The purpose of a pool pillow, or “ice compensator,” is to compensate for the accumulation of rain, snow, and ice over the winter months which will build up in your pool over time.
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⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Closing Your Pool With An Air Pillow
00:54 - Why You Need An Air Pillow
01:13 - When You Need An Air Pillow
01:38 - How To Install An Air Pillow
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Do you need an air pillow to close your pool? That's the question we're gon na ask. Well let me start by telling you a little story. I was in eighth grade and our family owned a 28 foot round above-ground pool and we had a very bad winter, meaning very, very cold winter, in southern New Jersey right outside of Philadelphia, and we decided to not put an air Kalou in our above-ground pool when We closed it. What happened was all of the water in the above-ground pool froze like one giant friggin Ice Cube and what happens when water freezes? Is it expand, ice expands and when it expanded it destroyed our pool and we don't have a pool anymore and everybody.

It was really sad, why did that happen? Well, the ice, expanded against the pool walls and it split one of the pools and the whole pool came crashing down, and so that's why, if you have an above-ground pool, I recommend that you actually get a air pillow to put underneath the cover and it's like Super cheap: it's an insurance policy to make sure that if you do have a really deep freeze in the wintertime, while your pool is closed, that you're actually going to have a pool when you open it, so do you need it for an above-ground pool? Yes, I recommend that you get one they're so cheap. Why not? But what about an in-ground pool I mean the pool is in the ground and so when the pool water freezes, it's gon na push against well the ground, but it wouldn't hurt to put it in there, but you actually don't need it. You really only need it to close an above-ground pool, and I highly recommend that you get it it's it's very easy to install. All you have to do is stick it under the cover, make sure it's inflated, of course, and that's pretty much it a lot of people try to put in the center and that's fine.

You know people think that the whole reason for the air pillow is so that you know the water and the ice and the snow and debris all kind of like moves its way to the edge. So it's easier to clean and that's actually not true at all. What is true is that it's a nice compensator, so when the water freezes it actually, instead of instead of expanding into your pool walls, it expands into the air pillow, that's pretty much all it does, and it doesn't need to be in the center of your pool. Although, if you want put it in the center of your pool, go the hell head, I don't care, but you can just put it anywhere in your pool as long as it's underneath the cover and it's in the water, that's really it and here's the best part In this spring, when you open your pool on your pool, won't be completely destroyed and you have a cool, actually lame pool float to use win-win.

If you have any questions about pool or hot tub care and maintenance, please visit swim university comm and until we meet again happy swimming or in this case, happy closing your pool for the winter. I'm sorry.

17 thoughts on “Do you need an air pillow to close your pool? | swim university”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Erica Marsh says:

    😆…. 😐win/win

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Eda Bay-Gaddix says:

    Absolute nonsense. The pillow does nothing whatsoever to reduce stresses on the pool. Are you in Ottawa ?

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ricardo Pessoa says:

    What’s the difference between an air pillow and a pool float? Can’t I just use a float instead?

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars BB Traveler says:

    I agree with the reasoning for the pillow. Unfortunately I can't find any substitute for these garbage units sold. My Question is, what about the water that freezes inside the pool (pool water). I very noticed the water freezes. I know the pillow is no designed for the water itself. Your thoughts?

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars John Przybysz says:

    So you say that the air pillow contracts to allow room for the water to expand when it freezes.
    Ice will expand in direction of least resistance so the water would just expand upwards.
    I have not used a pillow in at least 5 years and have not had a single issue. As far as water expanding on top of the cover. If you have a good cover it will oet the water filter through the cover. I have a pool cover pump it automatically turns on when the snow melts and pumps the water off the cover, this reduces ice buildup.the only issue I have with not having a pillow is the pump tends to draw water from under the cover and lowers the level of the water even more than I initially lowered it at the time of closing Are you in Orleans ?

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars U2BROTHR says:

    We bought a house with a large inground pool. The old owners showed us how to close the pool. When we closed the pool, the previous owner had three big, long, logs. They were strung along with nylon rope as the logs had holes made in the ends of them. Pictures a choo choo train of three long logs. He advised us that putting these logs in the pool when closing prevented the ice from pushing against the walls…….. These logs have been around from the original owners, to the previous owners, to me. I've used them for the three years I've been here…..and there are no cracks in this pool. The pool was made in 1962.

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Steve Amiaga says:

    I haven't bought one in years, just use the leftover pool floating toys, rings, Etc, tie them all together, center it all and cover the pool. In the spring, get a knife, attack the mass of floaties and head to the dollar store to get new ones for this season. Less to store over the summer.

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Cowboy Luke says:

    I used the air pillow, tied it but it did not stay center. It moved to one side, All the water and melted snow etc ended up on one side, obviously extremely heavy there and very light on the other side, The pool cover came off as a result of the heavy one sided pressure despite the cable tied properly and bottles hanging from cables all around the pool .My experience was that it mattered very much if pillow was centered. In contract my neighbor with an almost identical pool used no pillow, cover stayed on, no problems. My pool was a mess and the cleaning process was not much fun. This year, no pillow for me except for Magic Mike's .

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars 97widerider says:

    So what happens when these things deflate half way through winter?

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars nAz says:

    can i use an older inflatable rafting tube i have lying around instead of a inflatable pillow?

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Michael Kirc says:

    Can it be blown up by mouth or is it recommended to use an air compressor?

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Rachael Daniels says:

    Can’t you just drain the pool below the intake and out put, then place a cover on it? Won’t it allow room for expanding? This is my first winter with a pool so I want to make sure I close it right.

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Swim University says:

    If you have an above ground pool and you close it for the winter, do you use a pool air pillow underneath the cover?

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Melvin McCoy says:

    How is it possible for the air pillow to be anywhere in the pool and absorb the ice trying to expand.. thought it has to be in the middle?… 🤔🤔🤔🤔 Service area Kanata??

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars JAVIER PAULINO says:

    what can i use to push the water and snow towards the edge of the pool? since air pillows are not for that

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Robert Villafane says:

    F**k finally someone actually explain the air pillow reason, I had it wrong for so many years.

  17. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Sven Softe says:

    🙂

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