patsywhitehair

yepppp, I know shouldnt be yakking about swimming pools at this time of the year but.............. does anybody know if its okay to empty a swimming pool???????
I have left my property and am in UK but the swimming pool needs looking after and somebody kindly does this for me but if it is okay to be emptied how easy that would be and I could fill it when i go over in spring. sooooo, is it okay? thanks for any answers, pat

lynnxa

I'm sure someone will come along with a definitive answer, but I think if left empty for any length of time they can crack - so not a good idea

Mitzyboy

Im no expert, but I've seen various people over a period say its a bad idea, and googling it will come up with a load of warnings

http://swimming.about.com/od/pooland...drain_pool.htm

Hettyb

Plus it does take a considerable time to re-fill.

Mitzyboy

and money
Here, it cost us €240 .... you have the choice of by the water supply or by a truck load

03630

We discussed this before. Lower the level a bit to allow for rain. Do not empty it as ground water could "float it out of the ground". Cover it. If you cannot cover it, it will go green but can be shocked and vacced in the summer.

Dxf

Hi

It is much better to get it inspected at weekly intervals and anything done that NEEDS doing. A pool cover is not cheap BUT will reduce maintenance levels. The fee for chlorine tabs is minimal. What I have done for people in the past is to turn the pump off and put two tabs in the pool about 1/2 & 2/3 along the pool. Once a week simply turn the pump on for a few moments and check the chlorine levels. I do not recommend leaving the pool without any maintenance, nor emptying the pool. You should be able to get a neighbour to do this but there are pool professionals out there that will supply this service very cheaply. 20€ monthly including a monthly clean would be cheap, 30€ max (in my area).
Davexf

patsywhitehair

thanks for all your replies, will leave it as it is then, looked around in uk for pool covers but they are soooo expensive,pat

Helpful-Bob

At the end of November we drain out the water down to below the skimmer level. Add 5 litres of a maintenace product available from Carrefour/Mercadona (its a typical 8 x 4 pool),. This is supposed to last for between 2-3 months and stop the algae growing etc.(sorry can't remember the product name)
Then when we visit (about every 6 weeks) we clear out any leaves and debris.
At the start of the season top up the water and get the filtation working for 24 hours to clean the water and balance the chemicals.

fionamw

Don't dismiss totally..... if you get one of the 'solar' bubblewrap type ones not only do they retain/improve heat but save countless gallons of evaporation, particularly in the summer... and of course help keep leaves etc out of the pool. We've had one for two years & wouldn't be without it.

Jerseygirl

Yep we were told not to empty our pool because it can force the pool to 'pop up'.

Fred James

It can happen but it depends on the actual construction and location.

We had a pool in the UK (inherited when we bought the house). It was a liner pool and we took advice to lower it below the skimmers in the winter. the water table was so high that the liner inverted and was floating on the surface the next day! If it was a normal concrete pool it would probably have come out of the ground completely if we had emptied it!

It was emptied to replace the liner but the pool company had some large pumps to remove the underground water while they did the work.

Where we are now in Spain the pool is below ground but was constructed in a large dug out hole like a water deposito from 30cm reinforced concrete. You can access it from a lower level and walk around 75% of the pool!

With that type of build emptying it is probably safer than filling it!

Unless you really do need to carry out repairs then do not risk emptying the pool unless you are very sure of the construction technique used and the hight of the water table. There is usually no need to change the water as such, once the water has settled down and you have got used to the chemical treatment regime, it is best left alone. Over a season the continual topping up needed because of the very high evaporation rate actually changes a significant percentage of the pool water.

We have a flower garden around the pool and we get a huge amount of leaves etc. in it when the wind blows. These are easily removed with a good net but if you are not present all the time then a winter cover is a much better bet.

We add chlorine to the pool over the winter but in relatively small and infrequent quantities compared to the summer. The pool stays very clear apart from the leaves. We run the pump for 15 minutes every day to keep the water circulating and to avoid the possibility of the pump seizing from under use.

The costs of refilling a pool depend on your water supplier. We would pay about €20 for 100000 litres but we are on an agricultural supply. Some friends in another town would pay €1000 for the same amount.

IONman

You can get fined for emptying refilling your pool check before doing this water is still scarce in Spain.

Keep the pool filled, Algae don't breed below 10°C.
It's much better to have a cover.
If you are using tablets don't place them in the skimmer, use a floater about €10
Don't throw tablets onto the bottom.
Tablets are harmful and in close contact will rot the grout, placed in the skimmers they will disolve into high concentrations of Chlorine rotting pipework, pump seals and bearings etc.

Take care of youir investment - Dave

jdr

You must have a funny pump if the bearings are in the water.;-))

IONman

The pump has a bearing from the impeller to the motor, if the seal get's rotted by high levels of Chlorine the bearings will soon be finished, remember Chlorine is 6 x more corrosive than salt ppm in a saltwater pool.

Hope this is clear?

Regards Dave