Winter Water - where is it going?

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dcastine

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Feb 3, 2015
5
Wakefield
HI - first timer on this forum, in-ground gunite pool owner for 20+ years, Wakefield, MA - currently 40" of snow sitting on my cover...

For the past two years I'm noticing that my cover (and water) is being push WAY down by the weight of the snow that sits on my cover. Someone told me that it comes out the top of the pool but that's not the case in my situation as we got a light snow and the cover was sinking (pre-frozen in Dec). It's now about 3 feet below the level it was when I closed the pool (I don't drain any water when I close for the season).

Can it be getting pushed out thru my center drain in the deep end? I don't have any leaks during pool season and this has only started happening about two years ago. The water level is below the light so I don't think it could be that. Any insight would be helpful and very much appreciated.

20150201_094920.jpg

Thanks
Dave Castine
Wakefield, MA
 
Welcome to TFP!

First, let me say how glad I am that I don't have 40" of snow right now!

What kind of cover do you have, and is your pool equipment below the normal water level? Any open plumbing at the equipment end?
 
Welcome to TFP!

Water can be pushed up the side walls of the pool, but you would need to have something like ten or fifteen feet of snow before it pushed up the walls enough to get out of the pool. Water should not be able to get out through the bottom drain at all.

The most likely cause of ongoing lowering of the cover over the winter is a slow leak. It is fairly easy for a leak to be slow enough that you might not notice it at all during regular pool season. Unfortunately, slow leaks are especially difficult to find, and you can't even look for one until the pool is opened in the spring.

There is another possibility which seems less likely, but could perhaps account for what is going on. The cover should be set so it goes straight down the side walls and lays flat across the water. In your picture I see much more of a slope down the sides than you normally want to see. If there is tension holding the sides up above the water the center can sink down into the water, while the water under the cover moves to the sides. This can allow the center to get much lower than the average water depth would normally allow. However, 3' seems like too much for this to account for. This effect is usually limited to 1' or less. It could be that the lowering water level has caused the slope of the cover, not the other way around, in which case this does not account for what is happening at all.
 
Hi Guys - I have a Loop-Lock Safety cover - attached to 48 anchors around the pool's concrete pool deck. All equipment is detached and stored, pipes blown out and sealed (plugged on both ends and filled with antifreeze just in case). Added another 24" since Monday - ugh! That deck railing on the left is 5' above the ground...
 

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As much as I hate to say it, having the need for 24 of water even since Monday last week would indicate a leak. As Jason mentioned you won't be able to search until spring thaw. I'm curious how you know you've lost 2' of water. I'm not questioning your judgment, but how do you tell that with all that weather?
 
Brushpup said:
As much as I hate to say it, having the need for 24 of water even since Monday last week would indicate a leak. As Jason mentioned you won't be able to search until spring thaw. I'm curious how you know you've lost 2' of water. I'm not questioning your judgment, but how do you tell that with all that weather?
Click to expand...

Easy....20150220_081209.jpg

- - - Updated - - -

Not going to worry about it now - it is what it is... I keep thinking about the ad where they use the Elephant to show the strength of the Loop-Lock covers.... LOL
 

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yeah - I'm bummed, just spent 15k on concrete work and having the pool restored. Oh well, if this is my biggest problem I'm a lucky guy. I'll keep everyone updated, I'm going to start blowing snow into the pool - 40 degrees today (woo hoo!)
 
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