Automatic swimming pool covers are a great addition to an inground pool because they save money by preventing water loss, chemical loss, and heat loss. In addition, automatic pool covers keeps your swimming pool clean and cuts down maintenance time by stopping leaves and debris from entering your swimming pool.

Following are some do it yourself tips for repairing and cleaning your automatic pool cover. If your problem is not solved by the tips below, please schedule an appointment with Poseidon Swimming Pools for automatic pool cover repair .

My automatic pool cover is dirty. What should I do?

Routinely cleaning your pool cover is the best way to keep the automatic cover in working order. You should also treat the vinyl to keep it from cracking in the hot sun and because of the elements it is exposed to. Because the pool cover is so large, it should be cleaned in segments. Keep the cover fully extended and use a leaf blower or a high pressure garden hose and a pool brush to clean each section and push the debris to the opposite end of the cover. Continue pushing and rolling the cover until all of the debris is concentrated at one end of the pool cover. When you get to that point, brush off the leaves, pump off the water, and re-extend your pool cover. If the cover is very dirty, repeat the above process.

My shear pin popped and broke. What should I do?

The shear pin usually breaks on an automatic pool cover because of two circumstances. First, if the automatic cover is rolled back with too much weight on top. Second, if the cover is not rolled back straight it can get hung up and break the shear pin. The shear pin is a great addition to the cover because it is an easy part to replace and prevents more costly damage to your swimming pool.

Sometimes the shear pin can account for the motor running but the pool cover not moving. Check the instruction manual for the location of the pin to replace. These pins can be purchased direct from the manufacturer or from Poseidon Swimming Pools.

There is no power to my cover.

There are a few very easy fixes to this problem. First, check if the Test / Reset buttons on the GFCI outlets are enabled - i.e. the GFCI has not tripped itself. Second, check if the circuit breaker on the sub-panel or on the main breaker have not tripped. Next, check if the motor on the cover has a reset button and reset the unit. If these troubleshooting steps do not solve the problem, contact Poseidon Swimming Pools for an automatic pool cover repair service.

My automatic cover is not rolling back straight.

Many times your cover will not roll back if the wing nuts are either too tight or too lose or if the cams need to be adjusted. Check the literature that came with your automatic pool cover for detailed instructions on how to perform these two actions. If the cover does not fix itself after these steps, the entire cover may have to be taken off track and re rolled. It is not recommended that the homeowner performs this on their own as it is complicated and can lead to breaking the entire cover.

I hear my motor running but the pool cover is not moving. What's wrong?

The easiest problem to fix is that the shear pin has broken and came out. Other problems could be that your motor is out of alignment, springs have broken, ropes have frayed and snapped, or your engine cams are spinning but not engaging. If it is not the shear pin, please call Poseidon Swimming Pools for service at 1-888-485-POOL.