believe him. I am assuming the extra couple of inches will help, but any advice or opinions you guys have is very much welcomed.

The other thing---my wife thinks the cover is not at tight as it should be. There seems to be parts on the side that are loose and sagging a bit. So we're wondering if maybe they just designed it to be larger based on the pool builder giving them the wrong dimensions for the bay and that they just kind of finagled it to fit when they installed it? Lol...is that at all possible? Hope all this makes sense. We've had so many issues from start to finish. let me know what you think. Thank you.

You can see the water sitting on top of the cover in there during the storm:
View attachment 441391View attachment 441392View attachment 441395
Below is the water sitting on the cover rolled up in the bay during the storm:
View attachment 441396
Lifted one piece of the coping to give you a better look:
View attachment 441397
The coping piece at the bottom is where the coping should come out verses where it is currently:
View attachment 441399
Below--this is what is telling us the cover might be too big? Is it normal to that excess amount right there?
View attachment 441400
Finally...the below pic is from this morning after we uncovered. I got most of the water removed but there was just a little extra that just sits right in there. Is that normal or should that have rolled off over and into the bottom of the bay?
View attachment 441402

 

[ajw22]

Le's see what @bmoreswim @Rocket J Squirrel or others think.

 

[wgipe]

That looks very normal to me in terms of excess / fit. If the rain drives hard in the direction of the lid while the cover is open, it's possible that the sag will fill with water and I have to pull up the lid and drain the water off to open it. That has only happened once in two years to me.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

We discovered the PB uilt the bay 2 inches wider than it should've been (the guys doing the work must've been under the impression that we had larger coping). So we have this 3 inch gap instead of, what I assume to be correct, a 1 inch gap between the end of the coping and where the cover sits. They don't make our kind of coping in that size so the solution is to use the same coping and cut them into the right size so we'll end up with like twice as many panels along the cover bay than the other sides of the pool. Not ideal at all, but whatever.
The coping piece at the bottom is where the coping should come out verses where it is currently:
View attachment 441399

I'm having a little trouble understanding this, both verbally and visually.

By "bay", do you mean the vault where the cover spools up? And is the attached photo showing the deep (vault) end or the shallow end? In the photo, the gap as installed looks typical. If that is the shallow end, your pool cover company ought to be able to adjust the gap to be narrower by changing the limit on where the cover stops. If that's the deep end, your spool should be covered by a lid.

The width of the cover looks a little too wide but it is not of concern unless the folds turn into creases. Creases will eventually leak and require patching. After one of my covers could no longer be patched because of this, I had the pool cover company make my replacement fabric one inch less wide than before. That was sufficient to prevent wrinkles from turning into creases.

All the rest of your issues look normal to me. Water will sit where it wants to sit. Don't fight it, it will always win.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

I replied in the duplicate thread which has the photos.

EDIT: Looks like the threads were merged.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Water will sit where it wants to sit. Don't fight it, it will always win.

I'll amend that. There is a time when you have to fight it because there's too much water weight on the cover to safely open it even after the pool cover pump has pumped all it could.

In this case, I take the pump off and carry it to the deep end. Then I start to open the cover so the water pools deep enough in front of the vault that the pump will engage. After that runs dry, I lift the pump and open the cover some more. Repeat until enough water is removed.

 

[PoolBrews]

I don't have any experience with covers of this type. Having said that, if the rain is hard enough it won't matter what the gap is, it's going to fill in. Just curious - do they offer a mesh cover? Regardless of whether it's solid or mesh, most of that water is going in the pool one way or another. With a mesh cover, at least it won't sit on top.

 

[stevo777]

@stevo777 Thank you. But do you get water sitting on top of the cover inside the coping bay though? That last picture was from this morning after I uncovered it. There was just a little water left on top. I expected it to rollover into the bottom of the bay.

On mine, the cover retracts further into the vault and any remaining water trapped on top falls off the into the pit. Perhaps the limit switches are missdjusted?

Edit: if not a limit switch, a torque limiter misadjusted? Or the track does not extend far enough into the vault to permit the leading edge tube to retract far enough?

 

[kaseydog]

I'm having a little trouble understanding this, both verbally and visually.

By "bay", do you mean the vault where the cover spools up? And is the attached photo showing the deep (vault) end or the shallow end? In the photo, the gap as installed looks typical. If that is the shallow end, your pool cover company ought to be able to adjust the gap to be narrower by changing the limit on where the cover stops. If that's the deep end, your spool should be covered by a lid.

The width of the cover looks a little too wide but it is not of concern unless the folds turn into creases. Creases will eventually leak and require patching. After one of my covers could no longer be patched because of this, I had the pool cover company make my replacement fabric one inch less wide than before. That was sufficient to prevent wrinkles from turning into creases.

All the rest of your issues look normal to me. Water will sit where it wants to sit. Don't fight it, it will always win.

Yes its the vault. Those pictures are from the deep end

 

[wireform]

At the shallow end it's supposed to kiss up to the end. On the deep end you have a flat area over the pool wall which is supposed to be visible only by as much room for the lead bar (attached to front of cover) upon opening to stop with the leading edge just past the pool wall that means from the top view in the open position you would see lets say 2 inches flat area. The coping is supposed to overhang the flat area by a little bit and not be further back like you have in the picture. Very important is to have your water line 1/2 to 2/3 up the skimmer opening so the cover has the pool water support it when the rain sits on top. Also the correct water level helps with the drag upon opening. By not having the water at the correct height will cause the motor to stop opening mid way when amp load increases.

 

[kaseydog]

At the shallow end it's supposed to kiss up to the end. On the deep end you have a flat area over the pool wall which is supposed to be visible only by as much room for the lead bar (attached to front of cover) upon opening to stop with the leading edge just past the pool wall that means from the top view in the open position you would see lets say 2 inches flat area. The coping is supposed to overhang the flat area by a little bit and not be further back like you have in the picture. Very important is to have your water line 1/2 to 2/3 up the skimmer opening so the cover has the pool water support it when the rain sits on top. Also the correct water level helps with the drag upon opening. By not having the water at the correct height will cause the motor to stop opening mid way when amp load increases.

Thank you. So it seems like you think the only issue is the coping then, right? I am waiting on them to provide the longer coping. Might be a couple weeks from now

 

[wireform]

One thing concerns me if the bracket below the coping can support that much overhang so when someone stands on the edge it shouldn't tip.

 

[kaseydog]

One thing concerns me if the bracket below the coping can support that much overhang so when someone stands on the edge it shouldn't tip.

They are going to put new brackets in before they put the longer coping pieces on.

 

[bmoreswim]

Sorry I wasn’t online to reply but folks have you well covered. I certainly have water that sits in the droop when closed. No issue. That volume is ware is very small. But certainly agree the gap is incorrect. Have they made your adjustments to the brackets/coping yet?

Also firmly agree that getting as much water off the cover before opening it is important to keep the force required to open to a minimum. Good all around.