How To Properly Remove And Store Your Winter Pool Safety Cover
With warmer weather upon us, many families have begun to turn their attention to pool season. However, the pool safety cover must be removed before any pool festivities can begin. How do you remove it safely and properly? Heres how:
Step 1: Clean the cover before removal
Over the fall and winter, debris and dirt can collect on the swimming pool cover. The one thing you dont want to do is remove the cover before removing debris. Why? Because everything sitting on top of the cover will slide into the pool during removal. Even worse, a large twig or branch can cause a tear! To clean off the cover, hose off the debris using a standard garden hose with a power nozzle. If your pool is covered with a solid cover rather than a mesh pool cover, then you will need to suction off any standing water before removing it. A cover pump is designed to make this task easy.
Step 2: Remove the Cover Springs and Screw Down Anchors
Before removing the pool safety cover, you need to remove the cover springs and screw down anchors. The installation rod that came with your cover is the perfect tool for removing the springs from the anchors. Once youve removed all of the springs, take the hex key to lower the brass anchors down into the deck. By lowering the anchors into the deck, you will reduce the risk of your cover getting snagged on them during the removal process. This is an important step to helping prevent damage to your cover, so don’t skip it!
Step 3: Remove the cover
Get Ahead Of The Game
The best way to minimize the time spent dealing with leaves is to prevent them from getting into your pool or onto your cover in the first place. Daily raking and removal of leaves from your yard before those swirling fall winds can do their work is your best bet. You might also consider buying a leaf net. It is a lightweight net that lays on top of your pool cover. Regularly pulling it off, emptying the leaves, and repositioning it greatly simplifies the process of leaf management.
However you choose to keep your pool leaf-free, dont forget to enjoy this wonderful season.
A Tradition Of Quality
Since 1964, Garrett has been manufacturing the industrys best fitting vinyl pool liners we bring the same dedication, skill, and experience to our safety covers. Its this commitment to quality that has earned us a reputation for outstanding quality and exceptional service.
Our safety cover manufacturing staff is experienced and knowledgeable, allowing us to provide the expertise and support that our customers deserve. If youve been searching for a durable safety cover for your pool, contact Garrett Liners and Covers at 222-3650 to find a Garrett dealer near you.
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Why A Smartmesh Pool Safety Cover Makes Sense When Closing Your Pool
Fall is quickly approaching, and with the changing colors of the leaves comes the realization that summer is ending and the time has arrived to think about winterizing your pool. And one of the most important steps when closing your pool for the season is deciding what kind of safety cover to install. Your choice can save you plenty of heartaches and money when next spring rolls around.
For years, homeowners have selected standard mesh or solid covers that had a tendency to gap over the winter, leaving your pool looking like a frog pond when you remove the cover, leaving you with a costly cleanup each spring. With that in mind, the Merlin SmartMesh Pool Safety Cover was created.
How strong and resilient is the SmartMesh Pool Safety Cover? It even stood up to the challenge of Hurricane Sandy.
First of all, the SmartMesh Pool Safety Cover provides 100 percent shade and UV block, the only safety cover on the market that can make that claim. The exclusive mesh weave design allows the pool water to freely flow through the cover, while completely blocking out the sunlight so you dont need to worry about the growth of algae when your pool isnt in use. Without sunlight, youll open up your pool next spring to clearer, cleaner water, maintain your pool more efficiently, spend less money on chemicals, and increase the life of your pool.
Thirdly, the SmartMesh Pool Safety Cover filters debris as small as 40 microns, so its like having a second filter covering your pool.
Hack #1: Seal Up Gaps
If your cover does not fit exactly tight against the concrete, dirt and leaves can blow in, causing stains and using-up your winter chemicals. Same thing if you have a raised wall, obstructions or steps that the cover interfaces with.
Use pool noodles, inexpensive inflatable rafts, or larger foam pieces to fill gaps against a raised wall. Use water bags to hold a cover flat on pools with bullnose coping that raises cover edge or flagstone coping that lets leaves blow right under.
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Got some pool safety cover tips of your own? Leave a Reply below and Ill add it to the post!
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Remove Water From Your Swimming Pool Cover
Maybe youve just survived a large rain or snow storm and want to perform some preventative maintenance in order to ensure that your pool cover lasts for the remainder of the winter, or maybe youre just opening your pool for the season. It doesnt matter what has prompted you to do so, but sooner or later, all pool owners will be faced with the task of removing the yucky water that has accumulated on top of the cover. Whether you have an above ground, or in ground variety, if you cover your pool to prepare it for winter, it will inevitably collect water prior to you taking it off to use the pool again in the summer. If left on there under heavy rains or snows, the weight could be so burdensome that it pulls the whole cover into the pool to create a disastrous situation for you to clean up. If youre lucky enough to not have to remove some mid-winter water accumulation, then you will still be faced with proper removal to be able to open your pool when the weather changes.
Mesh Vs Solid Safety Covers: Which Type Is Right For My Pool
Choosing the inground swimming pool safety cover that’s best for your pool doesn’t have to be a complicated process. The safety cover you choose will greatly depend on when you want to do the maintenance work. Would you prefer to do a little maintenance throughout the Winter or a lot of maintenance early Spring ?
Swimming pool safety covers come in two main types: mesh and solid. Both types of inground safety cover material protect your pool, guests, and family members .
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Drill Another Hole Method:
Another option would be to re-drill a new cover anchor, adjacent to the old anchor. The old anchor can be scored or painted with fingernail polish to easily identify it as the old, non-working anchor. If the threaded insert piece is removed or missing, and you want to fill in the old anchor body, you can use pool caulk or concrete patch. See my other blog about How to Install Pool Cover Anchors for more information
Answers to your vexing pool problems. Thats what we do here, everyday. If you need replacement brass pool cover anchors, or any other items for your safety cover, visit our Safety Cover Replacement Hardware page.
And if you are in need of more troubleshooting for your safety cover anchors, or questions not answered above, leave a reply below, and add to the long list of comments!
Inspect The Actual Color Of Your Product Prior To Installation
If it is important that your product be an exact color or shade, it is highly recommended that you inspect the actual product prior to its installation and address any concerns with your local independent installer. Most independent installers do not offer refunds or accept returns due to color variations.
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Clean The Cover Thoroughly
Cleaning the cover thoroughly should not be skipped. Do not make the same mistake that most swimming pool owners do. Some just store the cover without cleaning it. You can use a mixture of mild detergent and water to clean the cover. A spray-on cover cleaner is also effective and safe to use.
Spread out the cover on a clean surface. You can choose a corner area in your lawn. Depending on the dirt accumulated on the cover, you can also use a brush to scrub off the grime and remove all the slimy residues that stick in the cover.
Industry Leader In Safety Pool Covers
Anchor Industries, Inc. has been the leading innovator of safety pool covers for more than 40 years. We utilize cutting-edge technology and proven safety features to protect you and your swimming space. In todays era of creatively designed pools, custom and irregularly shaped pool covers are an Anchor specialty.
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Hack #1: 12 Allen Wrench Drill Bit Extension
If youve ever scraped your knuckles against the hard concrete patio while dealing with a safety cover anchor, this hack is for you. Buy a 1/4 x 12 long drill adapters, or use a hacksaw to cut off the bend of the standard safety cover hex key.
Of course, you need to have to have pretty clean anchors that move up and down easily, or your drill will bind up. I put in new cover anchors to replace the sticky ones, and can now just use my cordless drill.
Dealing With Snow On Your Winter Pool Cover
Snowmageddon 2017 title goes to Erie, Pennsylvania. On Christmas Day, 34 of snow fell, shattering previous single day snowfall records. Over 60 of snow in just 48 hours, and theres more snow in the forecast.
According to Dr. Pool, knowledgeable in such things, the East Coast is experiencing what has been officially dubbed a Bomb Cyclone of snow and cold temperature with snow reaching as far south as Florida. We hope everyone stays safe and warm. With safety in mind, lets discuss how to approach snow on your above ground or inground pool cover.
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Hack #: Keeping The Pool Water Level Below The Tile
A small bit of maintenance required of every safety pool cover owner is to keep the water level from getting too high in the pool. Even for safety covers that are drum-tight, there is still some deflection in the center. When pool water levels rise to touch the cover,the wet-spot in the middle of the cover will warm the water and trap dirt and debris, turning your cover into a giant tea bag.
A small cover pump, placed into the skimmer well, or onto the top step under the cover, is the easy way to keep water level 6-8 below the cover. A $35 investment makes a large difference in water clarity and color during spring opening.
Pool Cover Removal Cleaning And Storage
If you have a mesh or solid safety pool cover , removing and storing the pool cover for winter is not so much trouble, but if your pool cover looks more like the one on the right, its gonna take a bit longer and requires a bit more care.
Heres how to remove both pool cover types, safety pool covers and solid pool covers. But first, a few tips:
1. Get some helpers. Removing a pool cover by yourself is no picnic. Just two people are needed in most cases.
2. Clean it before folding. Leaves, dirt and debris are bad for the fabric and will only end up in the pool when you close it in the fall.
3. Accordion fold the cover, also known as fan-folding. This makes it much easier to put it on the pool next time.
4. Patch any holes that you have now, before putting it away and forgetting about it.
With these tips in mind, heres how to remove, clean and fold a winter pool cover in the most efficient way possible. These methods will work for aboveground pools or in-ground pools.
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Removing Leaves And Water From A Winter Pool Cover
Atlanta is known for its trees. We are blessed to live in one of the most heavily wooded major American cities. But with all those trees come millions of leaves. And this time of year, all of those leaves are coming off the trees. They fill our yards, driveways, and sidewalks. They make huge piles on our lawns and fill bag after bag of yard waste. So, of course, our pools are not spared from the onslaught of falling vegetation. If you have a solid winter pool cover, you almost certainly have a considerable spread of leaves all over it. To make matters worse, autumn rain means puddles or even one large puddle of water on your cover. The combination of leaves and water can seem like a challenge to remove. But removing leaves and water from a winter pool cover is a critical part of winter pool maintenance.
Colors On Your Screen Or Brochure May Not Match The Actual Color Of Your Product
Due to the many variations in monitors, phones, and browsers, color samples and product examples may appear different on different screens. Computers and mobile devices are not all calibrated equally and color reproduction on the Internet is not precise. The same is true for printed items such as brochures and other sales literature.
In addition, the colors of our products photograph differently under different lighting conditions. For example, photos taken in full sunlight will vary from photos taken on a cloudy or overcast day. Similarly, shadows from nearby objects can affect the color and transparency of our products. If a precise color or specific shade is important, please inspect the actual color of your product prior to installation.
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Hack #: Patching A Safety Pool Cover
Fire, deer, tree branches they can all poke holes in your safety cover. To keep holes from spreading larger, and to keep out sun and debris, it is best to patch any holes large enough to put your finger through.
For panel or strap replacements, call our custom cover department, for a quote on cover repair. Smaller holes can be patched with safety cover patches.
Should I Winterize The Pool Before The Cover Is Installed
I usually winterize the pool after I install a safety cover or I start lowering the water once I get the cover about one-third installed. Then I just pull open the cover to access the skimmer and returns for plugging. Just be sure to clean the pool thoroughly before installing the cover.
It is easier to install the safety cover when the water level is higher in the pool, so that the cover is floating on the surface as you spread it across the pool. This is especially more helpful for freeform cover installations, as it will help you to more easily center the cover on the pool.
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Brass Anchor Removal Kit
Brass Anchor Removal Kit
A more permanent solution would be to replace a stripped cover anchor with a complete new brass anchor. Using our Brass Anchor Removal Kit, you can replace your cover pins in just minutes.
Drill out the stripped hole with the drill bit, cut threads into the hole with the tap, assemble cylinder, plate, nut and bolt and just simply turn the nut with a wrench to easily raise a broken cover anchor from the concrete.
How To Remove A Leaf Pool Cover By Yourself:
1. Undo the Grommets Near the Reel.
Dont undo all of them right away or the cover may sink into the water. Only undo the ones closest to the reel.
2. Securely Attach the Cover to the Reel, then Undo the Rest of the Grommets.
Be sure you give yourself enough leeway to securely attach the cover before undoing the rest of the grommets.
3. Undo the Grommets.
Go around the perimeter of your pool, undoing grommets as you walk. Be careful of rock formations or other pool additions that may require you to lean over the water to reach the grommets.
4. Return to the Spool and Reel Your Leaf Cover in.
The process for how to remove a leaf pool cover by yourself should take approximately 15 minutes or less. Your leaf cover is porous enough that it doesnt need to dry the way a mesh cover would before storage.
If you have a pool net underneath your leaf cover, watch the video below to see how to remove and store your net safely.
Similar to mesh covers, if you need to know how to put on a pool cover by yourself, do these steps in reverse. Make sure to anchor at least a handful of grommets before completely releasing the cover from the reel.
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How To Remove A Solid Pool Cover
Now, for the rest of you unlucky souls just kidding! The process is nearly as easy. Since all of the water from the melting snow or rain accumulates on top of a solid cover, the first step is to remove this water. Any kind of cover pump will become your useful tool for the next several hours. Run a hose out to a sewer or the farthest part of the yard.
Now, if you are fortunate enough to own a winter leaf catcher, you can pull 99 percent of the leaves and debris off the cover with one easy motion. Leaf catchers are inexpensive, wide-mesh nets that you place on top of your solid pool cover. They are easy to remove from the pool you can haul the whole mess somewhere appropriate to dump it out.
If you dont have a leaf catcher on the solid pool cover, grab that long pole and start skimming. We need to remove 99 percent of the leafs, sticks, bugs and other debris by hand. Dont make the rookie mistake of pumping all of the water off, but then leave the debris on the cover to bake hard in the sun.
Its much easier to use a leaf rake type of skimmer net to remove the leaves and debris while there is still some water on the cover. Having a helper with a plastic bristled pool brush on a pool pole can help to push the debris into an area where you can scoop it up with a leaf net.
