Support & Troubleshooting for Your Pool Cover
Troubleshooting
If Your Cover Isn't Working
Six checks to run before you book a service call. They take a few minutes and often identify the problem — or at least stop it getting worse.
1. Stop running the motor
If the cover has stopped partway or won't move, don't keep trying the key. Repeatedly driving a jammed mechanism is the single most common way a minor obstruction turns into a snapped rope or a burnt-out motor.
2. Check the power
Confirm the breaker hasn't tripped and reset the GFCI outlet serving the cover. A cover that is completely dead — no sound at all when you turn the key — is as often a tripped GFCI or a corroded connection as it is a failed motor.
3. Look along the track
Walk both sides of the pool and look for anything in the track: a stick, a stone, packed leaves and grit, or a slider that has jumped out. Clear what you can reach by hand. Don't pry at anything that resists.
4. Check for ice before you do anything else
In winter, assume ice first. A cover frozen to the track or bonded to a sheet of ice will not move, and forcing it tears fabric or shears a rope. Wait until the track is genuinely clear — a warm afternoon is not enough.
5. Look at the water level
An automatic cover is supported by the water beneath it. If the level has dropped well below normal, the cover is carrying load it wasn't designed to carry, which shows up as uneven travel and stress on the ropes.
6. Note what it's doing, then call
Whether it hums without moving, pulls to one side, stops at the same point every time, or makes a new noise tells us a lot before we arrive. If the cover is stuck open, treat it as a safety issue and keep the area supervised.
Still not working? A cover stuck open is a safety issue. We offer emergency pool cover repair on Saturdays and Sundays, subject to availability.
Book a RepairFAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions we field most often about automatic pool covers.
- Can I walk on an automatic pool cover?
- Most automatic covers are built to hold the weight of an adult, and a properly closed cover meets ASTM safety standards as a barrier. That said, they are designed as a safety margin, not a walking surface — routine foot traffic wears the fabric and stresses the ropes and sliders.
- Are automatic pool covers safe for kids and pets?
- Yes. When properly closed and secured, an automatic cover acts as a continuous barrier across the water and meets ASTM safety standards for pool safety covers. The safety benefit only applies when the cover is actually closed, which is the main practical argument for an automatic system over a manual one — it gets closed because closing it takes a few seconds.
- Do automatic pool covers help keep the water clean?
- Yes. A closed cover keeps out leaves, dirt, pollen, and windblown debris, which means less skimming, less vacuuming, and less strain on the filter. It also reduces how much chlorine burns off in direct sunlight, so chemical use typically drops as well.
- Can automatic pool covers help save on heating costs?
- Yes. Most of the heat a pool loses goes to evaporation from the surface, and a closed cover almost eliminates it. That lowers heating energy use, cuts water loss, and in the Northeast usually adds several usable weeks to each end of the swimming season.
- Will an automatic cover work with my existing pool?
- In most cases, yes. Automatic covers can usually be retrofitted to existing rectangular in-ground pools, provided the measurements work and there is somewhere sensible to put the mechanism and housing. Freeform and irregularly shaped pools are harder and sometimes not practical. Read our installation guide.
- How long does it take to install an automatic pool cover?
- Installation typically takes one to three days depending on the pool's design, the guide system being fitted, and site accessibility. Retrofits to an existing pool generally take longer than a system installed during a new pool build, where the track is integrated as the pool is constructed.
- What should I do if my pool cover is stuck or won't open?
- Stop running the motor. Repeatedly forcing a cover that is jammed is what turns a small problem into a snapped rope or a burnt-out motor. Check first for an obvious obstruction in the track and for a tripped breaker or GFCI, then leave it and book a service call. See our non-working cover repair service.
- Do you repair covers you didn't install?
- Yes. We service all major automatic pool cover brands regardless of who originally installed the system. A good share of our repair work is on covers installed by companies that are no longer in business or no longer service the area.
- Do you offer emergency pool cover repair?
- Yes. Emergency same-day service is available on Saturdays and Sundays for an additional fee, subject to availability, and is offered year round. A cover stuck open is a safety issue rather than an inconvenience, which is why the weekend option exists. Book emergency service.
- Should I repair or replace my automatic pool cover?
- It depends on which part has failed. Ropes, sliders, pulleys, and motors are wear items and are normally worth replacing individually on an otherwise sound system. Fabric that has gone brittle, split at the seams, or lost its ability to hold water is at the end of its life and needs replacing. If the mechanism, track, and fabric are all near the end together, a full system replacement usually costs less than three separate repairs over two seasons. Read the full repair vs. replace comparison.
- How often should I service my automatic pool cover?
- At least once a year. An annual inspection and service catches worn ropes, sliders, and pulleys while they are still cheap parts rather than after they have failed and taken the motor or the fabric with them. See our yearly maintenance plans.
- How should I care for my cover over a Northeast winter?
- Keep the water level up, keep the cover pump running so meltwater and snow don't pool in the center, and leave the cover closed until the track is genuinely clear of ice. Most of the spring repair work we do is on covers that were forced open against ice on the first warm day.
- What kind of warranty do your pool covers include?
- Covers come with a manufacturer's warranty that varies by model. Our Standard maintenance plan additionally includes a 60-day warranty covering one hour of labor for a single service call.
- What areas do you serve?
- We serve Connecticut, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley in New York, northern New Jersey, central and southern Massachusetts, all of Rhode Island, and southern New Hampshire. Connecticut is our home base, so response times are quickest there. See all service areas.
- Why choose Premium Pool Covers?
- We have spent more than 15 years working on automatic pool covers specifically, rather than treating them as a sideline to general pool service. Our technicians are licensed and insured, we service all major brands, and we handle installation, repair, replacement, and maintenance ourselves rather than subcontracting the work out.
More Services
Other Automatic Pool Cover Services
Custom-fit automatic cover systems installed on new pool builds and retrofitted to existing in-ground pools, using under guide, recessed guide, or top guide track.
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Diagnosis and repair of automatic cover motors, ropes, tracks, pulleys, sliders, and fabric on all major brands, including same-day weekend emergency service.
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Replacement of worn automatic cover fabric and of complete cover systems, including retrofitting a modern mechanism to existing track where the track is still sound.
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Scheduled inspection, cleaning, lubrication, and tension adjustment under yearly maintenance plans that keep an automatic cover running and catch wear before it fails.
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