Pump Water Off Cover - Feeling Stupid

[Calicat2u]

Hi - Okay, so I'm feeling very stupid. We just had our brand new inground 20x40 "Lake" shaped pool closed using a winter cover with water bags. I was told not to let water collect on the cover. Ok, that's sounds easy.

It's day 2 of closing and raining. Came home from work and found 3 large puddles on the cover. Got my little pump out and started pumping. 1 1/2 puddles later it started to rain very hard....I stopped pumping.

So - just how much water on the cover is too much?

When the pool was closed they used gizmo's so the water level is about at the middle of the skimmers. It's a tarp type cover for this year until we get our concrete and solid winter cover.

I can just see myself having nightmares through the winter checking the water on the cover.

HELP!!!!! I want to sleep.

[waste]

Welcome to the forum, and don't worry! Keeping the water on the cover to a minimum is good, so using your pump is fine. Unless there's anything 'irregular' about your pool, things should be ok.

[Spensar]

Hi - Okay, so I'm feeling very stupid. We just had our brand new inground 20x40 "Lake" shaped pool closed using a winter cover with water bags. I was told not to let water collect on the cover.

Why? How the heck are you ever going to keep on top of that all winter. That's more work than operating the pool. Is the cover suspended above the water or something?? I use bags and the cover is laid out on the top of the lowered water lever. If it rains water accumulates on top. It snow a lot here too, so by spring my water level is almost back to the skimmer. Keeping water from collecting on top is just not possible. Sounds like weird advice. Like to here from the pros and their views!

[Poconos]

Just my opinion. If you get freezing temps, rain, ice, snow, there is no way I see that your cover, and maybe some water (ice) bags, will not be in the pool comes Spring. You can't pump ice and you can't walk out and shovel snow. I hate all these nasty words. See below. Personally, I gave up on my Loop-Lock cover. Would be frozen in a solid block of ice by late Winter. I don't cover now. Only two reasons to cover...safety and debris which are probably a lot of leaves. As for safety, once it freezes, you can walk on frozen water.
As I said..my opinion and on my 9th or 10th, depending on how you count, coming up. I stopped covering about 3 years ago. I hate W*****, I**, F*******, C***. All those naughty words.
Al

[markphin]

I try to keep most water off my cover but don't obsess over it. after a good rain, I'll throw the pump in. You want to keep the water level well below the coping though (iff you have coping). You don't want the water to freeze expand and possibly pop off some coping.