Top tips to make sure your pool is safe during the winter months!
With all of the snow and wind we’ve had lately we wanted to give you a few tips to make sure your pool cover is safe and secure. Pool covers can come loose in these winter conditions. If this happens you can get unwanted dirt and debris in the pool which can be a headache to clean up.
The top 3 things we check for to ensure you have a headache free spring are:
- Water Bag & Tarp Covers:
Make sure your water bags are still 3/4 full. Remember when the weather gets below freezing the water inside the bags expands which can cause them to pop. It is important to check the bags for leaks / tears as broken bags can cause the cover to become unsecured. This is another reminder as to why we only want to fill bags up 3/4! - Remember if a water bag has popped it is important to replace it with another one. You never want to use a brick or patio stone as they can fall in to the pool and damage your liner causing costly repairs in the spring.
- Lock-In Covers:
Inspect the edges of the lock in cover to ensure it is locked into place around the entire perimeter of your pool. If you find areas where the cover has come loose it should be easy to pop it back into the track. If you notice it consistently falling out you may need additional liner lock to keep it in place. - If you have difficulty pulling the cover into the track you can use a kettle to heat up water to pour on top of the cover. This give the cover more elasticity and stretch which should make it easier to reattach the cover.
- Safety Covers:
Walk around your safety cover and check that all straps are still attached to their anchors. With the weight of the snow it puts extra pressure on the cover which can cause straps to pop off. If any have popped off you should be able to reattach them using the safety cover bar. This keeps the cover safe for pets to walk across, it puts less pressure on the other springs / anchors and prevents debris from blowing under the cover. - If there is a lot of snow on the cover you may be better to wait to reattach the springs as it can be more difficult to reconnect the straps with extra weight on the cover from the snow.
These are our top tips! Remember if something happens to the cover don’t panic. Even with a perfectly secured cover dirt and debris will find there way into the pool. A service cleaning and a bit of chlorine are usually all that is needed to get the pool back into swimming conditions.
