Draining a pool

R

robr

100+ Posts
Is there some danger or possible harm to draining our in ground pool?
We are getting the back yard landscaped, and the dog is making a complete mess in the pool. Wife wants to temporarily drain it for a few weeks. I'm afraid to imagine how much it's going to cost to refill it.
 
If you drain it, I would not leave it drained for more than a day or two. If your pool has ever been Replastered, with the sun beating down on it can cause the replaster to seperate from the old plaster leaving hollow spots in the pool.
Depending on how big your pool is will determined how much it will cost to fill. Water really is not that much.
 
Agree on both above...even at the most expensive rate (ie after your first 15K gallons), 20K gallons of water (that's how big our pool is) will run less than $200...
 
here's the danger.

If you have shallow groundwater, that empty pool will become a concrete boat, and will float right up into the air.

I've seen it with my own eyes...although it was during a very wet winter so your mileage may vary.
 
In the Austin area I believe we're still under an extreme drought as defined by the aquifer authority/LCRA so topping off of pools is ok but filling is not.
 
OK - I'm not telling you, I'm warning you that if you drain your gunite pool, you run great risk of it popping out of the ground. I am an expert. I am a victim of my own stupidity.

I drained mine to clean it out and lightly pressure wash the walls since I had an older pool. Went to bed that night and the next morning the pool had raised 1.5 inches on one end and cracked the flagstone coping all around it. I immediately started putting water back into the pool and after I re-filled it, it settled to about 1/2 inch up on one end. Just enough to screw it up. Then I had to hire someone to come out and test to see if I had dislodged any of the plumbing drains and inlets.

Long story, but unless you plan to punch holes in the bottom of the gunite to relieve the pressure - don't ever drain a pool. Hire someone to come clean it as it sits if you must.

Sincerely,
The Stupid One
 
There used to be a pool guy that hung around here... wish he's show up again to chime in.
I'm just going to tough it out ans pass on draining the pool. I guess insurance would cover a disaster, but I don't need the headache.
It makes me wonder how they re-plaster a pool.
 
I had a pool guy who came out to clean my de filter say to drill the bottom once you drain it due to the pressure effects described above.

I need to refinish my gunite pool too.
 
Ouch!

Pop1.jpg
 
hollisdude - sorry about your pool experience but thanks for the heads up. I had no idea that draining a pool would cause that.
I'll now be hiring someone when we decide to drain.
 
If you have not had any rain in some time and also do not have a lot of ground water, the chances of your pool popping out of the ground is very slim.
You do not have to drill a hole in your pool when you drain it. At the main drain there is a plug you can remove to releave any pressure under pool. But if you had no rain do not worry.
I drain pools all the time and never had one pop out. But do not leave them empty for some time.
 
LH-Pools, the only reason I even thought about draining the pool was because my wife wants us to paint our gunite pool blue. Is this a good idea or is it not worth the trouble? Someone told me that the paint will not last if it wasn't mixed with the original plaster.
Thanks for the help.
 
There is a very expensive "paint" that acts as a liner. I've heard very good things about it. LH do you have any experience with Vinyl Magic "paint"? I am sure there are alternate brands as well.
 
No, I have not heard of it. I have painted pools, but I do not recomend it. If you do not prepare the pool surface properly the paint will peel and or blister, and if you want it to look good you will have to paint it again. Plaster will last from 10-15 years if you maintain your chemicals properly.
 
Uninformed, Thanks for the info. I have not heard of this product. Vinyl pools are a big market especially up north.
When I drain a pool, I always pull the plug on them. If I have one sitting empty and we start getting a lot of rain, I will fill one half way until it dries out.
 
Zork - thanks for the link.

LH - I was checking out Zork's link and noticed that black is one of the color options for pool paint. I don't have the guts to paint my pool black but it probably looks pretty cool.
Have you ever seen a black painted pool? How did it look?
 
I have not seen a black painted pool. I have done and seen Black plastered pools.
The problem with black paint and even if you add a black dye to plaster is that over time it will fade.
If you went with a designer series plaster the color will stay true.
I had a attoney customer who wanted a Red pool. I told him I would not do it because it would have to be painted. He had someone else do it, and a year later I was sandblasting the paint off so the pool could be replastered.
I have never seen a painted pool last more than 2 yrs. before they had to be painted again. Once you paint one, if you ever want it plastered it would have to be sandblasted.
 
how do they do the 15 year warranty on that gelcoat or paint or whatever they are selling in that link?
 
Wow, a black pool?

My pool gets direct sun for half a day and in the peak of summer the temp gets into the low 90s. It'd be 100 if it were black.
 
My BIL's fiberglass pool basically had to be completely redone. HE drained it by about half to work replacing a pool light. Final cost was right at $10,000.

So... don't drain it.
 
If he was changing the light out, you do not have to drain the pool at all to do this.
Now if he had to do a repair to the light nitch, I could see why he would have to drain it down.
 
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