If you live in the northeast part of the country, there is no possible way of allowing your pool to escape snowy conditions that occur during the cold-weather months of the year. If the pool is winterized for the season and is regularly maintained, it will be protected from the harsh elements of winter, which is great! But, the main component of the pool that may be affected by snow is the cover. Although the cover provides effective protection against damaging weather elements, it can get ruined by the snow and fail to keep the pool safe. So when snow has piled up on top of the pool cover, what do you do? Well, we’ve compiled a list of pool cover do’s and don’ts regarding snow for guidance. But first, let’s look at the basics.  

Snow Can Cause Pool Repairs

When snow melts, it turns into ice that can potentially poke rips and holes into the cover if it has sharp edges. Heavy amounts of snow caked on top of the cover can cause the material to stretch and break. If the cover punctures, it can spark a domino effect of damaging consequences to the pool. Furthermore, heavy snow could also pop out the pool’s coping or the cover anchors. Preventing pool repairs and damage to the pool cover can be avoided by handling the snow appropriately.

First Check the Condition of the Pool Cover and Snow

How the snow should be handled depends on how much of it there is and what type of pool cover is in use.  After a snowfall, take a look at the pool situation and assess it. Do you have a working pool cover pump on the pool to drain out excess water? Is the pool cover solid or mesh? How much snow is on top of the cover? Once you know what you are up against in protecting your pool, then you can make the best decision for how the snow should be controlled.

DO:

• Use a long broom to brush the snow gently off of the cover.
• Use a leaf blower on light, powdery snow to blow the snow off the cover.
• Wait for frozen snow and ice to melt on its own if it is a solid sheet on the cover.
• If you have a cover pump and it is buried under ice, pour a few gallons of hot water into one spot on the cover to let the device do its job.

DON’T:

• Break the ice or remove snow on the cover with a sharp object such as a shovel.
• Attempt to melt the ice on top of the cover.
• Ignore the snow sitting on top of the pool cover and assume no damage will occur.

Always take caution when removing the snow from the pool cover. If done incorrectly, the cover will tear and leave your pool exposed. For a worry-free experience, hire a maintenance service from one of the local swimming pool companies in Delaware County, PA. The maintenance service can make sure your pool is able to take on the snow by conducting preventative tasks such as keeping the water at the correct level and checking the cover pump. If you don’t have a pool cover pump, we highly recommend that you have one installed.