There are a few efficient ways to accomplish the goal of getting water off of a pool cover. Doing this will help to preserve the cover and save money later down the line. Excess liquid can cause the material the cover is made of to deteriorate at a much more rapid pace, so it is crucial to stay on top of maintaining it. Below are some tips for how to get water off a pool cover.
Using a Garden Hose
For above-ground pools, it is relatively easy to get water off the pool cover with only a garden hose. That is all thanks to gravity, and the water will drain just because it wants to take the path of least resistance. Connect the hose to a faucet, and place the other end on top of the cover so it will stay submerged in the water.
Turn the faucet on, let it run for about a minute, and then quickly turn it off and disconnect the hose from the spigot. If done correctly, the water will begin to drain through the end of the disconnected hose.
Unfortunately, this only works for above-ground pools. For in-ground pools, you will need an extra piece of equipment called a pool pump.
Using a Sump Pump
A sump pump is essentially a garden hose working in reverse to take in water instead of putting it out. You will also need a pool pump, which you can find at almost any hardware or pool store. Attach the garden hose to the pump, and extend the hose to the area where water is pooling up on the cover.
Drop the pool pump into the water. You might want to place the pump into the pool on a floatation device, like a plastic lid. If you don’t do this, the pump might drain excess pool water from underneath the cover. That is because many pool covers get made from a mesh material that could cause the pump to drop deeper into the pool than intended.
The next step is to plug the pool pump into a grounded outlet. It is always important to check if outlets are grounded when using electric tools with water. After this, double-check to ensure that the water is draining correctly off the cover, and keep everything in place until you have fully drained the area where water has pooled.
Finding the Right Pool Pump
There are many options to choose from when finding the right pump to drain standing water from off the pool cover. The first thing to consider is how quickly the pump drains water. When purchasing a pump, check the GPM (Gallons Per Minute). Most of these products range from being able to pump around 10 GPM to 90 GPM.
If you want more control and don’t mind waiting a little longer, or you want to be able to walk away from this process and come back later, a pump with less power might be the right option for you. It is also worth noting that these pumps are usually in the $60 to $300 range.
Elephant Covers
If you want to avoid dealing with the issue of standing water on your pool cover entirely, an elephant cover might be a worthwhile investment. These pool covers get made from material that can stretch so that water can just run through them while still acting as a working pool cover. It gets its name from its elasticity since it is so durable that an elephant could stand on one, and it would not break.