winterizing above ground pool help needed

[grumpy]

Last year was my first time experience with winterizing above ground pool. I spent more time keeping water and leaves out of the cover than maintaining a pool during summer. I was wondering why cant I set up some sort of a pole on a plastic stand in the center of the pool to create something similar to a tent so that rain and leaves would fall off the cover. This is impossible to achieve with the air pillows because there is always area that collects water. Anybody has any advice on how to accomplish what I am trying to do. Thanks for help.

[gini52]

After dealing with this problem for several years, I have decided to just cover the pool with a good leaf cover--No leaves, no water to pump off the cover. == ==

[grumpy]

how do you control a water level?

[tnom]

With a siphon device.

Make a horizontal S shape out of tubing. Insert a coat hanger wire inside to make it keep its shape.

Hook one of the curves in the S over the edge of the pool. The other curve will be outside and the position of the end of the tube will be your level. You must prime the siphon first.

[gini52]

== I drain my pool down below the skimmer and remove the filter inlet and outlet hoses. Any rise in level drains out through the skimmer. Keep in mind that if you have your pool tarped, the resulting water on the tarp will "raise" the water level of the pool via displacement if you don't pump it off over winter. I have read that styrofoam can be packed in the skimmer /inlets/outlets to prevent damaging freeze expansion but I have never done that--probably will with just a leaf cover on. It is certainly easy to do. To date, my skimmer outlet pipe slowly drips out excess water over the winter and has never frozen solid. == ==