Automatic pool covers continue to grow in popularity and are being requested by homeowners for every size and shape of pool. In the past, some pool shapes and sizes made it difficult to design and install an automatic cover. However, builders are getting creative and finding that by installing multiple covers on a pool is the way to avoid some of the construction obstacles for L-shaped pools, extremely long pools, or those with varying elevations. By installing multiple auto covers and having them ‘meet in the middle,’ these challenging pools can now have the convenience and safety of an automatic pool cover installation.
Pool shapes and sizes that are ideal for multiple covers
Automatic pool covers are part of the wave of ‘automation’ in today’s homes. From home security systems and outdoor lighting to in-pool robotic cleaning and chemical controllers, consumers want push-button convenience—and this is what auto pool covers provide. These devices allow homeowners to open and close their pool with the push of a button, while still ensuring their pool is safe.
However, when clients have an L-shaped pool or an extremely long, lap-type pool, many installers have turned away the business, as a single cover would drag over a lot of deck, or the amount of material needed on a single cover creates too many challenges with the cover housing. This is where the design creativity of using multiple covers comes into play.
In fact, Allan Horwood, the owner of Pool Patrol in British Columbia, a company specializing in the installation of automatic pool covers, selling a 100-plus every year, has completed several of these specialized projects. He enjoys coming up with creative cover solutions for extra-long, L-shaped, and other unique pool shapes that can be divided into separate rectangles.
“It’s interesting, now that I’ve started putting multiple automatic covers on pool installs, I wish I would have done this on some of my past projects,” says Horwood. “For example, I did a 29-m (95-ft) long cover that was featured in Pool & Spa Marketing a few years ago, and on that particular pool it was extremely challenging to create a bunker room for the large amount of cover material that needed to roll up when the cover opened.
“It also needed a drainage system for all the water that came off the cover as it opened and closed. In hindsight, if we had installed two covers that met in the middle, the project would have worked better.”
Meeting in the middle
As Horwood mentions, when confronted with an extremely long pool where the homeowner wishes to have an automatic pool cover, the best solution is to order and install two automatic covers that ‘meet in the middle’ of the pool. This keeps each cover from being too cumbersome—the cover housing does not need to be as large, the rope reel does not need to be as long, and the overall action of opening and closing the pool is more efficient.
By having two covers—each coming from opposite ends—they open and close in the middle. With an extra-long pool, for example, installers might put one housing mechanism in the deep end and the other in the shallow end. Essentially, the two leading edge bars at the front of the cover come together and meet in the middle of the pool.
According to Horwood, it is important to request the auto cover’s leading-edge bars be the same size, regardless the length of each cover.
“If the cover lengths are going to be the same, then the leading-edge bar will be the same size automatically,” says Horwood. “However, if one cover is wide and short and the other is long and narrow, which is the case with most L-shaped pools, then it’s important to request the bars be the same size, as you could get a smaller bar on one cover and a larger bar on the second cover. As a result, they wouldn’t look good when they meet, nor would they create a proper seal.”
The standard leading edge is 63.5 mm (2.5 in.), and the oversized leading edge is 101.5 mm (4 in.)—so it is important to specify they be the same size—in most cases, requesting both to be the larger 101.5 mm size is the best way to get an identical look. Since one of the main goals of an auto cover is to keep leaves and debris out of the pool, it is important the leading-edge bars meet tightly to avoid debris getting into the water at that junction.
“These covers want to naturally stop short of one another,” says Horwood. “So, in some cases, we have created our own custom-made pocket-and-flap system with industrial magnets that completely seals this section where the two leading edges meet. There is enough power in the motor mechanism to pull apart the magnets when it opens.”
L-shaped pools
When it comes to L-shaped pools and auto covers, using two is a given. In this case, one unit will roll over the short end of the ‘L’ and the second unit will cover the long end of the pool, meeting at the point where the pool turns right or left. The only real challenge on L-shaped pools is dealing with the placement of the auto-cover track on the inside corner which may need to have the coping changed to a 90-degree angle for the cover to work properly.
“We have had to change several 0.61 m (2 ft) radius corner with some creativity to get the inside coping back to a 90-degree square corner,” says Horwood. “But it’s not an insurmountable task.”
Horwood says adding an automatic cover to an existing pool always has its challenges but thinking in terms of installing multiple covers has even helped him deal with pools with awkwardly placed steps.
Two covers, two control pads
Although it may seem a bit cumbersome, having two automatic covers on a project does require each cover to have its own control and pad for safety. The covers should operate independently as they are running different distances; therefore, its important the operator watches each cover as it opens and closes.
“We always install the two control panels side by side so the pool owner will open one cover first and then the other,” says Horwood. “The automatic pool covers we install open and close at a rate of approximately 0.3 m/s (1 fps), so it might take 10 seconds for one cover to open and 20 seconds for the other. We aren’t talking about a lot of time for the operation.”
Remember, the touch pad controller for these covers must be located near the pool as code requires all control pads to be located within full view of the pool for safety.
Selling multiple covers on a project
Homeowners simply do not want to manually crank a cover on and off their pool; they not only want to be able to open their pool instantly, but also ensure it remains free of leaves and other debris. The same can be said for spas, too.
“The reality is consumers are building mini-resorts in their backyards and they want it all to be automated, so having one, two, or even three auto covers on a project is not necessarily cost prohibitive,” says Horwood.
Consumers want to get the most use out of their pool as possible; an automatic cover gives them the best opening and closing convenience. Remember to remind clients the automatic cover can be opened or closed in less than a minute. Plus, the installation does not require the customer to store a manual safety cover in their garage, pool house, or at the pool company’s warehouse. When discussing automatic covers with prospective customers, a pool professional should always emphasize the accessible convenience that comes with an auto cover installation.
By selling multiple covers on a project—maybe two on an L-shaped pool and one on the adjacent inground spa—pool professionals can create a beautiful, functional, and convenient backyard living environment for their customers while also making a decent profit.
The market demand for automatic covers continues to grow each year, providing pool professionals with a tremendous opportunity for additional revenue—never turn away another L-shaped or extra-long pool project away again. Get the job done by using multiple auto covers.
Mike Shadoan has more than 25 years of experience as a service tech in the field, working his way up into the position of vice-president of sales for Automatic Pool Covers in Westfield, Ind. Shadoan has been an integral part of the company’s rapid growth because of the innovative automatic pool cover products it offers. He can be reached via email at mshadoan@apc-mfg.com.
