water level for closing

poolbee · Oct 3, 2009

My pool was closed last week. The pool company always used to lower the water level. They notified us after it was closed up that they no longer do the lowering so it was closed at the normal water level. We have had over 4 inches of rain since so the cover is heavy with rain water and leaves. We are trying today to lower the level but the heavy cover is displacing so much of the water we seem to be getting now where. Does it really have to be lowered below the skimmer? I ask because over the course of winter the cover will be even heavier with rain and snow and displacing even more water-probably over the bottom of the skimmer. We don't have skimmer plate covers and they use the gizmo to plug the skimmer and I do not believe they use antifreeze. Should I get skimmer plates and put those on and just leave the water where it is? I am afriad of draining too much water since I really can't tell the actual level.
I hope this isn't too confusing!

dmanb2b · Oct 3, 2009

in WNY, to be safe, I would lower you water 6" below your return/skimmer. You can simply put a hose into the pool thru the skimmer opening and siphon the water out. Also, investing in a $30-40 pool cover pump may be a good idea to reduce the amount of water on your cover before it freezes (you can siphon as well...the pump just speeds it up)

Good luck

PaulR · Oct 4, 2009

The idea is to keep ice from cracking either the skimmer itself or any of the piping. Lowering the water level is a way to keep ice out of the skimmer.
--paulr

frustratedpoolmom · Oct 4, 2009

I would get a sumbersible pump, and drain all the rainwater off the top of the cover. Then you can accurately check the water level inside the pool.

Is this a liner pool? Is that why you are concerned about the level under the cover?

(You can create a signature with your pool specs...)

poolbee · Oct 8, 2009

Yes it is a liner pool. We have a submersible pump and DH had it on all day Sunday and drained it to about 12" below the skimmer which freaked me out. I have had the water on about 6 hours now trying to get it about 4 " below the skimmer. He got most of the water out of the skimmer box. I'll test my new Shamwows and see how they work soaking up the rest! We have so many leaves from very windy weather lately. I do pump the cover when I can during the winter but I know of no one else who does that around here. We have a leaf net on and will take that off when all the trees are bare and then I will pump the water off the cover. I'll check the level again when I do that. I will have to remember that the pool boys don't drain the pool any more but it would have been nice of them to let me know before they came to cover it, not after.

I thought I had made a signature with my pool specs. Must have been another forum :wink:

poolbee · Oct 8, 2009

Ok-I do have my pool specs in my signature but it doesn't show up unless one clicks on my profile. It used to display automatically. How do I get it to show on my posts?

polyvue · Oct 8, 2009

poolbee said:
Ok-I do have my pool specs in my signature but it doesn't show up unless one clicks on my profile. It used to display automatically. How do I get it to show on my posts?

Click on User Control Panel (see top upper left below TFP emblem), then under Options, click Profile, Edit Signature. Or just click here. Click on Submit when you're done adding/editing.

EDIT Yes, I see your signature information also when clicking on Profile. I don't see any reason it shouldn't be showing up. I'm sure one the of moderators will help in this situation. END EDIT

Edited by Greg October 8, 2009 6:15 PM PDT

frustratedpoolmom · Oct 9, 2009

poolbee said:
Ok-I do have my pool specs in my signature but it doesn't show up unless one clicks on my profile. It used to display automatically. How do I get it to show on my posts?

Go to the User Control Panel - under Board Preferences, select "Edit Posting Defaults" and make sure that the "Attach My Signature by Default" is set to Yes. (You probably want the "smilies" enabled too if that doesn't say yes.)

rcy · Oct 23, 2009

PaulR said:
The idea is to keep ice from cracking either the skimmer itself or any of the piping. Lowering the water level is a way to keep ice out of the skimmer.
--paulr

The pool company used a gizmo in the skimmer. This should protect the skimmer from cracking if the water in it freezes, shouldn't it?