Older Winter Pool Covers That May Have a Pinholes

Do you have a solid winter pool cover that has developed small pin holes?


Small holes in a solid cover can allow you to pump out pool water.


How do you avoid pumping out water from under the pool cover? 


1. Place your Cover Saver non electric pump 3' to 5' from the side of the pool where you plan to pump off the water. Now put a Frisbee or similar object under the Cover Saver.   Only water that collects in the Frisbee will be pumped.


2. Wrap a large brick or patio block in duct tape (nothing larger than 8" x 8" x 2") and place on top the pump to help weight it and the cover down.


3. Using a vacuum pole with a pool brush attached, start by pushing or pooling the water on top of the cover to to the pump. More...


Once you get the cover off seriously consider discarding this cover and plan to purchase a new winter cover in the fall.

Consider the following helpful tips to avoid pin holes in your new winter cover:

If excessive weight is allowed to collect on the cover:

     The water under the cover will become displaced, resulting in the loss of the chemically treated  water in the pool.

     Water is very heavy and allowing over 6 inches of water, ice or snow may damage to your cover by streching it.

     Extreme amounts of water on top of the cover can pull the sides of the pool in, causing permanent damage to the pool.

     If the cover tears, debris from the cover will fall into the pool water and cost you time and money to clean.

Don't Close Your Pool Too Soon!

*Pool owners typically close their pools around Labor Day and in many cases that's too soon, setting the stage for a costly and time consuming process of opening in the spring.

*Closing by the weather and the calendar is a good combination to use. Simply put, if the temperature outside is at 75 degrees and it's the first of September, it's too early to close because historically the temp will increase once again. That increase in temperature will cause bacteria and algae to grow under a covered pool. (The cover also has a solar effect and will INCREASE the temperature of the water under the cover!) As a result any and all winterizing sanitizers will react with these microscope invaders and THERE GOES ALL YOUR WINTER PROTECTION!

*The water temperature for closing should be around 60° and in some cases may not take place until well into the month of September or even later.
*When you are ready, always have your water balanced at PoolCo and inform the person testing your water that your are preparing to close.
*As water gets colder, it has a larger appetite for minerals, and calcium needs to be balanced to higher winter levels to prevent damage to pool surface. Alkalinity levels will also need to be higher in order to help ensure a more stable pH throughout the winter.

Don’t open too late next spring!*IMPORTANT WINTERIZING TIP: If closed properly, winterizing chemicals are made to
properly WORK for a maximum of about 4 months. If the pool is going to be closed for a longer period of time (example closing before October 1 and opening after May 1), it is absolutely necessary to add additional shock and algaecide to the winterizing process. Some pools should also apply additional doses of winterizing chemicals late fall and early spring. (To prevent damage to your pool's surface, see PoolCo for how to properly add chemicals to the pool while covered.) This will help to prevent not only algae growth but chlorine and SoftSwim C demand at pool opening.
Optimizer Plus® Highly recommended for any pool that is closed after Oct 1st is opened after May 1st.



 Save NOW! Optimizer Plus is on sale now. Stop algae growth over the winter and save later with reduced opening chemical cost!