Quick tutorial on how to make your own solar pool cover holder. Makes it a lot easier to remove the cover and also to put it on, with the added benefit of saving your grass as well.
My husband made your set up for our pool solar cover but made the lengths about 18" long to accommodate our 18' round solar cover and then he put boards across the bottoms so the cover stopped falling through and hitting the ground. He also used to lengths of wood, notching our the centers, to hold each section up due to the combined weight of the wood and cover. It's working wonders for our pool time, thank you so much for sharing your idea. If not for your video, I'd still be lugging the cover out and over to the side then cleaning it off before replacing it. You definitely made my swimming time more enjoyable. Thanks!
Thank you for demonstrating how it works first, and then going through the build process. So many times I see DIY videos and have to wait until the end only to find out if I like/don't like the final product. Nice job. Thanks for posting. I know what I'm doing this weekend.
Thank you SO much for this. I made this for my new pool,it was easy and works amazing. As a 57 year old woman, if I can do this anyone can lol. 😊 Thankd again!!!
I am so grateful for this video. I made these holders only instead of making 4 holders I made 5. It has stormed for the last two nights and my pool gets lots of little leaves in it. So I cleaned all evening on the pool and I brought out my pool cover, put it on my holders and pulled it over the pool with no help. My pool is 16x48 and I am 4' 10" tall so the pool is almost as tall as I am. I'm soaking wet but I did it all by myself. And if I can do it anyone can. They really do work. I think I will try to make the shelf with pvc pipes next.
FYI: To make it last even longer you can use 1/2” pvc ELECTRICAL Grey conduit because the white pvc is NOT Ultraviolet Resistant and will weaken in the sun. You can use the same glue and fittings because it’s just structural and not holding water.
Well, i saw this a week too late because I just set three treated 4x4s in the ground to build a similar holder. I was really hoping after you broke the hacksaw blade that you were reaching in the box for a ratchet type pvc cutter though. :)
Great idea.. I ordered a solar blanket just because of this video.. The first solar blanket I had, i threw away 2 years ago because it got dirty and ripped from being on the ground.. It sucked trying to get that thing on and off.. But im headed to Home Depot today to build this.. Also HD will cut the PVC for you for free
Eveyn Eller I just made this last weekend.. I bought one 10ft PVC pipe that was 3/4" in diameter.. And one 3ft PVC pipe.. Same size.. I had them cut it for me into 1ft pieces.. Also bought 8 caps to fit and 8 90 degree pieces to fit.. Also 8 hose clamps or whatever they are called.. Everything came up to a little over $30.. Took me about 30 minutes to put together.. Also, I did not glue any pieces together.. It works great.. Takes about 2 minutes for me to take off and put on my solar cover by myself.. And my pool is 15ft by 4ft.. Hope this helps
Amdredo Manigault: I made this cover holder today but I glued mine. This is the first time I have ever made anything like this by myself. Lowes don't cut them for you so I bought a pvc pipe cutter. It was really easy to do. The hardest thing I think is tighting the clamps onto the pool poles. I can't wait to try putting my cover on by myself.
Eveyn Eller yea.. I went to HD and they have a table for customers to do it themselves.. But I got lucky and had a worker cut it for me.. Also, right after I wrote my last comment about not gluing it.. I went out to take my cover off and one of them came apart lol.. So its a good thing you did glue them.. I now have to go back and do it.. But shouldn't be too hard..
Andreco Manigault: Sorry I haven't replied sooner but the internet in our neighbor hood went out Sunday and they just got it fixed litterly 15 minutes ago. It wasn't hard to glue them together. The part that took the longest was tighting the clamps to the legs of my pool. Also where the video shows him putting on 4 cover holders I put 5 on mine. Have a good night.
Thanks for sharing this idea with us, it's a great idea, simple and very economical. I'm heading to the hardware store today to get what I need to make this. Thumbs Up! and you have a new sub to your channel.
I love how you went Step by Step for those of us that have never done anything like this before. I have a 15 FT Round. Should I build 4 or 5 holders for my cover? I'm ordering everything online precut and all. Thank You again!!
I just did something similar based on your video. I however went with zip ties instead of clamps. I found that the holding piece (that is away from the pool) doesn't need to be 1 foot (I found this out by having to use a scrap piece of PVC that was about 6") I also made a "u" shape that hooks over the pool. I'm still debating if I will just get rid of this. But it will stop it from sliding down the support pole at the expense of not being able to swing it to be flush with the pool. I also hope it's not at the expense of wear on the top of the liner. But the top of the liner is the most rugged part of the pool next to the steel support beams. If it can withstand the metal frame going through it as well as supporting the rest of the liner of the pool I'm going to guess a couple of pounds resting on it from a PVC pipe won't bother it. I underestimated how many supports I would need/materials needed. So I only ended up with 3 holders. But from the way the solar cover went on it only seems that I need 2 more holders (for a total of 5) to make it not only work but look neat as well. In the end. I'm happy that I was able to accomplish this for about 20 bucks vs searching for some pre-built solution. It looks fine and even if it didn't it is on the "hidden" side of the pool with all the mechanicals, pump, and other stored pool stuff. It was a one-person job taking the cover off and took about 2 minutes. I will have to test later after my cousins are done playing in the pool later to test putting it on with one person.
I built this today love did 5 instead of 4 it!!! I tweaked it & added 2 rails along the bottom. Used 4 tee pieces 2 on each end. Then 6 four ways in the middle 3.
What a great idea! So are the racks used for out of the way storage for the entire season? Do you pull the cover off and put it in the racks wet and leave the cover there all summer? I'm wondering if it gets moldy/smelly? Or do we need to dry it first before storing it in the racks?
About to attempt this. But, my pool is not level. Wonder if it would help or make it collapse. Obviously I'd hang it on side that is higher than the other
Looks great. Its been a few years, did you like this set up for the solar cover. I have heard people say not to leave the covers in the sun or it can make them deteriorate faster. Did you find this to be the case.
six25 I started with zip ties.. And it does work.. But they swivel back and forth.. Cant get them tight enough.. I eventually went and got the hose clamps.. They work alot better..
What dimensions u use like 2 ft depth x 2ft width? I was looking cause just got a intex pool i remembered my dad made these kind of hooks for our pool growing up i think rolling up ur solar cover also would help u
the only pc you really need to cement is the joint in the 90 degree that connects to the rod that is clamped to the pool leg.. otherwise the weight of cover the pushing down on the cover will eventually pop the pc out and it will fall. otherwise the rest can be dry fitted, and when u take down for the season, all can be taken apart and only the one pc will have an elbow glued
My husband made your set up for our pool solar cover but made the lengths about 18" long to accommodate our 18' round solar cover and then he put boards across the bottoms so the cover stopped falling through and hitting the ground. He also used to lengths of wood, notching our the centers, to hold each section up due to the combined weight of the wood and cover. It's working wonders for our pool time, thank you so much for sharing your idea. If not for your video, I'd still be lugging the cover out and over to the side then cleaning it off before replacing it. You definitely made my swimming time more enjoyable. Thanks!
Can you post a pic of it, or your own video displaying it? would love to see that as we have an 18' solar cover as well.
Thank you for demonstrating how it works first, and then going through the build process. So many times I see DIY videos and have to wait until the end only to find out if I like/don't like the final product. Nice job. Thanks for posting. I know what I'm doing this weekend.
Instead of pipe clamps my husband used zip-ties, works great!
I was wondering this very thing! Glad I found your comment. :)
Thank you SO much for this. I made this for my new pool,it was easy and works amazing. As a 57 year old woman, if I can do this anyone can lol. 😊 Thankd again!!!
Modification idea: I made some U-shaped pvc hooks by bending the pvc with a heat gun.
I just want to say THANK YOU! LOVE IT. I did a mode and uses 24 inch for the tall part which gives me more room!
EXCELLENT!
I am so grateful for this video. I made these holders only instead of making 4 holders I made 5. It has stormed for the last two nights and my pool gets lots of little leaves in it. So I cleaned all evening on the pool and I brought out my pool cover, put it on my holders and pulled it over the pool with no help. My pool is 16x48 and I am 4' 10" tall so the pool is almost as tall as I am. I'm soaking wet but I did it all by myself. And if I can do it anyone can. They really do work. I think I will try to make the shelf with pvc pipes next.
I made these and they work great! Super easy!
FYI: To make it last even longer you can use 1/2” pvc ELECTRICAL Grey conduit because the white pvc is NOT Ultraviolet Resistant and will weaken in the sun. You can use the same glue and fittings because it’s just structural and not holding water.
I'm so doing this!!!!!! Thanks for the vid.
Well, i saw this a week too late because I just set three treated 4x4s in the ground to build a similar holder. I was really hoping after you broke the hacksaw blade that you were reaching in the box for a ratchet type pvc cutter though. :)
Absolutely what I need, thanks for making / sharing this video. Awesome
Great idea.. I ordered a solar blanket just because of this video.. The first solar blanket I had, i threw away 2 years ago because it got dirty and ripped from being on the ground.. It sucked trying to get that thing on and off.. But im headed to Home Depot today to build this.. Also HD will cut the PVC for you for free
What size is the pvc pipe. I want to get the stuff to make this tomorrow.
Eveyn Eller I just made this last weekend.. I bought one 10ft PVC pipe that was 3/4" in diameter.. And one 3ft PVC pipe.. Same size.. I had them cut it for me into 1ft pieces.. Also bought 8 caps to fit and 8 90 degree pieces to fit.. Also 8 hose clamps or whatever they are called.. Everything came up to a little over $30.. Took me about 30 minutes to put together.. Also, I did not glue any pieces together.. It works great.. Takes about 2 minutes for me to take off and put on my solar cover by myself.. And my pool is 15ft by 4ft.. Hope this helps
Amdredo Manigault: I made this cover holder today but I glued mine. This is the first time I have ever made anything like this by myself. Lowes don't cut them for you so I bought a pvc pipe cutter. It was really easy to do. The hardest thing I think is tighting the clamps onto the pool poles. I can't wait to try putting my cover on by myself.
Eveyn Eller yea.. I went to HD and they have a table for customers to do it themselves.. But I got lucky and had a worker cut it for me.. Also, right after I wrote my last comment about not gluing it.. I went out to take my cover off and one of them came apart lol.. So its a good thing you did glue them.. I now have to go back and do it.. But shouldn't be too hard..
Andreco Manigault: Sorry I haven't replied sooner but the internet in our neighbor hood went out Sunday and they just got it fixed litterly 15 minutes ago. It wasn't hard to glue them together. The part that took the longest was tighting the clamps to the legs of my pool. Also where the video shows him putting on 4 cover holders I put 5 on mine. Have a good night.
Thanks for sharing this great idea!
THis is a great idea. I can't wait to try it
thank you, it was a great way to save money.
Thanks for sharing this idea with us, it's a great idea, simple and very economical. I'm heading to the hardware store today to get what I need to make this. Thumbs Up! and you have a new sub to your channel.
I love how you went Step by Step for those of us that have never done anything like this before. I have a 15 FT Round. Should I build 4 or 5 holders for my cover? I'm ordering everything online precut and all. Thank You again!!
Did it and love it ! Thanks !
I just did something similar based on your video.
I however went with zip ties instead of clamps.
I found that the holding piece (that is away from the pool) doesn't need to be 1 foot (I found this out by having to use a scrap piece of PVC that was about 6")
I also made a "u" shape that hooks over the pool. I'm still debating if I will just get rid of this. But it will stop it from sliding down the support pole at the expense of not being able to swing it to be flush with the pool. I also hope it's not at the expense of wear on the top of the liner. But the top of the liner is the most rugged part of the pool next to the steel support beams. If it can withstand the metal frame going through it as well as supporting the rest of the liner of the pool I'm going to guess a couple of pounds resting on it from a PVC pipe won't bother it.
I underestimated how many supports I would need/materials needed. So I only ended up with 3 holders. But from the way the solar cover went on it only seems that I need 2 more holders (for a total of 5) to make it not only work but look neat as well.
In the end. I'm happy that I was able to accomplish this for about 20 bucks vs searching for some pre-built solution. It looks fine and even if it didn't it is on the "hidden" side of the pool with all the mechanicals, pump, and other stored pool stuff. It was a one-person job taking the cover off and took about 2 minutes. I will have to test later after my cousins are done playing in the pool later to test putting it on with one person.
I built this today love did 5 instead of 4 it!!!
I tweaked it & added 2 rails along the bottom. Used 4 tee pieces 2 on each end.
Then 6 four ways in the middle 3.
I’d love to see your finished product!
Kim Brewer email me I’ll send you a few kkrucek at yahoo
Kevin Krucek can you show a picture. Thanks
what size pvc did you use? It appears to be 1/2 inch diameter.
How long is each tube? What size pool is this we have a 22' round.
What a great idea! So are the racks used for out of the way storage for the entire season? Do you pull the cover off and put it in the racks wet and leave the cover there all summer? I'm wondering if it gets moldy/smelly? Or do we need to dry it first before storing it in the racks?
About to attempt this. But, my pool is not level. Wonder if it would help or make it collapse. Obviously I'd hang it on side that is higher than the other
Great, what size clamps did you use.
Looks great. Its been a few years, did you like this set up for the solar cover. I have heard people say not to leave the covers in the sun or it can make them deteriorate faster. Did you find this to be the case.
Great idea. Do you think zip ties can be used instead of the clamps?
six25 I started with zip ties.. And it does work.. But they swivel back and forth.. Cant get them tight enough.. I eventually went and got the hose clamps.. They work alot better..
Yes i tried with zip ties...cant get tight enough
how long are the lengths of the poles
I have a 24' above ground. What should the lengths of each piece be?
What dimensions u use like 2 ft depth x 2ft width? I was looking cause just got a intex pool i remembered my dad made these kind of hooks for our pool growing up i think rolling up ur solar cover also would help u
What size is the pipe 1"?
Does it not flow away with the wind?
I am purchasing materials online. Any idea what size hose/pipe clamp I should seek?
Can you use zip ties
Do you need to cement the pieces? I take my pool down every fall, and want everything more compact if possible... thanks!
the only pc you really need to cement is the joint in the 90 degree that connects to the rod that is clamped to the pool leg.. otherwise the weight of cover the pushing down on the cover will eventually pop the pc out and it will fall. otherwise the rest can be dry fitted, and when u take down for the season, all can be taken apart and only the one pc will have an elbow glued
Very dumb idea.
What size pvc is that?
I used 3/4in