Pool cover sunk (Above groud), Help!

[Stargate_to_earth]

So tried a cover for the first time this year.(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Y6YFAG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
I went to go take it off today and the cover appears to have sunk. I believe there got some leaves and weight onto it in the center of it, weighing it down [EDIT: tried using leaf net and got hardly anything].
I believe this tarp cover can have water pass through (from my estimation) [edit it just like a circular shaped tarp like you would put on a car].
I started to try to "pump the water off it" but realized I was going to drain my pool, and it's hard to get water for me as I am on a well.

I peeked under the cover and could see the bottom, not murky, and ready to be easily brought back [edit: see tantilizing blue water picture below taken under the cover]. This is so frustrating.

I'm currently considering getting a few vice grips and pulling on the cover and vice gripping the slack around the edges and basically filter the water back down through the cover??? idk if this is worth trying or any of it, just sad, as i thought a cover would be a good idea this year after last years disaster (1.5 month slam that I didnt realize just how much debris was on the bottom [couldnt see it]).

[Edit: If i have to drain the cover, then i have to, but it will probably take 2 weeks to refill it from half.]

 

[kimkats]

Share a pic of your cover so we can really see what you are dealing with please.

 

[Stargate_to_earth]

 

[Stargate_to_earth]

The blue is when i stuck my phone under the cover, kinda obv but still, starting to try the vice grips method, though i can only find 2 vice grips >.<.

 

[kimkats]

You already did what I was going to suggest-leaf net. With you getting nothing off I am hopeful you will not have the same fight as you did last year!

Would you be lucky enough to have another adult there with you? Here is what I am thinking:
-put those vice grips on the cover like you have them now one on each side. Get some rope and put pieces in the holes on the ends across from you. Each hole gets it's own piece of rope.
-Lets make sure you understand what I mean-vice grips at 9 and 3 with you standing at 6. The main rope will be in the hole that is at 12. The other ropes will be as between 9 and 12 & 12 and 3 as you can.

My thought is for you to pull on the ropes to bring that side of the cover up and over to you. Now this is where it will get tricky if you do not have another person that can help you.......removing the vice grips so you can keep pulling the cover up and off. If you have something you can tie the ropes to then you can try that if there is no one else there to help you.

I don't cover my pool as my CRAZY husband gets in it all year long LOL So I am just going by what I have seen/heard other do.

Let me know see how it goes! GOOD LUCK!

Kim

 

[Stargate_to_earth]

Honestly I am considering just letting the cover dump into the pool at this point and going for a mesh cover next year. The amount of water that is on the cover right now is not something i can lift, not 2 ppl. not even close, the center of it is probably 3ft deep from surface to cover.I could pull it with the tractor but it would just rip or kill the frame. I need to get the water to filter back through the cover. Wish i could make a hole in the cover and filter the water through the leaf net or something. Also considering loosining it, bringing the part by the skimmer down so it sucks off the top and puts in below the cover. heck, might hook the vaccum up to the skimmer, and put it on top of the cover, lolz.

 

[kimkats]

So my plan is OUT!! Lets not mess up your whole pool!!

Also considering loosening it, bringing the part by the skimmer down so it sucks off the top and puts in below the cover.

Now that could work!!! Turn on your pump and angle the cover so the water flows from the top of the cover into the skimmer!

 

[Brett S]

I think you really have two options here... either cut off the cover allowing the water to drain into the pool, or attempt to pump the water off of the cover.

If you go with the pump option you won’t totally drain your pool, but if water can get through the cover then you may drain some water from your pool. However, I’m not sure that water can pass through that cover all that easily. I don’t think you’ll drain the pool a significant amount. Once you have drained some of the water off you could try to get some inflatables in under the cover to help lift it up.

 

[Stargate_to_earth]

The skimmer basket is uncovered, I am currently trying to pump water using the vaccum from on top of the cover with the outlet below the cover, I have a feeling that my sand filter is hating me right now, I am also working on using the vice grips to grab the slack. The amount of water in the cover i would estimate to be a cone in a cylender with the cone more or less going to the bottom. that would be at least 1/4 if not 1/3 of the water in the pool. Hopefully I can salvage the water because the Well capacity is not that great. Considering trying to get some chlorine under the cover as I am introducing filtered dirty water.

 

[kimkats]

So you have the pump running so water is going into the skimmer to the filter and back out of the return to the pool correct?

If so then do add some chlorine to the water as it comes out of the return.

Have you tested your water yet? CYA is of most concern right now so we don't add too much chlorine.

 

[Stargate_to_earth]

I have not tested it yet, and I have to put this off till tomorrow at this point anyways. The problem with testing at this point is the cover is being held so tight i cant get down into it any more, lol.

 

[crushkittykitty]

bleach the water on the tarp, diluted it of course sump pump into skimmer once the water is clear just let it in the pool just an idea im new,

 

[Stargate_to_earth]

so, to give you an idea of how much water was on cover, I ran pump on fast speed for 4-5 hours and now i am very close to getting the cover off!
Thinking after the fact, if the cover was not permable, then rain water musta pushed pool water out thru the skimmer, so, i have a feeling my CYA is very low now...

 

[kimkats]

YOu know what? I bet you are right! Good thinking!!

 

[Stargate_to_earth]

Tried testing it. Went kinda overboard with the Cl add last night...
FC: 30
CC: 0
CYA: ~30 or a little less
PH: 6.8 or a little lower
I don't know that TA or Hardness were accurate at that FC level so leaving them off for now (Vinyl pool anyways)

Pool is cloudy blue, and i can more or less see the bottom. Need to get the last bit of leaves out (did i miss some last year?).

Overall, with the low availability of mass quantities of water i would say vacuuming the water off the top was a resounding success!

 

[Brett S]

Tried testing it. Went kinda overboard with the Cl add last night...
FC: 30
CC: 0
CYA: ~30 or a little less
PH: 6.8 or a little lower
I don't know that TA or Hardness were accurate at that FC level so leaving them off for now (Vinyl pool anyways)

Just a quick note the the pH test is definitely off because of the high FC level. The pH test is only valid with a FC level under 10.

 

[Stargate_to_earth]

thanks, thought i remembered something like that

 

[kimkats]

You did GREAT!!! Yeah the pH needs to wait for FC just under 10. You can do the TA though.

Kim

 

[Stargate_to_earth]

I'll do it next time I check FC. Also I take the unpopular opinion of using pucks until I get cya up where I want it. Thereby having to add cl less, (less overall maintenance) and calculating how many Puck containers /pucks I need to go thru before testing, then switching over to liquid (giving a buffer for vacations).

 

[kimkats]

That is what I am doing right now. Make the liquid chlorine last longer, getting my CYA up and keeping the pH down. SO 3 ways of winning!