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Automatic Pool Covers: How Do They Handle the Winter?

Most people would not associate swimming pools with winter. I mean, who wants to swim in a pool during the winter? A hot tub… most definitely! But unless you live in a warm climate year-round you’re probably not going to be doing a lot of swimming in the winter. Bummer, I know. 

If you’ve never owned an inground pool before, you may be wondering how to protect the pool during the winter. Perhaps you’ve seen spring-loaded solid or mesh winter safety covers. Those are excellent for protecting your pool during the harsh winter months. Maybe you’ve seen an automatic pool cover, which can cover and uncover an inground pool in a matter of seconds with just the flip of a switch or by pressing a couple of buttons. Ranging between $12,000-$22,000 for new pool installations, automatic pool covers will drive up the up-front cost of a pool, but will make your life as a pool owner much easier in the long run. Either a spring-loaded cover or an auto cover will do the job of covering your pool during the winter, but with the convenience of automatic pool covers comes some maintenance as well. 

With more and more new pool owners opting for auto-covers, it’s important to understand that these products, while awesome and convenient, require some tender love and care during the winter. Royal Pools G2 Landscaping has been installing auto-covers on pools for decades, and we know just how important it is to maintain your auto cover year-round to ensure it functions to the best possible standard during the swim season.

 

How to Prepare Your Automatic Pool Cover For the Winter

You’d be forgiven for assuming that a pool and its cover can be left alone throughout the winter. The truth is, an automatic pool cover can function as a winter cover, it just needs a little help from you, the homeowner. Having an auto cover makes closing an inground pool less labor intensive than it is to spring load a solid or mesh cover, and only requires a few winter maintenance measures. 

The three most important things you need to do to prepare your automatic pool cover for the winter are:

  1. Raise the water level to halfway up the skimmer faceplate. 
  2. Remove all excess water and debris from atop the cover.
  3. Ensure that your pool is chemically balanced and closed properly either by yourself or a pool service company. 

 

Dealing With Snow and Water With Your Automatic Cover

An auto-cover is only made to handle a certain amount of pressure, anywhere between 500-2,000 pounds. A buildup of snow, water, and ice can put serious weight on top of the cover during the winter. There are steps you can take in the winter to protect your auto-cover and ensure that a potentially harsh winter doesn’t damage it, including: 

    • Maintaining proper water level: We always recommend keeping your pool’s water level sitting about halfway up the pool skimmer faceplate, and this goes for the winter season as well. Keeping the water level in the pool at the correct level during the winter will come in very handy if the cover ever accumulates a significant amount of water. 
    • Use a pool cover pump: A pool cover pump is one of the most convenient and time-saving additions to an auto-covered pool. A cover pump must be left on an auto cover at all times throughout the winter to remove any and all water. 
    • Remove debris: Be sure to remove any leaves, sticks, dirt, or debris that gathers on top of the cover that may weigh it down or worse, leave stains. 
    • Leave the pool closed: It’s a good rule of thumb not to operate an automatic cover at all during the winter unless absolutely necessary. If the water level is too low or there is an excessive amount of water on top of the cover, the cover could be damaged if opened. A tip: take a marker and mark where the water line should be in your skimmer, and use the skimmer to monitor the water level in the pool
    • Hire a Pool Company to open your pool in the Spring: This step is fairly self-explanatory. A pool service professional will save you the time and hassle of not just opening up your pool for the Summer, but also having to start up and possibly adjust the auto cover.

 

Will My Automatic Cover Freeze?

With all those tips and tricks in mind, you may be thinking “Man, that’s more maintenance than I expected.” We understand this sentiment, but there is a reason for taking these precautionary measures in the winter. Auto-covers can freeze during the winter if not properly maintained.

Leaving an excessive amount of water on an auto-cover in the winter is something that should be avoided at all costs. If the water on top of the cover freezes in place, the cover will freeze as well. Most automatic pool cover warranties will not cover damage due to weather elements unless there is a fault with the cover itself. Following those steps and checking your cover regularly for water build-up throughout the winter will not just protect the cover, but protect the cover warranties as well. 

 

Conclusion on Automatic Covers

So there you have it guys. Can automatic pool covers handle the winter? The answer is a resounding: yes they can. It’s once again important to remember that auto-covers are not the same thing as the industry standard spring-loaded solid and mesh winter covers. Automatic covers can essentially serve as winter covers, as long as you’re willing to take the necessary steps to protect the cover from natural damage. As previously stated, such a convenient product to have in the summer requires some tender love and care in the winter if you want it to work best when you need it. For more information about auto covers, closing your pool, or general pool maintenance, check out the articles below and feel free to visit our learning center.

How Much Does An Automatic Pool Cover Cost?

Top 5 Problems With Automatic Pool Covers

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