Pool Cover Anchors
Pool cover anchors are used to fasten the straps of winter pool covers to the ground or deck.
The anchors are typically brass and screw down flush to the ground for the the pool season and screw out to provide anchor points for springs attached to the cover straps.
The brass anchors have different housings depending if they are going into concrete or pavers, or grass and dirt.
Tools
A 1/4" Allen Key is used to turn the brass anchors.
A steel installation rod with a notch in the bottom that fits over the anchor is used to stretch the spring and stretch it over the anchor.
Loop Loc has as aluminum tamp tool for installing brass anchors.
9', 15" or 18' pipes with a 1" OD are used to secure anchors to pavers, bricks, stone or grass. Meyco has 16" lawn spikes for planter areas and 18" lawn pins to go into soil.
Seized Anchors
The anchors can seize from sand and grit in the threads and not turn. Techniques to break it free include:
- If an insert will move at all, you can get it out. Just put some water on the screw and work it in by moving the screw back and forth until the water loosens the dirt. Be patient and keep adding water to flush out the grit and it will come out.[1]
- Spraying with WD-40
- Spraying with Kroil Penetrating Lube from Kano Laboratories.
Anchors Stuck in Paver Tubes
Get a metal tube that exactly matches the diameter of the existing tube and put the tubes end-to-end. Then, put the tube on the ground and hammer the anchor out.[2]
Alternatively, put a metal rod inside the tube against the anchor and hold the tube and bang the metal rod against the ground.
If you use a heat gun on the tube, it will cause the tube to expand some and make the anchor pop out easier.
Anchor Head Snapped Off
To remove an anchor, first lightly score around the anchor to reduce contact with the deck.[3]
Then, drill and tap the center hole with a 5/16-18 tap. The drill bit and tap comes as a set. Drill bit size 17/64".
Then place a metal tube over the anchor. A 3/4" copper coupling should fit the scored area around the anchor.
Then, screw in a long 5/16-18 bolt with 2 big washers and a coupling nut above the washers. The bolt will need to be about 6 to 8 inches long to accommodate the anchor, coupling and coupling nut.
Then, hold the bolt and tighten the coupling nut to pull the anchor.
Scoring around the anchor a little bit and having the copper coupling sit in the scored area should reduce the risk of surface damage, but pulling an anchor always risks damaging the deck.
If you use a 3/4" hole saw to drill the top part of the anchor, that will remove the ridges around the top of the anchor, which will reduce the risk of surface damage.
To keep the hole saw steady without wobbling, you can first drill a hole in a piece of wood and then put that hole over the anchor then drill through the hole.
The hole for the anchor is 3/4", but the top ridges are slightly larger. So, when the anchor is hammered in, the ridges dig in and get compressed, which holds the anchor in place.
Hex Socket is Stripped
If the bolt is stripped, from not inserting the bit deeply enough), you can drill them and use an easy out tool.
