Hello Everyone!
We’ve had some pretty crazy weather this past week, and with the abrupt warming and cooling temperatures we’ve been getting some phone calls. I’d like to talk about a couple of the questions I’ve been asked in case any of you run into the same issues.
When you close your pool, you should use 1 or 2 air pillows depending on the size of your pool. If you close your pool yourself, we recommend tying it off so it stays in the center. The air pillows are not meant to keep the cover up when there is snow and ice on it. They are there to protect your pool walls from ice expansion. When it gets warmer and the ice expands, it will pop the pillows instead of pushing out against the wall. Air pillows are self-sacrificial and most likely will need to be replaced every fall. If they don’t pop, then you can save them for next fall to be used again.
If it looks like you’ve lost water in the pool, it may not be a leak. If there is a large amount of snow and ice on the cover it is very common for the weight on the cover to push the water out of the pool. The best way to prevent this from happening is to close off the skimmer with a stainless steel faceplate or Aquador so you can leave the water at normal operating level and remove any water on the cover with a cover pump before it freezes. Automatic cover pumps cost a little more, but you will not need to go out and turn the pump on every time there is water on the cover. **Do NOT try to pump water off a mesh cover. It will pump water out of the pool. If the water level is very low, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to lift up a section of the cover if possible and fill it back up. If the water level is very low and you think there may be a leak, call us so we can determine how to protect your pool from further damage until spring.
