Safety device to prevent pool from draining accidently

[lborne]

I'm adding solar panels on the roof but am really worried about a major leak one day down the road causing the pool to drain. With our high water tables, I'm sure the pool would pop out of the ground. It happened to some people we knew many years ago when a pipe burst on their filter.

Are there any safety devices to turn off the pump using a pressure switch, float valve or flow meter? I was thinking a simple pressure switch in the return line right before it goes under the deck.

 

[mas985]

I'm not sure that is really necessary. Any leak that does develop would likely be very small and take an extreamly long time to empty the pool. Even if I redirect all of the water into the drain, it still takes 4-5 hours to fully drain my pool (i.e. turnover rate). I don't know the size of your pool but I suspect you would have at least several days, if not weeks, to address the issue before it fully drains the pool. Also, if the panels were to leak, you would know or at least a neighbor would know right away. It is pretty obvious.

 

[JohnT]

Your pump will likely lose prime when the water drops below the skimmer and quit pumping. You might have to replace the pump, but that wouldn't be the crisis that a popped pool would be.