Leave the rain water in winter cover?

[Racker]

Hello.

I have a 40x20 foot inground pool with vinyl siding. I was planning on getting a safety winter cover installed this year but the cost led me to go with a cheaper option instead. This is the winter cover I got:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Y6YJU2/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00

Now, I had been planning on using a small pump to keep the rain water out of the cover during the winter months. However, a instruction sheet that came with the cover advised against draining the water. It didn't specify why that is. I had assumed that draining the water would ease the stress on the cover and simplify the spring opening, but maybe it acts as a buffer and protects the cover? Or keeps the water in the pool from freezing during the winter months?


I'd appreciate anyone's opinions on the matter. Thanks!

[Watermom]

I'm not sure why they would advise not draining the cover during the winter. I don't use a cover on my pool any more but when I did, I would occasionally throw a sump pump on the cover to pump the water off. Maybe somebody else will have an idea why they would tell you not to do so?

Welcome to the Pool Forum, by the way!

[Racker]

Hmm. In that case, I think I'll leave at least some of the water in during the colder months. I'm thinking now that perhaps having a few inches in the cover will mean that the rain water freezes and allows the pool water underneath to remain liquid. Might also act as a buffer to protect the cover from falling branches and such.

I have one more somewhat unrelated question I'd like to ask here, if that's okay?

When I closed the pool, I blew the water out of the in, out and skimmer lines, with a shopvac, as is outlined in numerous videos I watched on the internet about the closing process. I closed the skimmer line with a Gizmo.

However, today I was looking around the internet and I saw this:

http://www.poolsuppliessuperstore.com/poolsupplies/sku-5220.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=goobase_filler&gclid=COTjnMielrMCFcuZ4AodPGMAjQ

...and now I'm wondering if I should have used one, and shopvaced the remaining water out of the skimmer (the line is cleared and plugged but water remains in the skimmer's basin)? I'm starting to worry that freezing water could damage the skimmer by cracking it.

Thanks again for your assistance!

[BigDave]

I think the idea of leaving -some- water on the cover (at least on above ground pools) is to kep the cover from flapping in the wind - I'd guess that wind could lift an in ground pool cover as well.

[PoolDoc]

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