A nor’easter hits Long Island tonight. Your pool is closed, but your cover is about to work overtime. Here is how to help it get through the weekend.
What’s coming
As of Friday afternoon, September 25, here is what the forecast calls for:
- When: Rain starts late Friday afternoon. The worst of it hits overnight, from about 3 AM through Saturday afternoon. Things improve late Sunday.
- Rain: 1 to 2 inches for most of us. Some areas could see 2 to 4 inches.
- Wind: Gusts of 40 to 50 mph. Eastern Suffolk and the East End could see 50 to 60 mph.
- Flooding: Coastal flood warnings are up for Nassau and Suffolk, especially along the South Shore and back bays.
Take this one seriously. Wind and water like this can move a cover that was put on perfectly.
Your checklist before tonight
1. Solid cover? Plug in your cover pump and leave it on.
If you have a solid tarp cover, or a solid safety cover with no drain panel, rain has nowhere to go. It sits on top. One inch of rain on a 16 x 32 cover weighs about 2,600 pounds. Two inches is over 5,000 pounds.
- Set the pump in the middle of the cover, where water collects.
- Plug it in and leave it running all night. If your pump is not automatic, do not wait until morning. By then you could have 4 inches of water on the cover.
- Keep leaves and debris off the pump so it does not clog.
- No cover pump? Pick one up today at any hardware or pool supply store.
2. Mesh cover? Keep an eye on your water level.
Rain passes right through a mesh cover and into the pool. A lot of rain can raise the water level fast. If the water climbs close to the cover, call or text us and we can schedule a visit to lower it.
3. Clear the area around your pool.
Take down patio umbrellas. Bring in chairs, cushions, planters, and toys. Anything that can blow onto the cover can tear it. A branch, an umbrella pole, or anything sharp that punches a hole in a safety cover voids the cover’s warranty.
4. Check your water bags.
On tarp covers, the water bags hold everything down. Make sure they go all the way around the pool with no gaps. Replace any bag that is empty or punctured before the storm. A gap is all the wind needs to get under the cover.
5. Above-ground pool? Tighten the cable.
Make sure the cable and winch are snug and the cover is secure all the way around.
6. Safety cover? Take a quick walk around.
Check that every strap is attached to its anchor. In windy spots, safety covers can lift or shift. If something looks loose, call or text us.
7. Stay off the cover.
Never walk or stand on a winter cover, not even to push water off or grab a branch. If something needs to be moved, call or text us first.
After the storm
- Once it is safe, take a look. Is the pump still running? Is the cover in place? Are the water bags where they belong?
- Branch on the cover? If you can reach it from the deck, lift it straight up. Do not drag it across the cover.
- Find a rip or a hole? Call or text us for a quote. If your cover is more than 5 years old, patching it usually is not worth it, and we will quote you a replacement instead.
What’s covered, and what isn’t
We want to be upfront so there are no surprises.
- When we closed your pool, our crew checked that your cover was installed and secured. From that point on, cover care and monitoring are the homeowner’s job.
- Weather is out of everyone’s control. Wind, heavy rain, and falling branches can shift a cover, loosen straps, or move water bags, even when the cover went on correctly. No one can promise a cover will look the same after a storm like this.
- Storm damage is not covered by warranty. A puncture from a branch, umbrella, or other debris voids the cover’s warranty.
- No pump, no free fix. If a solid cover without a running pump fills with water and falls into the pool, the return visit is billed.
- Return visits are a separate service call. A visit after the storm includes a fee for the tech’s time, travel, and labor.
- If it’s on us, we’ll make it right. If there is evidence the problem came from how we installed the cover, we will review it and decide the right next step.
- Timing: Next week is our busiest closing week of the year. Storm-related visits will not start until the week of October 5, and we will book them in the order calls come in.
Questions?
Call or text our office at (631) 472-6275. Stay safe this weekend, and thank you for trusting Romanelli & Son with your pool.
