The motor that runs an automatic cover sits in a box below your deck. Every rainstorm, every splash-out, and every hose left running sends water toward that box. Without a reliable pool cover housing drain, the mechanism sits in water, and that’s one of the most avoidable problems in the whole system.
The good news is that the right drain is easy to choose. It just has to be planned before the deck goes in.
Why a Pool Cover Housing Drain Is Essential
Under track and recessed top track systems keep their motorized mechanisms in a cover housing below the deck surface. That housing must not flood. Drainage should be worked out during the planning stage of the pool project, so it’s done correctly and fits with the landscaping.
Deck mounted systems keep the mechanism above the deck, so they don’t need a housing drain. If you’re adding a cover to an existing pool and drainage looks difficult, a deck mounted automatic pool cover is one way around it.
The Best Option: A Daylight Drain
The most reliable pool cover housing drain is a drain to “daylight,” also called “open air.” A pipe runs from the bottom of the housing downhill until it exits at the surface of the ground. Gravity does all the work, there’s nothing to clog underground, and you can see the outlet.
Even a very long daylight drain run is better than any other drainage method. If the run has to snake across the yard to reach lower ground, it’s still the better choice.
What If the Yard Is Flat?
A daylight drain needs the outlet to be lower than the housing. If the site has no significant slope, the finished pool height should be raised 24 inches above the surrounding grade. That gives the drain enough fall to reach daylight. This is a design decision, so it has to be made before excavation.
Storm-Water Systems
Draining into a whole-property storm-water detention system is also acceptable. If your property already has one, ask your builder whether the cover housing can tie into it.
When Daylight Isn’t Possible
Some lots simply can’t drain to daylight. In that case, an adequately sized dry-well or pump-out pit has to be used.
An accessible dry-well is a buried basin with a removable lid at grade. Water from the housing flows into it and soaks into the surrounding soil. Two features make it workable:
- It can be cleaned out. Silt and debris that settle in the bottom can be removed.
- It can hold a sump pump. If the soil drains slowly, a pump can move water out.
Don’t Use a French Drain
Do not use a “French drain,” where the end of the drain pipe is simply buried in a hole filled with gravel. These typically fail within a year.
Here’s why:
- Soil may drain poorly to begin with.
- Soil becomes saturated in heavy rain, so the gravel pit fills and stops accepting water.
- Silt and debris clog the end of the pipe. Even the largest gravel pit won’t work once that happens.
Unlike a dry-well, a buried gravel pit can’t be opened up and cleaned. Once it clogs, the only fix is to dig it out.
Sizing the Drain
| Requirement | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Minimum drain diameter | 3 inches |
| Larger pools | Increase drain size and number of drains |
| Flat site | Raise finished pool height 24 inches above grade |
| Overfill drain use | Must handle a forgotten hose or rainfall for the whole pool |
If the Housing Doubles as an Overfill Drain
Some designs use the cover housing as the pool’s overfill drain. If yours does, the drain has to handle the worst case. That means a hose left running overnight or a heavy rain falling across the entire pool surface, not just the housing.
Why Drainage Matters in the Northeast
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware see heavy summer thunderstorms and soaking fall rains. Some yards in the region also have dense soil that drains slowly and saturates quickly. Those are exactly the conditions where a gravel-pit French drain gives up. A daylight drain, or a properly sized and accessible dry-well, holds up when the weather turns. For more on keeping a system in good shape year to year, see our pool cover maintenance page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an automatic pool cover need a drain?
Under track and recessed top track systems do, because their mechanisms sit in a housing below the deck that must not flood. Deck mounted systems keep the mechanism above the deck.
What is a daylight drain for a pool cover?
It’s a pipe that carries water from the cover housing downhill until it exits at ground level. It’s the most reliable drain method.
What size drain does a pool cover housing need?
The minimum drain diameter is 3 inches. The size and number of drains should increase with the size of the pool.
Can I use a French drain for my pool cover housing?
No. French drains that end in a gravel-filled hole typically fail within a year as soil saturates and silt clogs the pipe.
What if my yard is completely flat?
Raise the finished pool height 24 inches above the surrounding grade to allow a daylight drain. If that’s not possible, use an adequately sized, accessible dry-well or pump-out pit.
