Your pool cover helps create a safer swimming pool, but the same attributes that help prevent accidental drownings can lead to standing water on the pool cover. Worse, the weight of too much water can lead to a sunken pool cover that looks unsightly and puts strain on this important safety device. Knowing how to get water off of your pool cover helps protect your loved ones, keep your cover in good repair, and protect your water’s health. As your local pool cover experts, we’re here with the tips you need to keep your pool and safety barriers ready all season long.
Your Swimming Pool Safety Cover
Swimming pool safety covers are popular safety barriers both as standalone protection and as a second layer of protection behind a swimming pool fence. Safety covers aren’t the same as leaf or solar covers, which aren’t designed to prevent accidental drowning and may, in fact, present enhanced drowning threats. Safety covers use a strong, rip and chemical-resistant ultra-mesh material stretched between anchors fixed to your pool’s deck. The result is a strong, durable cover that can support the weight of a full-size adult, making it a powerful tool to prevent your pool from becoming the site of a tragedy.
Standing Water Risks
Too many pool owners don’t understand that standing water on their pool cover can be an issue. They believe that since the pool is filled with water, just open the pool, and if a little water falls in, so be it. While a few drops aren’t the end of the world, there are some very good reasons to know how and when to remove water from a pool cover.
- Pooled Water Can Carry Dirt, Debris, And Bacteria – Where has your standing water been? From roof run-off after rain to snow melt in the spring, pollutants leached from the atmosphere, or bacteria formed from wet, rotting leaves, you wouldn’t want to drink the standing water on your pool cover, so why would you want to swim in it? The water on top of your pool cover is contaminated, and removing it as soon as possible before it transfers dirt and bacteria to your pool should be a priority.
- It Throws Off Your Water’s Chemical Balance – Even if you’re lucky enough to have standing water that is relatively clean, it’s untreated. When you balance your pool chemistry, you do so relative to the existing volume of water. Introducing an additional volume can dilute your pool’s chemicals, dropping them below optimal ranges for healthy, protected pool water. That also means any contaminants they do carry will have an easier time gaining a foothold in your pool’s system.
- Standing Water Attracts Insects – Standing water on your pool cover isn’t being moved by your pump, which makes it a prime location for insects that use the water for sustenance and to breed. Insects like mosquitos need still water to lay eggs in, and that’s something you don’t want in your family’s backyard. If you don’t know how to get standing water off your pool cover, instead choosing to open it as-is, you will introduce these larval bugs into your pool.
- A Sunken Pool Cover Puts Unnecessary Wear On Your Safety Barrier – Your pool cover is engineered to temporarily support a considerable amount of weight to prevent accidental drownings and allow for help to reach potential drowning victims and help them to safety. Sustained weight, however, is beyond the scope of its intended purpose, and standing water on a pool cover can be far heavier than it appears. At around 8 pounds per gallon, as little as thirty gallons is equivalent to the sustained weight of a large adult staying on the cover hour after hour, putting a weight load on the stitching, anchors, and fabric.
Removing Standing Water on Your Pool Cover
It’s time to protect your pool and get that water off the pool cover. Whether your pool cover has sunken already or the water is just starting to rise, we’ll walk you through the steps you need to get your pool cover ready to open up.
- Remove The Debris – Before we talk about how to get water off your pool cover, get the trash and debris out of the way. Using nets and soft-bristled brooms or brushes, remove fallen leaves, twigs, branches, and trash. The last thing you want is a clogged or damaged pump due to solid material it wasn’t meant to siphon off.
- Siphon Off The Standing Water On Your Pool Cover – WIth the solid material removed, you’re ready to get rid of that water. The two most popular methods are with a water pump or via a common garden hose. With a submersible pump, follow your manufacturer’s instructions to set up the pump and place it or its inlet hose into the standing water on your pool cover. Attach it to power, turn it on, and let it do its job.
With a garden hose, it’s important not to try to use your mouth to start the siphon process–remember all the junk we said was hiding in it? Attach your hose to an outdoor faucet away from the pool and turn it on with the far end underwater. After a few moments to fill the hose, turn off the water and remove the hose from the outlet, letting it drop to the ground at a lower point than your pool cover is at. This shouldn’t be an issue as most pool areas are graded with a slope away from the pool to prevent contamination. Gravity will use the water in the hose to siphon the standing water from your pool cover. - Inspect, Clean, and Repair Your Cover – After removing the water, take the time to inspect your pool cover. It may need cleaning to remove any remaining detritus or address potential staining. If your pool cover has been sunken for an extended period, there may be damage that needs to be addressed first. While the water may be gone, this final step is how to get water off your pool cover and ensure it’s still ready to protect the health of your family and the pool’s water.
Your Neighborhood Pool Safety Pros Are Ready To Help
We’re always right down the road when you need help with your pool cover or want to know your swimming pool protection options. Our installers live in the communities they serve, so they’re ready to help you–whether you need a new removable mesh pool fence or need repair service on your swimming pool safety cover. Schedule an appointment, and you’ll get a free written estimate that gives you fair prices on your safety options. Protect your loved ones with Lifeguard on Duty today.
