If it's pool opening season and you live in a region where you winterize your swimming pool, you probably use a cover. These covers can accumulate water during the off season. This water can be dangerous. It puts unnecessary weight onto your cover. This can cause sagging, ripping or tearing. It is also a drowning risk for small children and animals. I recommend using a cover pump during the entire off season. You accomplish this by using a swimming pool cover pump. If you choose not to do this, you’ll need to use a swimming pool cover pump to remove the build-up of water before removing your pool cover.
What is a Submersible Pool Cover Pump?
A submersible pool cover pump is a small pump that pumps different gallons of water, depending on the size of pump you decide to go with. It is a piece of equipment that can remove water from atop the swimming pool cover both quickly and effectively. Sure, you have the option of hiring a company to remove the water at the beginning of the season, but this can cost some big bucks. Also, while the water sits there, you are running the risk of damage as I mentioned above.
Cover pumps can be purchased in two different styles: manual and automatic. The difference is one shuts itself off automatically, while the other requires you to go and flip the on/off switch. If you are looking for an energy efficient pump, automatic pool cover pumps fall into this category.
How Are Submersible Pool Cover Pumps Sized?
Cover pumps for your swimming pool cover are sized, or measured, by how many gallons of water per hour (GPH) that they pump. If you want to remove the unwanted water build-up quickly then go with a pump that has a higher gallons per hour (GPH).
Can Cover Pumps Be Left on All Winter?
Absolutely! I recommend it! To help ensure you don’t accumulate excessive water build-up a submersible pool cover pump is needed. Automatic cover pumps can be left on all Winter. Some swimming pool companies suggest bringing the pump inside during freezing temperatures.
Are Submersible Pumps and Cover Pumps the Same Thing?
Great question! Straight submersible pumps and cover pumps, which are also submersible, are quite similar. Submersible pumps are mostly used to remove significant amounts of water from your swimming pool. If you are draining the pool or drastically changing the water level, then a submersible pump is what you would use. If you hired a company to drain your swimming pool, they would use a heavy duty submersible pump. Cover pumps on the other hand, are designed to remove the standing water and debris from the pool cover you use to Winterize your swimming pool.
Are Pool Cover Pumps Submersible?
Absolutely! To keep things simple, we don’t want damage or an electrocution risk from the simple task of trying to prevent damage and drowning from our swimming pool covers! Based on my research all Winter swimming pool cover pumps are fully submersible. Please make sure to look at the description of any cover pump you are thinking of purchasing.
Varieties of Submersible Pool Cover Pumps
First ask yourself if manual or automatic fits your lifestyle best. They both do the same thing, however, automatic cover pumps can actually detect when the water is low. This prevents them from running dry or unnecessarily. Next, you’ll need to decide what size, or gallons per hour, you think will best suit your needs. Regardless of your decision, always remember to NEVER aim the discharge hose towards the home or anything water could damage.
How to Use a Submersible Pool Cover Pump
First, place the pump on top of your swimming pool cover. Then it plugs into a standard outlet. Always use a GFCI protected outlet. Place the cover pump wherever the water seems to accumulate the most. If needed, use your telescopic pole and an attachment to push the cover pump around. Next, grab your regular garden hose (less than 50 feet) and screw it onto the adapter on the cover pump. A lot of pumps come with their own discharge hose. It is required that the hose be run off of your pool deck and again, away from your home. Running it into the yard or a garden are good options.
The majority of cover pumps have a screen on the bottom. The purpose of this screen is to prevent leaves from getting sucked up into the pump and causing a clog. The screen may need to be cleaned throughout the Winter. If you have decided to go the route of an automatic submersible pool cover pump, it automatically shuts itself off when the water reaches a certain level. Manual pump lovers, you will need to physically turn your cover pump on and off. We do NOT want our pumps to run dry as this could damage them. And this kind of damage is not covered under most warranties.
There you have it, folks. It is easy peasy to operate a submersible pool cover pump. Are cover pumps expensive? They certainly can be. You can get a quality, name brand pool pump including the American made, household-loved name of Black & Decker. Yup. They have extended their expertise to the swimming pool industry. Check them out here. See you poolside!
