Automatic Safety Cover Adjustments on Inground Fiberglass Pools

Autocovers are an amazing system to have on a fiberglass pool. They keep the pool safe and secure of course, but for many pool owners the real benefits are all the other ones. The pool is warmer, cleaner, it uses even less chemicals, doesn't evaporate, and overall, it is easier and cheaper to own. Safety covers do however need some care to keep them at their best and operating properly.

When we install a new autocover system on a new pool, we include a tune up inside the first one year. Usually that is around the first pool closing. This is a must as the system will experience a break in period where the ropes and other components stretch and get settled in. As this stretching and break in occurs the cover gets out of adjustment. As advanced as the world has become retractable safety covers have stayed pretty crude relying on ropes and pulleys to make most of the magic happen.

It's not uncommon for a cover to become out of square 1" or 2" but finish and then close flush, sporadically. However, if it is consistently out 2" or more it's time to have a look and be adjusted. When a safety cover has become 3" out of alignment when closed consistently, it definitely needs an adjustment sooner than later.

The process involves making adjustments to where the fabric is mounted on the drum as well as how the ropes are set on the spindles. Once the adjustment is made it will take a few cycles to see if it is correct. The way the ropes roll up on the spindle can be random and WILL affect the way the cover opens and closes. Though we wish it was a science there is an artistic component here and sometimes it will take more than one adjustment.

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