View Full Version : Cover blows off pool
dawn.c.illinois
07-15-2013, 10:34 PM
Hi, new to the forum. I've been using the BBB method for about a month now. Have had a 30' above ground pool for a year now. I live in high wind rural area, so keeping it covered is a challenge. Searching for answers, I found this forum.
PoolDoc
07-15-2013, 11:57 PM
It's hard to cover an AG pool with no deck -- there's nothing to tie the cover to. You can NOT tie to the pool edge, because it's not designed for that sort of stress. If you build a deck you can go with a cover like this:
http://www.looploc.com/pool-safety-covers-on-ground.cfm
Another DIY possibility is to get a 30' round solar cover, like this one from InTheSwim (http://www.intheswim.com/Solar-Blankets/30-ft-Round-Solar-Blankets/12-Mil-Blue-Solar-Blanket-30-ft-Round/) (not a recommendation; just the first place I found one).
A cover like this will not blow off *IF* the wind can't catch an edge.
If you take a brass (NOT: brass plated steel!!) grommet kit, some braided nylon cord (NOT: twisted!), and some 1/2" or heavier SS (NOT: zinc plated steel!!) like these:
General Tools 1260 2 3/8-Inch Solid Brass Grommet Kit (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004T7VY/poolbooks)
MARSHALLTOWN ML339 Mason's Line 500' Fluorescent Yellow Braided Nylon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001RJ6YSK/poolbooks)
1/2-13 Finished Hex Nuts Marine Grade 18-8SS Stainless Steel 100 Pack (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002YP4XRK/poolbooks)
you can weigh all the edges down, so they dip under water.
If you order from the list above, check the grommets with a magnet BEFORE you use them to make sure they are not brass plated steel. Steel grommets (steel anything) will not hold up in a pool. Everything MUST be stainless steel or brass.
Watermom
07-16-2013, 08:33 AM
To keep my solar cover from blowing off the pool, we lay pvc pipes (capped on both ends) across the cover. You can fill them with something first to give some added weight if you wanted I suppose, but I don't. I have 4 or 5 of these and I just lay them in various places across the cover.
Leehicks79
07-16-2013, 01:22 PM
Once I cut my solar cover into fourths, it was constantly getting blown around the pool. I took watermom's advice from an old thread and used four capped PVC pipes to lay over the seams. Works great and I can roll the cover up on the pipes for easier handling. Pipes and caps cost under $20 at our hardware store.
PoolDoc
07-16-2013, 02:36 PM
If the wind in Dawn's area is too high for that, she could take the nylon twine and the grommet kit from above, and use them to tie the PVC to the cover.