Automatic Pool Cover Maintenance Tips

As part of creating and keeping your pool area safe, you need to understand proper automatic pool cover maintenance. A swimming pool safety cover helps you prevent unsupervised access to your pool, keep it cleaner, and may be required under law, for coverage by your insurance carrier, or under your homeowner’s association guidelines. Your cover can only do its job, however, if it is in good condition and functioning properly. While pool covers are easy to care for and offer you a long service life, periodic automatic pool cover cleaning and care will help both maximize your pool’s safety and protect your investment.

The Safest Pool Possible

Part of effective automatic pool cover maintenance comes from understanding how your cover protects your swimming pool. Thousands of lives are lost to accidental drownings every year, and even more victims are treated for injuries related to drowning incidents. Installed both as standalone pool safety devices and as a second layer of protection behind removable mesh pool fencing, an automatic pool cover is one of the easiest ways to close your pool and keep it closed when you aren’t around to supervise the action. Able to hold the weight of a full-grown adult, swimming safety pool covers can help ensure your pool isn’t the site of a tragedy.

• Anchor Rails – Your cover slides open and closed effortlessly on rails anchored along the edge of your pool. These anchors not only provide a smooth track for easy opening but provide a strong attachment point for your cover along the length of your swimming pool. 
• Rip-Resistant Material – Your pool cover’s material helps keep dirt, leaves, trash, and other debris from entering your water to help keep your pool cleaner. Whether you have an automatic pool cover or not, less cleaning is always appreciated. 
• Powerful Motor – Your cover uses a strong motor for trouble-free opening and closing. Designed to resist the elements, it’s an important part of keeping your pool safe and sound.

Taking Care Of Your Pool Cover

Automatic pool cover maintenance doesn’t have to be complicated. Some of the most important steps you can take to keep your cover in good repair take mere minutes every few days.

• Keep Your Cover Clear – Make sure you keep your cover clean and dry between uses and before you open your pool. A pool cover pump helps draw standing water off the top of your pool cover, while gentle sweeping with a soft-bristled brush can remove leaves, dirt, and lightweight trash. Large or potentially sharp detritus, like tree branches, should be lifted away to ensure they don’t damage your cover. Regular automatic pool cover cleaning helps keep outside contaminants from polluting your pool water. 
• Know When To Open Up – You installed a pool cover to help you close off access to the pool, but part of automatic pool cover maintenance is opening up when you are going to be there to supervise access but may not be intending to go for a swim. While your cover is resistant to damage from the chemicals used to keep your pool water safe and healthy, you should never close it immediately after adding pool chemicals. The concentrations in the air directly above your pool’s water can be high until your pool pump has a couple of hours to fully circulate the water. Throughout the week, your automatic pool cover will maintain your pool water’s balance by helping deter evaporation, but at least once a week, it should be opened to allow trapped gasses to escape. 

Just as with your general pool maintenance, periodic attention is also needed to keep your pool cover working perfectly. These tasks aren’t done as often as your regular automatic pool cover cleaning and opening, but they’re just as important to the health of your pool cover and the safety of your friends, family, and pets. That doesn’t mean you have to schedule a three-day weekend. A few hours when you open your pool for the year, before you close it over the winter months, and at least once a month in between is more than enough for regular automatic pool cover maintenance as long as no larger issues are found.

• Check Your Rails – Clean, clear rails are important for proper automatic pool cover function, and an issue with them can have far-reaching implications for every other part of your cover installation. A bind-up in the rails risks damage to the material, motor, and rails themselves, potentially impacting your pool’s safety. Any debris, from sticks or pebbles to a buildup of sand, should be removed immediately. Rinse out your rails and check the anchoring screws to make sure they’re tight and flush so they’re out of the way as your cover slides along. 
• Inspect And Clean Your Cover Material -Your cover and be cleaned with a soft-bristled brush and a light detergent. This is suitable for removing the dust and dirt that tends to build up month-to-month. While cleaning your automatic pool cover, your maintenance should include inspecting the material for signs of wear, stress, or tears. Check seams carefully, and pay close attention to the material that runs along your anchor rails. If these stress points fail, it could risk the lives of a pool goer. 
• Maintain Your Motor Housing – You may not be an auto mechanic, but you don’t have to be as part of your automatic pool cover maintenance program. You want to make sure debris like leaves, dirt, and trash don’t end up in the mechanism. Be sure to unplug the motor or engage the safety shut-off, then open the housing and clear out any debris. Refer to your owner’s manual for any manufacturer-recommended maintenance.
• Know When To Call A Professional – There are plenty of automatic pool cover maintenance steps you can handle yourself, but sometimes you need an expert. If you find significant damage, have automatic swimming pool cover parts to replace, or feel your motor needs mechanical maintenance that goes beyond your abilities, a local pro will be happy to help. They can order replacement supplies, offer repair services, and provide advice on keeping your pool as safe as possible.

 Creating And Maintaining A Safer Swimming Pool

When it comes to pool safety, your local All-Safe installer is the neighborhood expert. Whether you need help with your automatic pool cover maintenance or need a free estimate on pool cover installation for your swimming area, they’re there to help. When you schedule a quote, they’ll take measurements, talk to you about your pool protection needs, and give you a written estimate that lays out your pool safety options with the information that helps you make the best decision for your loved ones’ safety. Protect your pool with an All-Safe automatic pool cover today.