Safety Cover Care & Maintenance
Pool Cover Safety Information
In order for your cover to perform its “safety” function and not just be a “Winter” cover, you must make sure that it continues to do two things:
- The cover must be kept tight enough to the deck to prevent a small child from reaching the water by crawling under the edge of the cover or through any area of the cover such as a raised wall or ladder cutout. It must also be tight enough that an adult can walk out on it to retrieve a child or pet who might wander onto the cover.
- Water must not be allowed to collect on top of the cover, as this could cause a drowning hazard for a child or pet.
To achieve these two goals, we strongly urge the following:
- Because the cover may relax over time, periodically check and tighten the straps so as to maintain proper tautness. This should be done each time the cover is put on the pool, and should be checked a few times over the course of the winter.
- The proper degree of tautness varies by cover type. If yours is a mesh cover, it should be almost “taut as a drum”, as the water will drain through it evenly. If yours is a solid cover, either with an automatic cover pump or a porous drain strip, it should be kept slightly less tight in the area of the pump or drain strip. This will allow water to make its way to the pump or drain strip and not collect on the surface of the cover. Standing water on a solid cover must be removed in a timely manner.
- If your cover is a solid cover with an automatic cover pump, keep the pump in the “on” position the entire time the cover is on the pool.
- Maintain the proper water level in your pool under the cover (see below). If the water level gets too high in the pool, it can get through the cover, allowing the water to form a drowning hazard on top of the cover.
- Always completely remove the cover before using the pool. Never swim in a pool with a partially removed cover, as you could become entrapped and drown.
Care and Maintenance
Maintain Proper Water Level
The water in the pool under your cover must be maintained at a proper level both for safety and for maximum longevity of the cover. The water level of the pool must not be allowed to drop more than 18” below the cover during the snow season. The water surface under the cover can provide support in case of a heavy snow load and prevent the cover and springs from being overstretched. Conversely, you don’t want the water level to get too high, or it can pass through to the top side of the cover and create a drowning hazard. In most cases, unless the pool has a leak, you will find it necessary to remove a little water from under the cover one or more times during the time the cover is installed on the pool, depending on rainfall. We recommend checking the pool water level each month, and after any heavy rain. Failure to maintain the proper water level also produces undue strain on the cover and will void the warranty.
Maximize the Longevity of Your Cover
- Do not walk on the cover, except in emergency situations.
- Keep the cover taut, as explained above. Along with the reasons given earlier, this will also minimize the movement of the cover in strong winds, which will protect the cover from abrasion damage from rubbing against the deck or coping. We have sewn chafing strips onto the underside of the cover to help prolong its useful life and protect against normal wear. Spring tension must be maintained to decrease the chance of excessive wear, which is not covered under the warranty.
- The cover is designed to screen out leaves and other debris. Clean water can only be maintained by the proper maintenance of water chemistry.
- Debris that falls on the cover should be removed as soon as possible, either by using a leaf blower or by hosing it off. Do not use a rake or other tool or implement, and do not walk on the cover to sweep off the debris.
- Heavy snow loads should be removed from the cover as soon as practical.
- You may find it helpful to clean and lubricate the anchors each year.
- If yours is a solid cover with a center drain strip, it is advisable to hose off this strip, from the bottom side of the cover, to remove any accumulated debris, when you remove the cover each spring.
- Before storing your cover for the swimming season, it should be clean. You may need to hose off the cover for this purpose. Always allow the cover to dry before folding it and storing it. Store the cover in a cool dry location, away from rodents or other pests, and preferably up off the floor.
