Air pillow under winter cover?

[ShelleyAnn]

How do I know if I need some type of floatation device under my winter cover? I've got the material that looks like the typical tarp stuff from HD and WM. We live in Denver where we have been known to get snow, but it always melts before the next storm comes in.

Shelley

[geordie]

Melted snow and rainfall will sit on top of your winter cover. You can siphon or pump off the excess, but there will probably always be a little left on top of the cover. Having a pillow under the cover assures that there is at least one spot where the cover is off of the pool water so the water is easier to pump off AND also it makes it much easier to remove the winter cover in the spring when you open the pool. That winter cover gets very heavy and any standing water actually makes the cover sink below the pool water surface. It is a monster to pull off and remove without a pillow.

[Watermom]

Also, in an AG pool, if you have a lot of standing water on the top of the cover, it will pool in the center. This can exert a lot of pressure pulling inward on your walls. The pillow under the cover alleviates this problem.

[doggie]

I hope you have the type of tarp that has a black underside so the sunlight can't penetrate it. That helps alot with controlling algae next spring before you open the pool.