We are about to close the pool and need to drain it below the returns, but that leaves the whole first step of the swim platform out of the water and dry, which we've read here never to do. We have tile on the water line so do we leave it up and risk cracking the tile, or drain some and worry about the plaster cracking?

Drain to just below the waterline tile. Do NOT drain to the returns. If the water table rises, the pool could float up.

I like to encourage the use of a step pump. Any snow loads will displace water, causing it's level to rise. The automatic step pump removes it.

For those with mesh covers, rain goes through and needs to be removed also.

Scott

Thank bud, the reason I ask is the pb told us to drain it below the returns, which are only about 8 in below tile. Can that hurt the plaster? Or is it more a float up issue? The water table isn't a problem here so I'm more concered with the tile/plaster cracking.

I've drained that low and it didn't impact the plaster in any way last year.

That's what I was wondering, you hear never to leave it dry for long, but maybe they mean the walls or any verticle surface, The top of the platform is flat so maybe no probelm?? Anyone else have any ideas?

I don't like to leave plaster exposed; however, the risk is greatly diminished when the pool is covered with a solid cover. A solid cover will prevent direct sunlight exposure, and it will trap moisture under the cover, which will help reduce drying and cracking.

I would keep it as close to the bottom of the tile as possible. When freezing is going to happen, you should make sure that the level is a few inches below the tile. You should have a submersible pump available to lower the water level as needed.

A lot also depends on how cold it gets where you are. If you get a hard freeze with thick ice, then it's more important to keep the water below the tile line.

How thick does the ice get, and what type of cover do you have?

We live in Oklahoma so not very thick or for very long when it does freeze over, but it does get down in the teens seveal times a year so maybe and inch? I'm getting a new loop-super tight mesh, so peeliing it back to ckeck and adjust water level should be easy enough, what do you think?

I would say to keep it up near the bottom of the tile until a hard freeze is expected and then drop it a few inches to protect the tile. The cover is easy to pull back at a corner. Just use a submersible pump to keep the water level where you want it.