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.
