Rip in winter cover above pool pillow

doubled8206

Member
Jan 28, 2025
6
Ohio
hello, I am new to the forum and was hoping I wouldn’t have to make a post here haha. I am in NE Ohio and happened to look outside and notice a rip forming in my pool cover right above the pillow, basically in the middle of the cover. Legit has never happened before and assuming maybe it’s from the snow and ice we got this year? Seems very strange since I bought an oversized cover for this particular reason. Looking for opinions on what to do? I understand I won’t really be able to do much until it starts thawing. I will provide a picture.
 
Your picture worked.

Leave things as is until the spring. Nothing you can do now.

When things thaw out show us how you secured the cover. You need to do something different next year with the new cover you are buying.
 
Your picture worked.

Leave things as is until the spring. Nothing you can do now.

When things thaw out show us how you secured the cover. You need to do something different next year with the new cover you are buying.
I've never had the issue before. its a 24 ft pool and purchased a 28 ft cover so I have some extra room. I just use a pool cover cable and the tarp has gromets. This is my second season with the cover so maybe it just got weak and gave way, I'm not sure. Maybe when things get warmer I can potentially replace the tarp with a temporary one until I can get a new one on. I'm sure worried it gets warm enough to rain and then water starts to get under the cover itself. I thought would placing another cover overtop this current one for the time being but idk if I should or not.
 
The cover is probably porous already, water already was seeping through during the first year. I agree to leave it for now. What you can do if you get a period of thawing is to drain the cover the best you can.

Just a FYI, a lot of people don't use the pillow in their pools without any issues.
 
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It is strange. And unusual. And not what I recall seeing before.

You are unique and the first!
 

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This has never happened to me before, just thought it was strange. I only use the pillows to keep the walls from caving in.
We have lots of above grounds by me and also hard freezes.

Everybody I've known had success with pillows until they didnt, got back on the horse a couple times, then gave up. Nobody had any problems without pillows, but it took a failure and going most the winter without them after it to realize they didn't need them.
 
I always kept water drained off the pool cover without issues. This has never happened to me before, just thought it was strange. I only use the pillows to keep the walls from caving in.
I suspect they're making covers for AG pools cheaper these days. I had my winter cover shread in the 2nd winter due to wind, that has never happened to a cover before. I have using the same brand for about15 years, got about 3 or 4 years out of it before replacing it ... not last year! The company covered it under warranty but it still cost me for shipping but it was cheaper than purchasing a new cover.

I'm going to need to find a different brand going forward.
 
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Do you
Think I should put a temporary cover over top of this one?
I don’t think you can get a tarp positioned to drain rain off the pool. If the water pools on the new tarp what have you accomplished?

Watch the pool water level and if it is getting too high drain some off with a submersible pump whenever your get a thaw.
 
How old is the cover?

Covers can degrade over time due to prolonged exposure to sunlight (UV rays), rubbing, accumulation of water and snow, debris buildup from leaves and twigs, strong winds, and material breakdown, ultimately reducing its lifespan.
 
Thanks Allen!

I think this has to do more with the material quality and the environmental issues it has experienced, than the installation approach.

I concur with @ajw22, not much you can do at this point. Wait for a thaw, when there is no ice, to drain and potentially replace the cover.
 
I suspect they're making covers for AG pools cheaper these days. I had my winter cover shread in the 2nd winter due to wind, that has never happened to a cover before. I have using the same brand for about15 years, got about 3 or 4 years out of it before replacing it ... not last year! The company covered it under warranty but it still cost me for shipping but it was cheaper than purchasing a new cover.

I'm going to need to find a different brand going forward.
This is correct- I sprang for the “supreme” from a well known brand (their basic version previously lasted me 3 seasons) and it was seeping immediately. There are no longer good ones. They are all 1 & done now apparently. I’m planning on going with the reasonably priced pureline from inyo next year. At least I know they have some customer service.
I’ve got a big pool and not every one makes a cover bigger than 30 ft.
 
This is correct- I sprang for the “supreme” from a well known brand (their basic version previously lasted me 3 seasons) and it was seeping immediately. There are no longer good ones. They are all 1 & done now apparently. I’m planning on going with the reasonably priced pureline from inyo next year. At least I know they have some customer service.
I’ve got a big pool and not every one makes a cover bigger than 30 ft.
I have been buying Arctic Armor covers for about 15 years, they are now under the Blue Wave manufacturer (might have always been but IDK). I usually buy either a 12 or 15 year warranty, in years past they were pretty robust. I would get 3 years out of it and it wasn't worth it to go through the warranty process IMO. I did with the last one because it was slightly over a year old and I couldn't buy a winter cover for the cost of them shipping me a replacement cover.

This year we had wind come through and it just whipped the cover around and we have never seen that before. I actually used jugs filled with water laying on the cover to weigh down the cover. Seemed to work and now between the little bit of rain and the snow the cover "ain't going nowhere"! 🤣
 
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I have two years out of mine, and I’m happy in a twisted sort of way. 50 years ago my childhood home used the same cover for 10 years.

I’d rather not have to buy another but that just isn’t the way the economy is geared for the last 30 years.
 
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