Winter Cover Confusion

[DMKJ- New York]

I have had my 18' above ground pool for 4 years. Every winter I have drained water below skimmer, put in pillow and put cover on with cable and ratchet...and every year I've been stressed out because of the huge ice ring that forms around the pillow and appears to be pulling on the walls of the pool. I've recently heard of an Enviro-Mesh cover that allows the water to drain through into the pool as it melts. Has anyone ever used one? If using one, do you use a skimmer cover and return plug and not drop the water? Do you drop the water level to allow for melting snow and ice? Do you use a pillow or no pillow?

 

[Frodo]

I do what you do when I close - drain water below skimmer, inflate pillow, cover and use the ratchet the cable around the pool. However, I do periodically drain the water that collects on the cover around the pillow.

 

[Newdude]

As a fellow NYer, if you have ice above the cover, it’s also below it. I have an IG with a mesh cover. The pool will freeze solid with a foot of ice and then any water that falls on warm days won’t get through and will ultimately freeze on top of the cover. So even if you use a mesh and not a tarp, the water will have nowhere to go for a month or two. Friends with tarps drain the top water occasionally to keep the weight down during the cold snaps. I do my best to keep a foot of space between the pool water and the cover so new water still has a place to go. But there has been plenty of times that it’s just too dang cold to go play with the water so I end up with above and below ice.

On the plus side being upstate, your block of ice under whatever cover you are using will help absorb the weight of the top ice.