Rule A53S 1800 Automatic Pool Cover Pump Review

We finally had the perfect above ground swimming pool and deck we always wanted in our backyard and summers were great but we didn’t realize that once you close up the pool the next battle began that lasted until the following summer. That is keeping the pool cover free of debris and standing water. During our first year the standing water was definitely an issue as it became the local bird and duck bathing pool. We were constantly running out to the pool to get the ducks out and the water and the cover was slowly becoming disgusting with droppings, leaves and dirt mixed in the standing water. The manual pump we had purchased was also kind of doing the job for us but it was a severe pain to run out and prime the pump every time it stopped. We finally decided that enough was enough so I was tasked by my wife to find a better pool cover pump that would keep the water off the “bird bath” we had created in our yard.

We had a couple of wants/needs right off the bat that we had to have on the next pump:

1. It had to be somewhat inexpensive as we couldn’t afford an expensive pump
2. It had to be an automatic pool cover pump as I was tired of priming the old manual pump
3. It had to have a good warranty as it will be working outdoors in the elements
4. It had to have good reviews from online markets like Amazon.com

Long story short, we ended up choosing the best pump we could find which was the RULE A53S 1800 Pool Cover Pump for all of the reasons above and a little more. You’ve probably heard the phrase “set it and forget it” and this is definitely the case here as once you place the Rule A53S 1800 pump on the cover and plug it in, you’re done for the season until you have to open the pool. Needless to say, I’m in heaven right now and don’t have the stress of worrying about my pool cover during the off months and that is priceless to me!

Here are some things we found out while researching pool cover pumps and reasons why we chose the Rule 1800 swimming pool cover pump to help you understand how I came about this great pump.

POWERFUL

If I learned anything from visiting pool stores and researching online it’s that you need to make sure that you buy a pool cover pump that has some kick to it and is powerful enough to remove the standing water as quickly as possible. Most pool owners (like me) have spent a lot of money for a really good pool cover and the thought of having to replace that cover every other year doesn’t sit well as they can easily cost a few hundred dollars. Keeping the water off the cover was essential to making sure my cover lasted many years so it was important to get a pump that would remove the water fast so it wouldn’t stress my expensive cover.

I found out that the Rule A53S pool cover pump has the power that I needed for my 24’ round above ground pool cover. It’s a 110 Volt pump with a flow rate that can remove the water from my cover down to a ½” which is perfect since I live in the Northeast where we definitely have our share of precipitation!

>>Click here to see more prices and reviews on Amazon<<

Something else I learned is that one of the most important things about buying the right pool cover pump is making sure your pump has the right flow rate. Flow rate is the amount of water (in gallons) that the pump can remove in one hour. If you buy a pump that has a low flow rate, you’ll be spinning your wheels trying to remove water from the pool cover and you won’t be able to keep up with a good rain storm. As I mentioned before, this is not good for your pool cover as too much water accumulating on the top will damage it over time.

On the low end you’ll find pool cover pumps that have a flow rate of 350 Gph (Gallons per hour) and these are normally meant for smaller above or inground pools. For larger above ground pools (24’ round) you will probably want something a little larger as there is a much larger area where water can accumulate. This is where the RULE A53S 1800 Pool Cover Pump is best suited as it has an 1,800 Gph flow rate which can tackle just about anything mother nature throws at your pool.

Flow rate can be affected by the size and length of the garden hose you attach to the pump so it is recommended that you attach a standard size garden hose so as not to inhibit the flow rate. In my case I had a regular garden hose from our local home store and used that with the Rule A53S pump. It actually works perfectly as I’m able to extend the hose so the water runs off away from our home and the pool/deck area. With my other hand pump the hose that comes with it is very short so I barely had enough to extend the water away from the pool and deck area. Needless to say I had a very soggy ground area where it was running off and that area was always a mess.

>>Click here to see more prices and reviews on Amazon<<

FINALLY! A POOL PUMP THAT DOESN’T GET CLOGGED!

We love our backyard above ground pool but we hate the proximity of the Locust trees to the pool area. That’s because every year we end of cleaning off the pool cover of all the leaves, branches and pollen that falls from this very messy tree. It can get really bad and we needed a pump that would not get clogged up like the previous manual pump we had purchased. Many times the wet leaves would cake onto the bottom of the pump and we would have to go out and scrub out the holes so it would continue to remove water from the cover. Needless to say that wasn’t a fun job.

One of the reasons we chose the Rule A53S pool cover pump was because it has a specifically designed strainer base (sold separately but worth it for sure!) that we found does a GREAT job of filtering out leaves, pollen and branches and prevents the pump from getting clogged up. The strainer is the circular base on the bottom of the pump (see pictures) and we have yet to encounter a situation where the tree leaves clogged up the pump. Unfortunately this doesn’t mean the leaves are not a problem in our pool, but that’s something we’ll have to handle this spring when we take those messy trees down!

WE FOUND IT CAN DO OTHER THINGS TO!

As a homeowner I’m always looking for things I buy to do different jobs around the house and the same goes for our pool pump. In this case not only does the pump do a great job on the pool cover but it also works perfectly for any standing water issues. Take for instance the day this past winter when we got hit with the rain/ice storms here in the Northeast and my basement decided to flood. Not a fun day but with the help of the Rule 1800 pump I was able to position the pump in a low area and it helped remove a lot of the water thus saving a lot of things I had stored in my basement. Pool cover pump and backup sump pump all in one!

The pump is also good for removing water from smaller size pools (i.e. baby pools or small blow up pools) if you need to drain them at some point. Because the RULE pump is submersible, it makes quick work of draining a kiddie pool and saves you a lot of time and effort.

>>Click here to see more prices and reviews on Amazon<<

WARRANTY

Most electronic items these days are not made like they used to be and the warranties are normally 30-days, 60-days, 90-days or a year at most. With the pump being outdoors for a good part of the Fall and Winter seasons, we wanted a pool pump that not only had a good history of surviving the elements outside but also had a good warranty in case it broke.

The Rule A53S pool cover pump in this case had what we thought was a better warranty then other pumps on the market. Rule Industries, based out of Gloucester, MA and the maker of this pump, provides a 3-year warranty from the date of your purchase and we thought that was very reasonable considering this pump would be working hard for 6-months out of the year at least. Heck, I can’t even get a 1-year warranty for toaster I use in my house that I use 2-3 times a week if that! Just make sure that when you purchase the pump you keep the receipt handy in case it ever breaks. We purchased our Rule pump on Amazon.com and the great thing is they keep our purchase history forever so we can go back at any time and simply pull up the receipt if we ever need it.

REVIEWS

I’m going to save you a lot of time researching online reviews and tell you this:  ALL POOL COVER PUMPS HAVE BAD REVIEWS! It is nearly impossible to go online to any shopping site that offers reviews and find a pool cover pump that has stellar reviews. Trust me….I looked. I guess that’s because at some point in time things break and the people that are more inclined to discuss their displeasure with something if it breaks.

So at some point I decided to stop looking at all the reviews, and some had more than others, and just bite the bullet and give one a try. I knew my budget price and I found the pump I wanted on Amazon and crossed my fingers. So far I think I made a great decision.

Overall the Rule 1800 pump received very good reviews with many people giving this pump a 5 out of 5 stars. Some of the things they said included:

• “Now that’s warranty service….!”
• “Great Pool Cover Pump for the money”
• “This pump is so much better and reliable…”
• “This product was perfect”
• “This pump is a work horse”
• “Reliable Pump Good Value”
• “Works well no complaints”
• “Love this pump….awesome pump”

>>Click here to see more prices and reviews on Amazon<<

Most loved that this was an automatic pool cover pump and there was no need to manually pump water out of their pool. This was a big selling point for most.

The complaint we saw most was regarding the pump not working or breaking down after a couple of years of use but we saw that complaint across all pumps we investigated (more so on others.) With the warranty coverage, many opted to contact the company and replacements were sent out promptly with no questions asked. That excellent customer service sold us even more.

UPDATE!

SEPTEMBER 2016 – Great news! The Rule 1800 Pool Cover pump is back on the market with a new model# (A53S.) The only difference is you’ll need to buy the strainer base separately. This is a fantastic pool pump and worth the money. I just used mine for the 7th year in a row and was able to pump out water from my pool to get it ready for closure for the winter. It worked like a charm….again! Try and find a product these days that lasts more than 5-years!  Highly recommended. Check it out here.

JULY 2015 – As many of you know, the Rule 1800 Pool Cover Pump has been discontinued. 🙁  The good news for me (and many others) is that mine is still working perfectly nearly 6-years later and I certainly hope many more years to come! For those of you looking for a comparable pool cover pump (and one that many say is better than the Rule), take a look at the Wayne WAPC250. It’s a workhorse that is about the same price as the Rule on Amazon.com! Check it out!

SEPTEMBER 2014 – I’ll bet you’re still wondering if I have the Rule 1800 pump…..well YES, I do!  We’re about to head into our 5th year with the Rule pump and it’s still removing water as well as it’s ever done since we bought it. Currently the price is about $159.00 on Amazon.com and that’s not a bad deal for a pump that is still working like new after 5-years. I still think this is easily one of the top 2 or 3 on the market (outside of the Wayne 57729-WYNP.)

OCTOBER 2012 – We’re entering our 3rd Season with the Rule 1800 pool cover pump and it’s still working flawlessly.

Just a few weeks ago as I was preparing to close my above ground pool we had a couple of days of torrential downpours that filled the pool up above the skimmer. Knowing I had to reduce the pool water level below the skimmer to close it, I knew I had to pump out at least a thousand gallons of water in a short time. 

I pulled out the Rule 1800 and hooked up a long hose to it and placed it into the water to about the depth where I needed the water line to be, turned it on and walked away. Later that evening, after running the pump all day, the water line was just where I needed it and I was able to close the pool on time.

Gotta say…..This is definitely the best and most reliable pump out there and it still works absolutely perfectly after years of use. You can’t go wrong with this one so take my recommendation and grab one today for yourself. Amazon still has the best deal!