Questions about Water Level while pool is closed

[wal81]

This is my first year with a pool, so I have some questions about what to expect during the off-season. The pool was closed last month. We dropped the water level below the skimmer, blew the lines, and installed the gizmos. We've had a lot of rain in the past few weeks. The water level in the pool has come up to nearly halfway up the skimmer and is lapping over the top step (which is where we keep the water level in the summer). Also the water seems to be collecting a little bit in the middle of the safety cover.

Do I need to do anything about this?

What is the ideal water level during the winter months? Should I be concerned about having water in the skimmer, or does the gizmo take care of issues there? Or should I just be concerned about keeping it below the liner?

Thanks!

 

[samt]

It depends on if you get a hard freeze for and extended period of time and have water in the skimmer boxes that freeze and expand and crack your plastic skimmers.

I keep mine below the skimmer inlet bottom, sometimes when we get a lot of rain I will use the garden hose siphon method to lower the water. I also put pool antifreeze in each box along with a half filled jug of AF.

You may not get a hard freeze where you live like I do. If that's the case the only thing that can happen is your pool will fill up and overflow.

 

[Catanzaro]

A couple of items:

1) The Gizmo's are designed to absorb ice expansion in your skimmers. For added protection, you may want to place some Styrofoam in the skimmers and/or an empty soda bottle filled with 50% Pool Anti-Freeze. A lot of times, damage to skimmers is due to soil shifting under the skimmer basket during the season and not necessarily water that froze during the winter.

2) Pumping some water off the cover is a good idea as the material will stretch over time. You will need a pump that sits in the middle of the pool cover.

3) There is no ideal water level, just what you are comfortable with. If your pool fills up, it is recommended you drain some water. Half way in the skimmers is fine, but a lot of people keep the water level a few inches below the skimmer at all times. If you decide to do this, then please vacuum the water out of the skimmers as added protection.