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How To Install Above Ground Pool Covers

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Installing covers for above ground pools is an easy task but will vary depending on the type of cover. There are three main types of covers available for above ground pools: winter covers, leaf nets, and solar blankets. 

Please click here to view the Above ground pool covers.  





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Steps

Things You'll Need

Above Ground Pool Winter Cover

Above Ground Pool Leaf Cover

Above Ground Pool Solar Cover

Above Ground Pool Cover Accessories

Above Ground Pool Solar Reels

Step by Step

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Step 1

A winter cover is designed to protect the pool during the winter months when many above ground pools are not in use. It is basically a tarp with grommets around the perimeter and comes with a cable and winch to hold it in place. To install an above ground pool winter cover, you would first want to make sure all of your other winterizing has been completed. This would include cleaning the pool, lowering the water level below the return fitting and skimmer, and adding pool winterizing chemicals. Basically, make sure anything that requires access to the pool water is done so you won't have the hassle of having to remove the cover. If you are using an air pillow under the winter cover, inflate and place it in the center of the pool right before you put the cover on.

Please click here to view the above round winterizing accessories. 


Step 2

Now spread out your winter cover and place it over the pool. This will be easier with two people. Winter covers have an overlap which means they are larger than the pool. For instance, if you have a 28 ft round above ground pool, then the cover size would be 32 ft round which gives you a 2 foot overlap all the way around. You'll need this extra material because the winter cover will dip down inside the pool due to the lowered water level and then overlap the pool wall. Adjust the cover as needed to make it even all around the pool.

Step 3

If you are using a leaf net also, now would be the time to spread it out on top of the winter cover. Pool leaf nets are meant to lay on top of winter covers during the autumn months while leaves are falling. Once the trees are bare, you would remove the leaf net and all of the debris it has collected. This will help prolong the life of the your winter cover. In warmer climates where above ground pools stay open all year, some people use leaf nets without winter covers just to catch leaves in the fall. You can do this however pool leaf nets are really designed to lay on top of the winter cover which protects the net from rubbing against the top rail. It is not recommended to use them alone.

Step 4

With your cover(s) in place over the pool, you can now thread the cable through the grommets or loops around the edge of the cover. Insert the cable into the winch and pull it tight to secure the cover. Try to tuck in any extra material that is hanging down to prevent wind from getting up under the cover.

Step 5

"Wind whip" is what causes the most damage to above ground pool winter covers. As the cover keeps flapping due to the wind, the material is weakened. In high wind areas, it is a good idea to take extra precautions. There are a number of handy products to help minimize wind damage. Above ground pool, wall bags are filled with water and lie on top of the cover around the inside perimeter of the pool. These bags have grommets so that you can secure them with the same cable used for your winter cover. Another option is pool cover clips which grip the top rail of the pool and hold the cover in place. You can also try winter cover seal, a tough, plastic-wrap type of material that you stretch around the pool.

Please click here to view the above ground pool cover accessories. 

Step 6

The other type of cover used on above ground pools is a solar cover, also known as a solar blanket. Unlike pool winter covers, solar blankets are not designed to protect the pool but to retain heat and limit evaporation. If you have an above ground pool heater or solar panels, a solar blanket is an especially wise investment. It will protect your above ground pool from heat loss overnight or any time the pool is not in use. This means your heater will run less, saving both money and energy. Installation is very simple since solar covers simply lay on the surface of the pool and are not attached to the pool frame or deck. You may need two people to put on and take off the cover, especially the larger sizes.

Step 7

Since some people find solar blankets a bit cumbersome, there are products designed to make moving them easier. Solar reels consist of a base with a hand crank and a tube that goes across the pool. For above-ground pools, you would fasten the reel base to the top rail, attach the solar blanket to the tube with a strap kit and then use the crank to either roll or unroll the cover. Most above ground pool solar reels will pivot to swing out of the way when the pool is in use.

Please click here to view above ground solar blanket reels.  

Step 8

Another option for removing solar covers is the Solar Saddle, a set of five J-shaped brackets that attach to the top rail of above ground pools. You would drill two holes per bracket in the top rail and secure them with nuts and bolts. Once installed, you can fold up your solar blanket and lift it over the pool wall to rest in the Solar Saddle.

Please click here to view the solar saddle. 

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InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 10/7/2011 

It's hard to suggest a solution without seeing your pool, but assuming you are closing the pool up for the winter, you might put some temporary I-bolts on the deck to secure the cover to
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 Posted: 10/5/2011 

We are planning on putting a new cover on our oval pool this weekend. The pool top edge and deck are budding up right next to each other in a few spots...how are we supposed to pull cover between that or what are our options??
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 10/3/2011 

I just talked to the manufacturer. They make a black solar cover that is more durable and can be left over winter. If your cover is the standard blue or white and your winters are cold enough to freeze the water, they recommend pulling the solar cover off to avoid any warrantee issues in the spring.
 Reply

Anonymous  Posted: 10/2/2011 

can a solar cover be left on under the winter cover?
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Anonymous  Posted: 9/22/2011 

I was hoping to find out how the cable is threaded through the grommets.

As you know, they are placed in pairs around the perimeter, and I'm not sure whether the cable would show on the outside of the grommets that are close together or on the outside of the grommets that are farther apart?
 Reply

 Posted: 12/19/2010 

To the contributor of the post re: EZ stake, how did you mount the brackets on the top of the 4x4? The solar reel needs at least 6" x 6" top surface to mount the brackets. Any suggestions? Thanks!
 Reply

 Posted: 12/17/2010 

Thanks for the brilliant suggestion re: EZ stake! I have a soft-sided pool and initially planned on buying a trestle or sawhorse to mount the reels but this is so much better! If you don't have a lot of space, this one saves space and it won't be hard to put it away if you no longer need it, unlike bulky alternatives such as a sawhorse. I put both stakes at one end of the pool. That is, 1 stake on each side. The manufacturer suggests driving the stake to the ground 28" deep but I just left it buried around 20" deep because that's all I could manage. At 4'11" 90 pounds, driving the stakes 28" all the way was an impossible task for me! Lol. At that depth, they seem firmly buried to the ground. I tried mounting the 2 lumber pieces onto the stake, and they held firmly. I have not installed the reels yet as I'm still waiting for the mounting brackets and the reel itself. But I will leave an update once everything's set up.
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Anonymous  Posted: 11/1/2010 

Yes, you can use solar cover reel with soft-sided pool. Install two 4x4 treated wood posts (use Simpson E-Z Stake, no digging or cement needed) at the end of the pool (not the middle, as usual). Mount the reel ends on the posts. Because its placed a little bit past the end of the pool, you don't need to pivot and swing away the reel; the solar cover rolls up away from the pool, not above it. People should do this even on solid wall above ground pools, it makes sense.

To the poster with an algae problem from a clear cover: it means its working, the sun rays are heating all the way through the pool, not just being absorbed by the blue blanket. Simply use more chlorine and keep it at 1ppm.
 Reply

 Posted: 1/17/2010 

You may view all different types of pool covers that come in many different sizes here http://www.inyopools.com/category_covers.aspx
 Reply

 Posted: 9/15/2009 

I used blue solar covers and was very satisfide with them. Each lasted about 5 seasons. This year I was talked into getting a clesr solar cover. It did not seem to heat the pool up as well and I had algae growing for the first time. I think I will go back to the blue solar cover.
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Anonymous  Posted: 9/9/2009 

how do you keep rain water from building up on top of the pool cover. because it sags down inthe middle of the pool.
 Reply

 Posted: 7/7/2009 

The solar saddle is just a cover holder system it does not cover the pool. The solar saddle cannot attach to a soft sided pool. To my knowledge there is no reel system or holder that can attach to a soft sided pool.
 Reply

Anonymous  Posted: 7/7/2009 

The bubbles face down
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 Posted: 6/29/2009 

On a Solar cover does it matter if the bubbles are facing up or down?
 Reply

 Posted: 6/19/2009 

How does the Solar Saddle prevent debris from falling in the pool?
Is there a reel system for soft sided vinyl pools (ie Bestway vinyl sided pools)
 Reply