In ground Fiberglass pool, Mesh cover in IN Water level?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
F

frankjr8

0
Jan 14, 2008
18
Indiana
Fiberglass inground.Do I need to keep the water level below skimmer, and eyballs? will it hurt the pool,it has a gismo installed. It was professionally winterized but want to keep water level from touching mesh cover.
any help.
Thanks frankjr8
 
Hi Frank I have a glass in ground with a mesh cover. I cant say what everybody else does but I have a 1/3 hp sump pump and I try to keep the level below my return. I also try to keep the heavy snow off the cover using a floor squeegee. Your weather should be similar to mine ware you get some good warm days and the ice melts in the winter this is win I drop the level. About the end of March I let the pool start to fill again with the rains. I try not to let the cover stretch into the water because of the chemicals. This is sometimes impossible but I do the best I can. I have the eyeballs removed and plugged and the gizmo has worked very well for me. hope this helps some.
Ric
 
Most mesh safety covers are designed to be supported by the water when holding large snow loads. If no significant amount of snow accumulates this is not an issue. If you do get snow, keep in mind that the added weight of several inches of snow can damage the cover if it is not supported by the water. When snow is not an issue, keeping the cover out of the water is probably a good idea.
 
ric
I have a 1/3 hp sump pump too, so your are below your returns, and of course below your skimmer? So your gizmoin ur skimmer never gets contact with water? When installing gizmo, are you blow also make it easy for install? I never done it yet, just moved into a house with a pool, and was professionally done previous.
Yeah Indy weather never real bad but darn cold.....

Thanks
 
IMO, and in heave snow country, the mesh cover should be on the water or even in the water some. Like Jasonlion said, it helps to support the snow load and it also gets frozen in the ice block. This helps to stop the block from moving during thaws when there is a high wind. If you don't have a face cover on the skimmer, (and you don't drain to below your skimmer) that ice block extends into the skimmer to the basket area. Just alittle movement of the ice block can put a lot of force on your skimmer.
 
What I did with my old outdoor fiberglass pool w/ mesh cover was to drain it down just below the returns and first blow them out with air (along with all the other lines etc.) then add RV antifreeze until it starts comming out then plug. I'd also dump antifreeze into the skimmer and plug it and then leave a full unopened bottle(with the cap removed but foil seal intact) of antifreeze in the skimmer. I let the rain and snow over the winter fill it back up for spring.

PS. Try and never drain your fiberglass pool lower than the jets without bracing it off first.
 
It nearly always fine to drain below the skimmer. The usual rule of thumb is that draining 18 inches is always safe and usually more is fine as well. The only exception is if you have a very very high water table. Only if the water table is up around ground level (extremely rare and fairly obvious) do you need to keep the pool filled.
 
Hi Frank It seems to me your worry is about the skimmer freezing if the water gets over the skimmer. If your climate is like mine it will go over the skimmer. As long as you are using a gizmo or other form to take up the expansion of the ice in the skimmer you will have no problems even if the skimmer fills. As far as draining below my return line. I do this to keep my pool from over filling in the winter. I just used the sump pump 2 weeks ago to drain it down again and it will fill quickly but there will be a point in the winter i cant pump any more. It isn't a big deal if it over flows I just don't like it. As far as draining below the return line I wouldn't go far below the return. Do you live in a flood prone area? water table high or is your pool in solid rock ware they had to blast to get the hole. You have to be careful in these areas.
good luck
Ric
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Do you know if your pool has a dry well with a sump line under it? All fiberglass pools should have one to remove water durring install and ground water in case the pool needs to be drained. Depending on the brand of pool you may have to worry more about the pool caving in than it popping out of the ground when removing water but you should still be fine going below the returns. Just don't go any lower than that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply