With all this snow that just fell on us this weekend, some of you may have noticed that your pool cover is starting to sink into your pool. Do you need to brave the elements to clear the snow off your pool cover too?
Yes!
Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of air pillows is not to hold the pool cover up. They are ice expansion devices and are self-sacrificial, so they will likely pop when the ice expands. You will need to keep up with water and snow build up on your pool cover even with the pillows inflated. To remove the snow from the cover, you can use a long soft bristle brush or a broom to push or pull the snow off the cover. Never use a shovel, or something with sharp edges, as this can tear the cover. If the snow melts before you can remove it, use a cover pump to pump the water off. If your pool cover is starting to sink lower than normal, it is most likely due to water displacement. When there is a lot of water or snow on the pool cover, it can get so heavy that it will push the water in the pool up and out of the pool. If the water gets too low, you will need to add more water to keep stress off of the cover and pool walls.
Snow, and especially melting slushy snow, is very heavy. Just a few inches of wet snow on top of the cover can weigh well over 1,000 pounds depending on the size of your pool. The stress of that much weight can do a lot of damage to the cover and the pool wall.
With a heavy-duty broom, a cover pump, and some time and patience, you can protect your investment. Then make some snow angels.
