Water Level Is Low With Autocover After Winterization

An automatic cover makes a fantastic winter cover. It keeps the dirt out, the sun out, is safe, and looks nice. There are however some things to keep in mind, and attention should be paid to your cover though winter.

It is always important to keep the autocover pump in place and functional. Water should not be allowed to collect on the cover. Ever. In winter this is particularly important. If you see water on the cover and the pump is not getting it pumped off you need to find out why and fix it. In most cases it is an electric issue. The GFCI outlet has been tripped due to rain or the plug has come out of the outlet altogether.

If that is not the issue check to make sure the float is free and the garden hose is not kinked blocking the water flow. In the colder times of course the water on the cover may be frozen, the swimming pool may be frozen, or the precipitation is in the form of snow. In this condition there is nothing that can be done. Once the thaw begins however it is critical that you pump the water off and keep it off.

If you do not pump the water off the cover, damage to the cover and the pool may occur. As the water pushes down on the top of the cover, the cover pushes down on the swimming pool water. As this occurs the water level in the pool will rise and begin to push up and out of the swimming pool. Either through back of the cover vault or through the overflow in the skimmer. As the pool water is pushed out of the swimming pool the water on the cover will appear to be at the same and normal operating level.

Once the cover water is pumped off the overall low swimming pool water level will appear. The pool water level will be the same depth low, as the water accumulated on the cover. Physics. If the water is left to accumulate eventually the cover will begin to push down so far it will pull on the tracks. It can pull so hard that the tracks can be ripped out of the retainers or even pull the retainers out of the concrete. The best case is of the fabric rips and relieves the stress but this does not always happen.

If the water is pushed out of the swimming pool and then removed from the cover, this could leave your pool dangerously low. If the swimming pool is allowed to be lowered it is now vulnerable to the forces of buoyancy and lift. If groundwater is high while the pool level is low the floor could push up, walls could bulge in, and the structure could be compromised. Leaving water on the cover unchecked could literally mean the destruction of the concrete, cover system, or worse, the entire swimming pool.

Good news though. You can avoid all of this damage and headache by keeping the pump on your cover and working. If you have any questions please let us know.

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