What is a Cover Pump
When we winterize our swimming pools, part of that is covering it. Many of us also have safety covers that we use to prevent drowning. Whatever the reason, these covers accumulate water build up. This water can be harmful because the weight of the water could rip or tear our covers. Standing water is also a cesspool for mosquitos which can pose a health risk. It is best to keep the water build up to a minimum. A great piece of equipment to accomplish this with is a cover pump.
A cover pump is a piece of equipment that comes in manual or automatic. You set it on top of your pool cover. They come with a discharge hose to direct and divert the water we will be pumping out. Always make sure this is not pointed at your home or anywhere else water damage can occur. When the pump is turned on, it removes the water at a certain gallon per hour (GPH), saving you the aforementioned issues.
Do you want to know how to remove water from a pool cover without a pump? Find out how here.
BLACK + DECKER Cover Pumps
That’s right. You read that correctly. The American made, household name of BLACK + DECKER has expanded their quality product line to swimming pool equipment. They offer a variety of styles both automatic and manual. They come in a variety of sizes, meaning how much water can be pumped out. This determines how quickly the water can be removed as well. The BLACK + DECKER cover pumps have so many features and benefits. Let’s look at a 350 GPH automatic cover pump.
- One Year Warranty
- Automatic Switch Detects up to 1/8 Inch of Water
- 25 ft Power Cord for Flexible and Comfortable Use
- Standard Hose Adapter for Simple Installation & Quick Setup
- 1/4 HP Ensures Water Removal up to 800 Gallons per Hour
- Submersible Pump
- Pre-Filter Sponge Pad Prevents Clogging
- Oil-Free Design for Environmental Protection and Easy Cleaning
- Trustworthy Efficiency: UL Listed
You can learn more about this pump here
How to Use the BLACK + DECKER Cover Pump
Since the pumps are fully submersible, you can start at any time during the season or any time you need to remove water from your pool cover. Simply place the pump on top of your cover where the water has accumulated. Plug the device into a standard 110v outlet. Attach the discharge hose to the port on the cover pump. Aim the other end of the discharge hose away from any structure. Ideally into the grass or a flower bed.
If you have chosen an automatic BLACK + DECKER pump, it will sense the water and begin it’s magic. For those of you meticulous pool care givers you may have chosen a manual pump. You would then need to switch it on. Here is a great manual one here
Why Buy a Cover Pump
We talked briefly about this above. Water build up is no good. Water is heavy! A couple inches of water can be the equivalent of gallons. Think how heavy multiple gallons would be. You spent good money on your pool cover. The last thing you need is it sagging, ripping or tearing and being destroyed by the weight of standing water.
A drowning risk. Accumulated water poses a drowning risk, especially for small children. Children can drown in as little as 2” of water. By keeping the water off of our covers we are keeping our family safe.
Bugs and algae! Stagnant water becomes pretty gross, pretty fast. Think about how a moving stream is clear, while a stagnant pond is yucky. You could end up with your own mini-pond on top of your cover which will draw all kinds of creepy crawlies. One being mosquitos. Mosquitos have been linked to West Nile Virus. This can become a health hazard.
It is also impossible to open your pool for the season before removing the excess water. Companies charge a couple of hundred bucks to remove the water. You can own your own cover pump for a fraction of that cost. See you at the poolside!
The proper way to operate a pool cover pump is explained in this article. In addition, find out here if pool cover pumps are submersible.
