New Cover Star cover install questions

[DMAZ]

Howdy folks,
We are finishing up with our pool being installed and had a cover star pool cover install done at the same time. It appears that the cover itself is too big and has a lot of excess material. Our installer told us that the covers are cut to size at the factory. Can someone please look at these photos and let us know if this is normal or an error in the cover sizing? Additionally, the cover to the polymer box seems have issues since once it was removed it seems near impossible to install back in place. I took another photo of a corner of the box/cover that shows something aint right. Thank you for help Douglas (we're battling phosphates as well)

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

The wrinkles on your cover don't look right. Just compare it to the pics on the Coverstar site...

Cover Models - Coverstar

Not sure which Coverstar model is right for your new or existing pool? Learn more about our automatic cover models so you can choose the best one for you

www.coverstar.com

(we're battling phosphates as well)

No, you are battling algae.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

Swimming Pool Algae: Basics and Prevention

The best offense is a good defense: prevent algae in your pool with chlorine, and avoid expensive algaecides and shock! No more green pools!

www.troublefreepool.com

You need to follow our...

SLAM - Shock Level and Maintain

We’ve all had to deal with a green pool. Clear algae from your pool with a SLAM! Read here to use shock level and maintain to clear your pool.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ChrisABS]

My company deals with Coverstar with all of our autocovers. After the track is installed and encapsulated we take pictures and measurements then send them to Coverstar. They then make the cover based off of that information. We do that to ensure proper fit and I believe it’s standard practice when installing a Coverstar cover. Maybe your PB did not do that?

 

[ChrisABS]

My company deals with Coverstar with all of our autocovers. After the track is installed and encapsulated we take pictures and measurements then send them to Coverstar. They then make the cover based off of that information. We do that to ensure proper fit and I believe it’s standard practice when installing a Coverstar cover. Maybe your PB did not do that?

Forgot to add. After pouring concrete its pushes on the lid making it hard/ impossible to put back. We usually have to come back, take the end caps off of the lid and saw or grind off about a 1/4 inch to fit.

 

[JamesW]

SLACK IN AUTOMATIC POOL COVERS

From time to time the question arises about the need for slack in automatic pool covers and how much is enough.

Regardless of manufacturer, all automatic pool cover fabrics are made wider than the width of the track.

There are several reasons for this:

1. A cover that is too tight will pull against the tracks and will not operate properly.

A cover that is made too small reduces the life of the cover and mechanism, causing premature failure of both the fabric and the mechanism due to the added stress.

2. All fabric shrinks over a period of time.

The amount of the shrinkage varies widely according to the weather conditions, particularly the amount of time the cover is exposed to the sun.

Slack is always added to the fabric to compensate for potential fabric shrinkage.

3. In order to meet the ASTM safety standards, the cover must lie on the water, most of the supporting strength of the cover comes from the support of the water directly under it.

Each cover we manufacture is made with the slack calculated on the basis of the type of fabric, application, and unit.

Any other variables that may be brought to our attention are also included.

Initially, a properly sized cover will drop almost directly down from the track or deck to the water, with some folds & wrinkles as it crosses the pool.

Because each cover is subject to many variables, it is impossible to calculate the exact amount of shrinkage each individual cover will have, so an approximation is made based on our past experience.

Our slack formula is designed to give the cover and mechanism maximum life, as well as making the cover look as attractive as possible.

Before an order for any cover which has less than the factory specified slack is processed, we must receive a signed statement from the customer which releases Coverstar from any warranty or safety liability issues which may arise because of premature failure of the fabric or system due to fabric shrinkage.

In some cases, a portion of the slack may be taken up by lowering the water level. However, you should consult with your pool builder or service man before doing so.

They can advise you exactly where the water level should be to keep the pool equipment operating properly.

The leading edge loop size has been designed to give maximum flexibility in properly installing and servicing the cover.

https://ellispoolcovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/4.pdf

Slack in Automatic Covers

From time to time the question arises about the need for slack in Coverstar automatic pool covers and how much is enough. Regardless of...

coverstarllc.blogspot.com

https://www.poolinspections.com/manuals/covers/coverstar_owners_manual.pdf

 

[DMAZ]

Welcome to TFP.

The wrinkles on your cover don't look right. Just compare it to the pics on the Coverstar site...

Cover Models - Coverstar

Not sure which Coverstar model is right for your new or existing pool? Learn more about our automatic cover models so you can choose the best one for you

www.coverstar.com

No, you are battling algae.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

Swimming Pool Algae: Basics and Prevention

The best offense is a good defense: prevent algae in your pool with chlorine, and avoid expensive algaecides and shock! No more green pools!

www.troublefreepool.com

You need to follow our...

SLAM - Shock Level and Maintain

We’ve all had to deal with a green pool. Clear algae from your pool with a SLAM! Read here to use shock level and maintain to clear your pool.

www.troublefreepool.com

Thank you for looking the snaps over and your comments and links. We've looked at a lot of images of Coverstar covers and ours is definitely a lot bigger than it should be. As another poster mentioned, there needs to be some slack, but in our case I guess that we have an additional foot worth of material on the sides and can already see that extra material starting to cause a bind when rolling open. We see this when almost all the way open, in photo 327, where the 'bar' for the cover is not even. Thx Allen!

 

[DMAZ]

My company deals with Coverstar with all of our autocovers. After the track is installed and encapsulated we take pictures and measurements then send them to Coverstar. They then make the cover based off of that information. We do that to ensure proper fit and I believe it’s standard practice when installing a Coverstar cover. Maybe your PB did not do that?

Thanks Chris, that does seem like a logical approach and gives the installer some flexibility. Our installer did NOT do that. Thank you.

 

[DMAZ]

Forgot to add. After pouring concrete its pushes on the lid making it hard/ impossible to put back. We usually have to come back, take the end caps off of the lid and saw or grind off about a 1/4 inch to fit.

Good time on the grinding. I'll talk to our installer about this.

 

[DMAZ]

View attachment 533314

https://ellispoolcovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/4.pdf

Slack in Automatic Covers

From time to time the question arises about the need for slack in Coverstar automatic pool covers and how much is enough. Regardless of...

coverstarllc.blogspot.com

https://www.poolinspections.com/manuals/covers/coverstar_owners_manual.pdf

Thanks for the links James. Do you have any documentation about what the 'factory specified slack' is? 5%? 10%. I read reviews of CoverStar covers that talk about kids and light adults walking across covers when closed. I think that was done on ours, the person would sink 2 feet. - Douglas

 

[JamesW]

Contact CoverStar to ask them about the slack.

It looks like there is too much slack to me.

 

[DMAZ]

Howdy folks,
We are finishing up with our pool being installed and had a cover star pool cover install done at the same time. It appears that the cover itself is too big and has a lot of excess material. Our installer told us that the covers are cut to size at the factory. Can someone please look at these photos and let us know if this is normal or an error in the cover sizing? Additionally, the cover to the polymer box seems have issues since once it was removed it seems near impossible to install back in place. I took another photo of a corner of the box/cover that shows something aint right. Thank you for help Douglas (we're battling phosphates as well)

This is an update to my original post. I was able to talk with Coverstar technical support and they have record of what size was ordered and record of what size they produced/cut. When their production gets measurements, for example the distance between my tracks is 10'10" (width) and length is 24'5", they, Coverstar, add their recommended slack - 3' to length and approx 5-6" to width and make their cuts. Our installer, order 11'5" for our width, and Coverstar added slack to 11'10". So the net-net is our installer either improperly measured or added his own slack.

At 18k for the equipment and install, I thinking we're going to put some heat to the installer's feet.

thanks again everyone.
Douglas

 

[WBW]

We have a cover and based on your pics, there appears to be a lot of slack on the cover. I’m not sure but it would appear to give you issues when rolling up the cover as you mentioned. Our cover although not tight from end to end, it lays on the water without any slack. I would call them back.

 

[DMAZ]

Well, our install guy did the right thing and worked with coverstar and got us the correct sized cover. Here is a snap of what the proper cover looks like: