I did something really stupid today, and had no idea that the result of my actions would be so catastrophic. It has been rather cold the past week in Minnesota and my family and I were curious how much ice would be on top of our pool. So I unhooked a few of the safety cover straps to get a good look of the ice in the pool. The ice was crystal clear. I did notice that the water level was rather low as when I had the pool closed in October, the water level was just below the return jets, but now the water level was about 15" below the jets (red flag). So I proceeded to tap on the ice about 15" from the edge with the metal tool used to snap on the safety cover. I am tapping away to see if I could punch through the ice. Imagine my surprise when I actually witnessed the vinyl liner on the BOTTOM of the pool split and a wide crack develop. The split is a semicircle of about 5 feet in length. #*&%@#!
So, it is obvious that tapping on the ice did this, as I saw the split occur right before my eyes. Does tapping on the ice cause a pressure shock so large that it can split the liner below? Or is it due to the liner being cold (32 deg)? The ice was 1" thick and there was about another 24" of water under it. The liner is 10 years old and the normal water depth of the entire pool is 4'8"
So NOW what? I assume the rest of the water is going to drain out. The pool was winterized, but what is going to happen to the main drain? What about ground heaves from no water in the pool? We have not had any snowfall yet, but I am assuming that snowfall on the safety cover is going to be a huge problem without ice for it to rest on.
Gosh, I feel like such an idiot...
So, it is obvious that tapping on the ice did this, as I saw the split occur right before my eyes. Does tapping on the ice cause a pressure shock so large that it can split the liner below? Or is it due to the liner being cold (32 deg)? The ice was 1" thick and there was about another 24" of water under it. The liner is 10 years old and the normal water depth of the entire pool is 4'8"
So NOW what? I assume the rest of the water is going to drain out. The pool was winterized, but what is going to happen to the main drain? What about ground heaves from no water in the pool? We have not had any snowfall yet, but I am assuming that snowfall on the safety cover is going to be a huge problem without ice for it to rest on.
Gosh, I feel like such an idiot...