small rips in seam of new winter cover

[Euphonicus]

I just installed a new winter cover on my 22' x 45' rectangular inground vinyl 30,000 gallon pool. As per usual, I secured the edges of the cover with water tubes. After finishing up, only then did I notice one seam near one edge of the pool had a few very small rips. They were within arms reach so I tried to patch them with gorilla tape, but as the cover is on top of the water there is no way to get any kind of downward force to get a really good seal. I tried to gather some slack in the cover so I could get better pressure on the tape but only succeeded in enlarging that particular rip. Is there anything I can do to repair these rips at this point? Or just muddle through this winter and either repair or buy a new cover next year? FWIW I haven't had great luck with winter covers, I kind of feel like the year rating is mostly fiction since even with an expensive 15 yr cover about the best I've done is maybe three years before they rip or I start to see water loss from evaporation. So this year I cheaped out and got the least expensive 8 yr cover. Thoughts?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Newdude]

If I was going the old skool cover way, I'd stalk Harbor Freight (etc) all year until my size tarp went on clearance. Then I'd buy several and be good for as many years.

It's probably a wash if you buy a spendy cover and try to get several years out of it, or buy the cheapest tarp you can find and consider it disposable. Both ways have their merits but I'd be hot everytime I had to replace the spendy cover early.

 

[Euphonicus]

Yeah, that was kind of my logic in buying a cheap cover this year. Just never thought it would be ripped straight out of the box. Can cover patches be applied while the cover is in use on the pool? & I think your idea about Harbor freight is probably a good one. The only thing would be finding a way to secure it with the water tubes since it won't have the hold-down loops.

 

[Newdude]

The only thing would be finding a way to secure it with the water tubes since it won't have the hold-down loops.

If the whole perimeter is covered, there is nowhere for air to get under and move the cover.

Can cover patches be applied while the cover is in use on the pool?

I think you found the flaw there already with no resistance for applying them.

Just never thought it would be ripped straight out of the box

Was it a box or a plastic wrap ? Maybe they got the wrapper with a box cutter while opening the pallet (etc).

 

[Euphonicus]

If the whole perimeter is covered, there is nowhere for air to get under and move the cover.

I think you found the flaw there already with no resistance for applying them.

Was it a box or a plastic wrap ? Maybe they got the wrapper with a box cutter while opening the pallet (etc).

It was plastic wrap inside a box. Looked like there was a small cut in the plastic wrap but no damage to the box itself that I could see, I even wondered whether it was by design because it was very clean and symmetrical, about 5" long. I wondered whether I might have knicked it with my box knife but I open a lot of boxes in the course of my business and I'm very careful when the contents could be damaged. Anyway, the seams of the box didn't align with the cut in the plastic wrap so Idon't think I cut it. Nevertheless I did look for any evidence of damage but could not find anything. The rips in the cover were right on a seam, looked like a faulty weld of the material.

 

[Newdude]

I open a lot of boxes in the course of my business and I'm very careful when the contents could be damaged.

I was thinking a busy warehouse worker, or whoever had to stock 'the shelf', not you. A bad seam would be the manufacturer and in line with the garbage that everybody produces these days with next to no quality control.