Pool drained overnight, pump was on :(

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finydb

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Jun 5, 2013
41
Ohhhh . . . I'm sooooo upset! I left the vaccum in our pool overnight (like I always do), but this time I took the middle of the hose over one of the posts of the AGP so that the filter wouldn't suck it towards the intake and block it like it sometimes does. What I DIDN'T know, is that the weight of the water would bring the end of the hose over the edge, and the vaccum would suck ALL the water out of my pool. I went to empty the leaves out of the filter this morning, and was welcomed with only a foot or so of water left in the pool, and the pump running DRY on low.

The pump didn't sound like it was straining, but I turned it off (obviously!!). I'm filling it back up now.

Can I turn it back on when the water is back up, or do I risk doing more damage? What are the chances that it will be fine? I'm thinking it must have been running dry about 8 hours on low. What kind of things could be damaged from running it dry for that long . . . (translation = how much is this gonna cost me?) Also, once the water is back up . . . what's the best way to get water back thru the filter before I turn it on again?

Uggghhhhhh . . . I can't BELIEVE how STUPID I am!! :(
 
Thanks! I just got off the phone with the repairman, and he thinks the pump might be ok . . . his bigger concern was my liner. He said that it should NOT be drained without keeping the sides wet . . . or my liner seams will fail because it will shrink. Anyone have advice on this??? This is the first I've heard of it. When the pool was installed, I was told not to drain it since it was partially buried because the weight of the walls could collapse . . . but he said just don't leave it empty for TOO long?
 
Vinyl liners do lose their flexibility with age, and when they are drained the liner can shrink and pull away from the sides. Then when you refill the liner does not stretch back. There is a good chance you are okay, especially since you still had a foot of water in your pool. Has the liner pulled away from the side walls? How old is the liner?
 
I just got home, and put a second hose in. It's halfway filled now. There was probably 1 1/2 feet of water in it when I noticed it this morning. It's a brand new liner, we just had the pool installed last summer. I think the repair guy was trying to scare me into a new liner (he replaces them). I called the pool company I got the pool from, and he thinks it should be fine. He thinks the seal between the pump and the filter might be shot, but he said I could bring it in for repair if it is . . . and it's only like $65.
 
jblizzle said:
FYI, the shaft seal is less than $25 I think if you want to do it yourself.

Although if the pump does not leak water, you may be fine for now.
Click to expand...

I'm crossing every finger and toe!!! I'm so mad at myself for letting this happen. My husband has taken the filter apart twice to fix all the problems we already had . . . and if I screwed it up, I'll be so upset!
 

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