Too Much Snow on the Pool Cover can be a Problem
We have seen an incredible amount of snow this winter and it has been piling up on top of our winter covers. So the question is, “Do I have to do something about it?”
Let me start off by saying that you do not need to remove all the snow from your cover. A little bit, or maybe even a lot or snow on your winter cover is usually okay. Most of the time you do not have to worry about it. But, there are certainly times when snow should be removed if possible.
The situations in which you should remove snow, once again if possible, is if it is putting stress on your winter cover. Does it look like your winter cover is pulling in towards the middle? If yes, then try to remove some snow. The difficulty is, usually the snow is hard by this point, and very difficult to remove. Not to mention the fact that for safety reason you should never walk on your pool cover to remove snow. You can use a long-handled broom to push some snow off the cover, but there’s a good chance you won’t be able to reach the snow in the middle.
So, what if there is stress on my cover, it is pulling in towards the middle, and Ican’t get the snow off?
In a situation such as this, it would be better to cut the cable on your winter cover than to continue to let it put stress on the pool. The stress on the cover isn’t what you are really worried about. New winter covers are relatively inexpensive. The main concern is putting stress on the frame of the pool. If your pool cover is pulling in, then it is trying to pull your pool wall in with it. In a situation such as this there is a definite possibility of top rails being cracked, torn off, or even the pool wall bending. Worst case scenario: the pool collapses in on itself. Not fun to think about, but it can happen in extreme situations.
So, if you see the cover pulling in, cut the cable and let it go. Sure that might mean a little more clean up in the spring, but at least your pool will be standing and in one piece.
Once Spring comes (it is going to come, right?) and all this snow starts to melt you are going to need to siphon or pump the water off the cover. I would suggest an electric pool cover pump with an automatic shut off. That way you can keep it on top of your cover and it will pump as needed. Stay on top of it throughout the Spring and it won’t be such a task when you are ready to open.
One other point to mention: Often if your pool cover is pulling it, the cause is that you have lost some water. When it warms up enough, you might want to consider adding some water to the pool. Just stick a hose under the winter cover and add enough to float some of the top ice and alleviate some pressure from off the top rails. And speaking of losing water over the winter – we’ll tackle that issue in another post!