Question about closing above ground pool

[pmd013]

Last year I didnt drain my pool at all. I used the aqua door and a rubber plug to cover the inlet and outlets. (again above ground pool)
This year I couldn't get the aqua door to snap back on no matter how hard I tried.
So I lowered the water just below the skimmer but NOT below the inlet. I put the rubber plug back in the inlet the same as last year. Removed all the hoses and put the cover on. (after cleaning and winter chemicles of course)
So now do I leave the skimmer open so any rain water can drain thru without accumulating or would I want to put in a gizmo? Will rainwater that comes thru the skimmer and then into the pool itself affect anything?
I live in WNY where winters are rough, cold and snowy!
Thanks for any input!
Pearl

 

[Bama Rambler]

If you took the hose off the bottom of the skimmer and it's open, I wouldn't worry about a gizmo.

 

[Speedo]

I closed up yesterday too and was wondering the same thing, if I drain through the skimmer is that an acceptable level to leave it with the return plugged, but since I need to lower CYA it wasn't a waste of time lowering it about 2" below the return.

 

[pmd013]

So I just wanted to give an update to anyone that might come across this when looking for info about Aqua doors. I was able to get my Aqua door on last winter ( winter of 2013) Well we had an unbelievably hard cold winter this year. Well the water in my pool froze and heaved up under the top rails, which heaved the top rails up about 8 to 10 inches which then in turn pulled half the uprights up right out of the ground! I found all this in the early Spring. The half that heaved up was supported by the deck fortunately. Well my pool guy said he couldn't fix it until all the ice had melted. In the meantime we had some heavy rains (just after all the ice was gone and pool guy was coming to fix it that week) The weight of the water must have been to much for the compromised structure and my whole pool collapsed. It looked like a bomb had went off when I had gotten home.
Lesson here.... the Aqua door is great but maybe not in areas that can experience hard freezes. I am sure my pool would have been fine if the water level had been lowered. Freak thing to happen , was fine every other year...but now I am paying the cost big time.

 

[Casey]

Dang.... that's crazy! I don't use the Aquador but my dad n brother do.

 

[pwrstrk]

I use the Aquador and we had a very cold winter last year. At one point I had probably two feet of ice. I use a winter cover with a mesh strip down the center, so it lets water seep thru. I'm lazy and don't want to mess around with a cover pump. Lol. All I did was monitor the water level and drained it down when it needed to be. Had zero problems. When using one you just have to keep an eye on things. Even though the pool is not being used, I still keep a good eye on things. ?

 

[phonedave]

I use a similar product, it is a metal panel you screw on over the skimmer, as opposed to a snap on door - but same function.

I drain my pool down to about an inch above the bottom of the skimmer. I figure that is enough expansion room for any ice (I also keep my cover clear of water).

This last winter, the problem was to pool froze deep enough to freeze below the return. The ice froze around the return plug wing nut, then shifted and pulled the plug out. I was away that weekend, so I had a skating rink on the lawn when I got back.

-dave