We have an Air-Lok cover system that uses a small air pump to inflate the cover into a somewhat dome shape that does a good job of sluffing off leaves and Sweet Gum seed pods. Our mistake was reusing the plastic cover a second year and it shows by stretching and the air pump is unable to get it taut. Rain is a problem in settling in the low spots causing the water to collect. The shop vac has been used to pull the water out but it is FAR from desirable as it gets it's fill and has to be drained. Repeatedly!!
We wonder what the positives are for the inflated cover compared with the covers that lay flat on the water with bags of whatever to hold them in place. A Google search for pool cover pumps found a multitude of variations on a theme but descriptions/details were woefully inadequate. A pool service store had one pump, maybe Little Giant by name, with a mesh on the bottom and place to attach a discharge hose that we didn't think would work for our situation. The directions had a caution/warning that the pump was cooled by the water and it SHOULD NOT be run dry.
I'd like to find a pump to place at the edge of the pool with a short, hopefully 3' length, of hose to put into the water and a discharge hose about 6' or so. Ideally the pump would be self priming.
Would like to read observations about domed cover vs. flat and how flat cover users deal with water from rain.