Advice on keeping a pool empty for 6-7 months

[huskypool]

I'm new to pool ownership and currently have a pool guy that I pay $85 weekly to maintain my pool. The pool is surrounded by trees, and leaves and other debris are constantly being blown into the pool. The pool is around 27,000 gallons, in ground, plaster and has a connected spa. My CYA levels are very high resulting in it requiring large amounts of chlorine.
A few days ago lots of leaves blew into the pool and it is now full of algae. I was waiting to empty and replace the water until I was ready to resurface the pool, though now I'm thinking of emptying the pool sometime over the next month or so and keeping it empty until maybe April or May of 2014. I'm not ready to get rid of my pool guy just yet, though I'd like to after I refill the pool and start using it again next spring. My idea in doing all this are the following:

- I will not be using the pool during the months until April/May 2014
- during winter months as it gets windy, there will be tons more leaves and debris being blown into the pool
- this way I will not have to spend money adding water to the pool
- I will not have to pay $85 a month for the pool guy and the money saved will go towards filling the pool
- I will not have to worry about algae developing

I will make up my mind about resurfacing during this time, or just refill it when it gets warm again (without resurfacing) in April/May

1. Is it a bad idea to keep a pool empty for this long?
2. Any other thoughts on my idea here?

Thanks in advance!

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP!

You do not want to empty the pool at all. Exposing plaster to sunlight with no water is bad for the finish, and the pool is unlikely to structurally survive being empty.

 

[huskypool]

Hi John,

Thanks for the response.

"Exposing plaster to sunlight with no water is bad for the finish?"
Is this something that could be fixed with resurfacing, or are you suggesting that it could be much worse if there is no water in it?

Thanks.

 

[JohnT]

The pool could float out of the ground if you get a heavy rain. The main force holding it down is the water. You might also be at more risk of damage to the shell with an earthquake if the pool is empty.

Empty pools are dangerous, and illegal some places due to the fall risk.