Clamps to hold my pool cover in place
15/7/2023
Translation: machine translated
Our pool cover and the wind get on like cats and dogs. But I've recently discovered a trick to prevent the pool from being uncovered by the wind.
Sometimes all it takes is a few Swiss francs to solve a big problem. A few glue clips are all that's needed to fix the three-metre-diameter cover of my swimming pool. Why didn't I think of this before? For three seasons now, I've been battling against the wind and its incredible ability to lift the cover off our above-ground pool. It's not for want of following the good pool boy's manual to the letter. I bought an Intex pool and a cover of the same brand to avoid any compatibility problems. I even stretched and tied the thread built into the cover.
But until a few weeks ago, the wind always found a place to rush in. And I'm not even talking about summer storms. Quite often, all it took was a good breeze or a fresh wind (find the Beaufort scale here) and bang, part of the pool was out in the open.
Or, this didn't just bother the Monk in me, but it turns out that pool covers come in rather handy, especially when they cover the whole pool. When the surface of the water isn't covered, suicidal insects, dead leaves and pollen can enter. In short, anything that could upset the precious chemical balance of the water in terms of pH and chlorine concentration. The result? You get a natural pond full of algae instead of a pool with clear water.
Source: Adobe Stock
My internet searches led me to sites selling pool covers at the price of a Maserati, fixed covers. There are automatic solutions that open at the time you want, or covers so stable you could sit on them. But for above-ground pools, all I can find are tarpaulins and greenhouse-type structures. I don't even dare to imagine how resistant the latter are to wind.
In DIY forums, I've found homemade solutions consisting of slats and screws, hinges or plug-in connectors. However, I don't have the manual dexterity for these kinds of projects, nor do I fancy having to remove this from the pool every time and put it away.
So here's my solution: a set of glue clips, item no. 13854818 in the shop, 4.95 Swiss francs for two pieces.
The pliers open wide enough to grip one of the vertical bars of the pool and the edge of the cover, that's a good four centimetres. At the end, the pliers have two jaws to ensure a firm grip. The metal spring on the pliers is strong enough to hold the pliers securely in place.
Source: Martin Jungfer
Our pool rests on ten vertical bars, so I bought five pairs of clamps. The investment of 25 Swiss francs was clearly worth it. Since then, my fear of finding the pool uncovered in the early hours of the morning has never occurred. Even during the few heavy summer storms they've already weathered, the clamps have held up. The wind didn't find a point of attack and so swept the cover away instead of rushing underneath.
It only takes me a few seconds longer to remove the tarpaulin and all ten clamps fit into a small bucket when not in use.
If you don't like the red and black aesthetic of my pliers, you'll find other models of spring pliers in the shop. All work on the same principle.
Have you faced the same problem and know of another solution? How do you fix your pool cover? Or have you never had this problem? To your keyboards in the comments!
Headline photo: Martin Jungfer
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
