Just because you’ve added stabilizing chemicals to your pool and covered your pool doesn’t mean that you’re done dealing with your pool for the season. That’s because rain will continue to fall all throughout the winter and spring seasons, which can cause water to weigh down your pool’s cover. Fortunately, this problem is easy to solve by buying the best pool cover pump available and deploying it as needed to keep rainwater off your pool’s cover.

Since these pumps are a necessary part of just about any off-season maintenance routine, you are going to want to buy not only the best model available but the one that’s the most appropriate for your type of pool. To help you out a bit, we’ve decided to find the ten best models currently available, so that you can find the best cover pump for your pool.

Best Pool Cover Pumps

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10Little Giant APCP-1700 Automatic Pump

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This submersible pump is suitable for use on pool covers for several different reasons. For one thing, it’s an automatic pump that will automatically operate when it finds itself in 2-inches of water. Once activated, this pump will side-discharge water at a rate of approximately 1,700 gallons per minute, if it’s level. It comes with a 25-foot long power cord that enables it to be installed just about anywhere, and it has a 3/4-inch connection for connecting to a garden hose. And since it has a built-in handle, it’s easy to take from place to place so it can be used for multiple projects on the user’s property.

9Fibropool Electric Cover Drain Pump

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This inexpensive cover drain is a great pump to use for winter pool maintenance. It can pump water at a rate of 600 gallons per hour, and it has a 16-foot power cord that plugs into a standard 110-Volt outlet. It also features a drainage hose that’s approximately 16-feet long, so water can be removed away from the pool. Although this pump doesn’t have an automatic shutoff, it can be used manually quite well to remove rainwater from pool covers. And because it has a lightweight but durable design, it won’t weigh down pool covers and can be used for both above ground and in-ground pools.

8Superior Pump 91250 Utility Pump

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Since this is a utility pump, it’s not only useful for clearing off pool covers but can be used for a variety of products around the house. It can move up to 1,800 gallons of water per hour with a max head of 25-feet. It’s completely submersible and has a 1-1/4-inch NPT discharge that can be used with 3/4-inch garden hose adapters. This pump utilizes a special screen that can handle solids up to 1/8-inch. All of the pumps produced by this company are tested at the factory for reliability, and they’re designed to give homeowners many years of service life.

7Wayne WWB Water Bug Submersible Pump

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This product is manufactured in the United States and is made from high-quality components so pool owners can be assured that it’s a quality product. With a 30-foot max head, this submersible pump is able to remove water down to 1/16th-inch and can do it with a maximum flow rate of 1,257 gallons per hour. Because it has a side discharge, it’s not only useful for removing standing water from pool covers but can also be used to remove standing water in flooded basements or for clearing water off of flat roofs. And since it has multi-flow technology, the user can select how water should be discharged from the unit.

6Superior Pump 92395 2100 GPH Pump

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This quality pool cover pump is designed to activate in 1-1/2-inch of water, so it’s always ready to keep water off of your pool. This model has a large base that prevents debris from entering the pump and has an internal automatic float switch built into it. Since it has a low-amp draw, this pump not only lasts longer and runs cooler than most other pumps, but it also uses less energy. This pump also has a thermally protected motor that comes with an automatic reset protector, so it can be reset as necessary. And since it has a screened intake, it’s easy to clean and maintain.

5Ocean Blue Water Products 350 GPH Pump

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Although this particular pump doesn’t have an automatic shutoff and has to be turned on/off using its switch, it’s still a great pump for clearing off pool covers. While running, this pump is capable of removing 350 gallons of water from a pool cover per hour and is completely submersible. It’s also clog-resistant and can easily be fitted to a standard gardening hose. Since it has an extra long 25-foot power cord, it can be used in places that can’t be reached by other outdoor pumps. And because it has an easy-clean mesh filter that can be used over and over again, this product is also easy to use.

4Little Giant 550-GPH PCP550 Pump

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The PCP550 is named the Little Giant for a reason and that reason is that it can pump water at 550 gallons-per-hour when deploying with no-lift. Of course, its pump rate decreases as it lift increases, so if it’s elevated at 3-feet of lift, then it will only pump about 400 gallons per hour. Even so, this high-quality pump is ready to clear off just about any pool cover. It operates at 58-watts and has a 25-foot power cord, so it’s easy to setup and use. This pump is also equipped with a removable intake screen that makes keeping it clean and maintained quite easy as well.

3Swimline Siphon Cover Pump

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Although many pool owners would outright discount the value of this siphon cover pump, the beauty of this product is that it is simple. Using the enclosed siphon pump and its 13-feet of hose, this pump can be set to effectively drain the cover of just about any pool, all without having to find an outdoor outlet or running a network of extension cords to power it. It will continue to pump as long as the end of has water to drain, and when it’s finished it will automatically stop. This may not have all of the bells and whistles of more advanced pumps, but it’s easy-to-use and is inexpensive.

2Little Giant 170 GPH Black Pump

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Designed with a plastic housing that resistant to corrosion, this pump is ready for outdoor use anytime during the year. It comes with a long 25-foot power cord and has a 1/4-inch mini outlet that can be used with garden hose adaptors to attach to your garden hose. Although it doesn’t have an automatic on/off switch, it does do a good job at removing water from pool covers and can do so at a rate of 170 gallons-per-minute. This allows it to be deployed when the pool owner needs to their cover to be cleared and then put away when it has finished its purpose.

1Danner Manufacturing Cover Care

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Since this pool pump cover pump uses a magnetic drive motor, it doesn’t have a whole lot of moving parts that can break down over time. This pump only has one moving part and is completely submersible for the pool owner’s convenience and safety. It’s designed to be easily hooked up to any 3/4-inch standard garden hose and comes with a foam filter that’s easy-to-clean and is clog resistant. When this pump is in full operation, it’s capable of pumping up to 300 gallons-per-hour, which is more than enough to keep the covers of most pools nice and dry throughout the entire winter season.

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A Guide To Pool Cover Pumps

It’s a major irritant for any pool owner: how do they keep water from accumulating on their pool cover and dragging it down? Since stopping rain isn’t a likely option for anyone, the only way to curb water buildup on a pool cover is by buying and deploying the best pool cover pump available. Towards that end, we decided to write this guide. It’s our hope that this guide will make it easier for pool owners to not only buy a great pool cover pump but also help them use it more efficiently.

Why Purchase A Pool Cover Pump?

One of the first questions someone new to owning a pool might ask is why should they worry about water accumulation on their pool cover? Another question often asked is: why should they buy a dedicated pump when they can use some other method for removing water? And in this section, we’re going to answer both of these questions.

We’re going to start by answering the latter question: why purchase a pool pump first. That can be easily answered by saying that removing water from a pool cover is a real pain and it’s almost impossible to remove it without dumping it into the pool’s water and destroying that perfect pool chemistry the pool owner worked so hard to maintain. Pool cover pumps are absolutely vital pieces of equipment that every pool owner needs.

Now, we’re going to circle back and answer the question of why it’s important to remove water from your pool cover in the first place. And there are actually three reasons why any pool owner is going to want to keep water off of their pool’s cover—reasons that we’ve detailed below.

Reason #1: Safety

The first reason for removing water from a pool’s cover is because of safety. Although pool covers aren’t designed to be safety nets from children or pets falling into a pool, they can make it more difficult for children or pets to get into the pool, although it should be said that the pool area should always be fenced off for absolute safety. If there’s a ton of water on the cover, it can drag it down and open up sections that can be inviting to pets and children.

It also should be mentioned that quite a lot of water can build upon a cover—maybe even enough for a pet or child to drown in while they’re on top of the cover. Water on the cover also serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, so it’s important to keep the top of your pool cover as dry as possible.

Reason #2: It Preserves The Pool Cover

Another good reason for buying a pool cover pump and pumping water off of your cover is to prevent wear and tear on the cover itself. Look, we all know that even the most inexpensive pool cover isn’t all that inexpensive, so why let rainwater build upon it and shorten its lifespan? Considering that pool cover pumps are fairly inexpensive and last a long time, there’s no reason not to pump water off of your cover.

Reason #3: It Keeps Rainwater Out Of The Pool

We sort of covered this point briefly in Reason #1, but it’s worth repeating here. Eventually, you are going to want to open up your pool and if you have let a large amount of rainwater build up on your cover, then the odds are good that this rainwater is going to end up in the pool. Why let that happen, and make the process of cleaning the pool a lot harder when a pool cover pump solves the problem in the first place?

Buying The Best Pool Cover Pump

Okay, now that we’re all informed as to why we should purchase a new pool cover pump, let’s find out how we can buy the best one possible. Below are some things that you’re going to want to think about before purchasing your next pool cover pump to make sure that you purchase the one that suits your needs and performs to your expectations.

Step One: Manual Or Automatic

The first question you’re going to want to ask yourself when choosing a pool cover pump is whether you want a manual or an automatic model. Both automatic pumps and manual pumps do a good job of removing water from a cover, but automatic ones will start once the water has reached a certain level. Manual ones, however, tend to cost a little bit less, so it’s up to the consumer to decide between cost and convenience.

Step Two: Consider Pump Volume

The next thing that you’re going to want to think about is the volume of the pump. The amount of water that a pump can remove is measured in GPH—or gallons per hour. The higher the GPH, the more water the pump can remove every hour, so choose one with the highest GPH possible. Most pumps have a capacity of approximately 250 to 350 GPH.

Step Three: Consider The Pump’s Price

Another thing you’ll want to consider is your budget. A general rule is that the better the pump is and the higher its pump volume is, the higher the pump’s price-tag. However, that’s not always the case, so be sure to look out for low-quality pumps with high price tags.

Step Four: Some Final Considerations

The above points are the most important ones for you to consider if you’re searching for the best pool cover pump for your needs. However, that doesn’t mean that those are the only considerations that you’ll need to make while you’re shopping for a new pump. Below are some other things to consider that will ensure that you find the pump that has the features that you need to keep water off of your pool cover.

  • If It’s electric, does it have a long enough cord?
  • Does it come with the accessories needed to run it?
  • What materials are used to make it and do they seem durable?