How to Secure a Winter Pool Cover for Maximum Safety

The safety of your pool is paramount, and a winter pool cover is an essential part of keeping it safe. To ensure maximum safety, the cover must be tight to the drum, with only a slight deviation in the center. If the cover is too loose, leaves and other debris can blow in and cause problems. Covers for above and below ground pools must be 3 feet wide so that they can be properly anchored.

Most pool covers have an overlap of between 9 and 18 inches, and the springs and straps to secure them will take up another 17 inches of space from the edge of the cover. When installing the cover, you should make sure that you can't move the spring coil with your hand, but that it is tight enough to hold the cover in place. Mesh covers are available that allow rainwater to drain into the pool, but prevent larger debris from entering. It's important to keep your pool full when it is covered, and the water level should never drop below 18 inches from the top of the pool.

If you need to walk on the deck to reach the panels, make sure you don't wear shoes with spikes or heels, as this could puncture the cover. When there is a foot or more of water at the top of the deck, it could have more than 30,000 pounds of water or more at the top, and no roof system can handle this. Vinyl covers have a tendency to shrink over time, so it's important to store them properly in a tub of water and algaecide when not in use. Indoor pools located in heavily wooded areas are susceptible to accumulation of leaves, needles and other debris that can inhibit water flow to and through the mesh drainage panel or INVIS-A-DRAIN.

The pool water level should not be allowed to drop more than 18 inches below deck during the snow season.