Don't fully inflate your pool pillow

The trick to a pool pillow is inflating it only halfway and centering it under the cover — that partial air is what absorbs the ice pressure.

Here’s the deal: as the pool water freezes, ice expands. Without a pillow, that expansion pushes hard against the pool walls and the cover, which can cause cracks or tear the cover. The pillow gives the ice somewhere to go — it compresses as the ice grows, acting like a shock absorber.

So blow it up to maybe 50–75% of its full size. If you fill it rock hard, there’s no room for the ice to push, and the pillow just becomes part of the problem. You also want it roughly centered in the pool, not bobbing against an edge. Most pillows have a loop or strap — tie it to the cover or the pool frame so it stays put when the cover is on.

And don’t expect the pillow to do everything. Your water level needs to be low enough (a few inches below the skimmer) and you still need a winter cover that’s secured properly. The pillow is just one piece of the winterizing puzzle.

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