Just cant trust pool store people

[TrevNJPool]

There is just no way to trust pool people. I was a little unsure of closing my pool so i figure i would pay to have the guys that put my liner in close the pool so i can watch what they do. I'm pretty sure the didnt drain enough water because the level is right below the skimmer. The returns r still under water but capped with the rubber stoppers. Is this ok? What if the stopper fails? They didnt use antifreeze cause they were confident they blew out all the water. Does this sound correct? Also they left water in the skimmer on top of the plug. I may end up draining the water myself which defeats the purpose of paying someone if ya'll tell me it needs to be done. Maybe this is just another way of closing the pool??? The cover is a black tarp like cover that i'm pretty sure will let some rain water go thru.

 

[pooladdict]

Those caps are duck plugs, supposedly hydraulic pressure from the water will keep them closed. IMO companies use them because they don't have to waste time in lowering the water below the returns, but if they dint start and stop the air, pooling if water can result in a low point in your lines. While some ppl say antifreeze isn't necessary, I prefer to use it to ensure no issues with freezing. $25 well spent insurance. If it was me, I would suck out that water in skimmer, cut up some pool noodles, place those in skimmer and then add some antifreeze. Make sure you slide one empty jug into the face of the skimmer and duct tape to keep it in there. As this is a reputable company, I wouldn't worry about the lines, they have clearly done tons of pools in this manner with zero issues, or they would raise their prices and add antifreeze.

 

[poolnoob.ca]

this article here uses the method of plugging the return lines underwater without draining:
http://www.poolandspa.com/page107.htm#Inground Pool Closing ( Winterizing )

 

[TrevNJPool]

Well that makes me feel better about it. Thank you

 

[Swampwoman]

We use pool tech to close ours cause we hate the heavy cover. What you've described sounds standard here. They prefer a higher water level to maintain the pressure against water table to avoid floating liners, etc.