Winter Pool Covers

- closing it down - and keeping it sweet

Once you have finished closing your pool for the off-season you should fit a winter cover

• Fixed to the surround with heavy-duty elastic bungee straps, a winter covers keep leaves, dirt, debris, light and wildlife out of the pool

• Winter Covers do not need a roller but removal and replacement is a physical, time-consuming job; therefore they are put on at the end of the season and left in-situ until spring

• A child or dog can walk across the cover but this is definitely not recommended

Image courtesy of www.toldosalchemy.com     

• Winter Covers are fixed to the area around the pool by means of springs, buckles, elastic bungees or by heavy-duty webbing straps and brass/stainless-steel, toe-friendly anchors

• Once again, make sure the installers teach you how to fit your winter cover and how to make it last as long as possible

• A winter cover that holds rainwater is a drowning hazard - please read this article from WHAG Hews

• Therefore, ensure that there is a drainage panel in the centre of a winter cover to allow rainwater to drain into the pool

• If no drainage panel is installed you can punch a couple of holes in the cover to facilitate drainage or, alternatively, install a small pump to clear rainwater from the cover. Drainage of rainwater is preferred to reliance on a pump - if the power goes off the pump cannot work!

• Please note that a winter cover is NOT A SAFETY COVER unless it is specifically described as such

Winter Pool Cover Storage

When you are ready to open the pool for the season it is crucially important to clean, dry and store your Winter Cover.  Failure to do so will mean that the cover will not last as long as it is designed to and as they are not cheap this will cost you money

Winter Cover preparation for storage: -

• Remove the cover from the pool in accordance with the installers instructions

• If they didn't give you instructions ask them how or follow these general guidelines. This very often needs 2 people, and this is what you do

1. Release all the straps/bungees from one end of the pool
2. Take one corner each and release straps/bungees one at a time, pulling the cover back on itself as you go
3. Be careful not to lose control of the cover because it will sink and can be problematic to fish out of the pool
4. Release the straps/bungees and continue to pull the cover over itself until it is completely free of the pool

• Lay the cover out flat and clean it with a solution of  Sodium Hypochlorite (diluted with water at a ratio of 1:9 = a 10% solution) applied by soft broom

• Use a pressure-washer or hosepipe to thoroughly clean all traces of the cleaning solution from the cover and especially from the bungees/straps

• Dry this side of the cover completely

• Turn the cover over and repeat the cleaning/drying procedure on the other side

• When the second side is dry, fold the cover and store it in the shade (and off the floor)

• Remember to screw down the strap/bungee anchor points around the pool so you don't lose the screws and you don't stub your toes!

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Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©