Is it bad to leave our spa drained?

[PrairieGirl]

First time pool owners, opening our pool - I have another thread about that.

We drained the spa so we could clean it/check it out. Can we leave it drained? I saw something in another thread that made me think we might cause damage leaving it empty. It's been in the 90s yesterday and today, and it's in full sun most of the day.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/H8gXF3]Untitled by Carrie, on FlickrUntitled | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/URL]

 

[triptyx]

I know with plaster, you can run into trouble if you let it dry out and bake in the sun. You really don't want to leave it dry and empty unless you absolutely have to, and if you must leave it empty, keeping it moist is a good idea.

 

[PrairieGirl]

Hmmm. okay. I'll share that with the other half. Can you give me more specifics about what it can do? cause the plaster to crack or to shrink?

 

[triptyx]

My understanding is that it can cause the plaster/pebbletec to crack and potentially separate from the walls at temps over 90F. That said, I see at least one other post on the forum where people have pebbletec'd right up the side, out of the pool, and over the decking in AZ with no issues, so your mileage may vary. So there's a risk of turtleshell cracks and the finish separating from the shell, but I can't say for sure what will happen.

 

[pooldv]

That pebbletec that rolls up out of the water has a specific set of specifications about how far out of the water it can go and the moisture content is maintained by water wicking up through the plaster.

Everything you say about the risks associated with plaster/pebble left dry is correct. It can shrink, crack and delaminate from the substrate.