What is a Little Giant Pool Cover Pump?

What is a Little Giant Pool Cover Pump?

Using a season-appropriate swimming pool cover is one of the best things you can do to protect your pool throughout the year. But when your pool goes through periods of disuse, like during winter, and the cover remains firmly in place, rainwater and other debris can collect on top, which if left can cause cover ripping or tearing, resulting in costly repairs or replacement.

At 1st Direct Pools we recommend adding the Little Giant Cover Pump to your cover cleaning and maintenance routine to ensure these negative effects are reduced. It’s also the perfect start-of-season companion as it makes packing away your cover so easy!

What is a Little Giant Swimming Pool Cover Pump Used For?

The Little Giant Cover Pump provides one of the easiest methods for removing excess water from your cover. Generally, all you have to do is attach your pool cover pump to a regular garden hose, place your pump on the surface of the cover and let it work.

The pump will then remove standing water off your pool cover, diverted by the hose into a sensible drainage area away from your house. The Little Giant Cover Pump is electric and comes with a 10m cable, so will also need to be plugged into a power supply to run.

The Little Giant Cover Pump tends to have a barrier that stops leaves and larger debris that have accumulated on the pool cover from entering the pump. But we do recommend removing large debris from the top of your pool cover before use. This can be done relatively easily with something like an appropriate swimming pool leaf net or brush.

Manual Vs Automatic Cover Pumps

With a manual cover pump, you simply place it under water, give it a few pumps manually and watch it drain away. Alternatively, the Little Giant Cover Pump is integrated with a mechanical float switch that activates in 2 inches of water which allows for automatic activation and shut-off, meaning you don’t have to do any of the hard work.

Manual cover pumps are low cost but can also be flimsy and flip over at any point, which can be a pain if you want to walk away and let it do its thing. The Little Giant is designed with a wide footprint and low centre of gravity – it will remain stable and upright on almost any surface that needs water removed fast.

For the sake of ease and convenience, it’s obvious why most people will opt for an automatic cover pump over a manual.

Do You Need a Pool Cover Pump?

You will most likely need a pool cover pump during winter and in the run-up to spring opening when your winter cover has been firmly secured for the off-season and has been sat accumulating rain in the UK’s notoriously bad weather. You don’t want to be packing away a wet cover at the start of the season, so the Little Giant will be perfect for removing that excess water.

If your cover is prone to getting weighed down with puddles of excess water, we would certainly recommend investing in a cover pump to use whenever necessary.

For more information about protecting your pool during winter, see our guide on how to close your swimming pool down for winter.

The Importance of Keeping Water Off Your Pool Cover

If water is left to stand on your pool cover, it can begin to cause damage. Unlike safety covers, winter covers are not made to withstand additional weight. The weight of even a little bit of excess water can cause the cover to sink down, adding extra pressure that may cause ripping or tearing. This can result in expensive yet easily avoidable repairs or replacements.

Standing water could also freeze, further adding pressure to your pool cover that it is not equipped for. Additionally, you also do not want to risk dirty or stagnant water entering your pool water and contaminating it.

Removing excess water is the sensible thing to do if you want to keep on top of pool and pool cover maintenance. To find about more about using and maintaining pool covers, check out our guide to the different types of swimming pool covers. 

How to Use a Pool Cover Pump

So you’ve got your hand on the best pool cover pump for the job – now what? Luckily using cover pumps, especially automatic pumps, is pretty straightforward.

1. 1. Remove leaves and other debris from the cover.
   2. Attach the hose outlet to your pump and direct the stream of water somewhere you know can handle and drain away the excess water.
   3. Make sure the pump itself is free from debris that may have become attached during previous use.
   4. Place your pump upright on the cover where the water is deepest.
   5. If using an automatic pump, safely plug the pump into a power source and simply wait for the water to be pumped away. A manual pump will begin draining once manually pumped by yourself.
   6. An automatic pump like the Little Giant will switch off once it has pumped all the water. A manual pump won’t need turning off but is best to keep checking in case it flips over at any point.

It’s recommended that you don’t leave your cover pump and hose outside during very cold temperatures, as they can become damaged if frozen.

Ultimately, pool cover pumps really can make a valuable addition to any outdoor pool owner’s arsenal. We recommend the Little Giant CoverStar APCP-1700 as a great all-around automatic cover pump that encapsulates everything you need.

If you’re in need of any other pool maintenance supplies, check out an extensive selection of swimming pool chemicals to keep your pool pristine all year long.