Has anyone ever done this for winterization?
Here's the background....when I moved into my house a few years ago, the previous owner had closed the pool with the Aquador faceplate/cover combo. Basically a Tupperware lid over the skimmer mouth which negates the need for draining the pool for winter. Over the last three years, the faceplate has become brittle, and last spring at opening I cracked the lip. Normal summertine operation was unaffected, but when I put the lid on in the fall, the seal was gone.
I really like the idea of not draining the pool in the fall, both to not dump the water (it ends up being a couple thousand gallons) qnd to not dump the chemistry. I can buy a replacement plate, but they're $30 each (I'd need 2), and the reviews say they just leak anyway (mine had slow leaks as well, but I assume that was due to the plastic deterioration). One of the reviewers said they just gave up and used a skimmer plug instead.
My question is, how would using skimmer plugs in an above ground pool be any different than using them in an in ground pool? It seems like it would serve the same purpose, be much cheaper, and be a huge order of magnitude easier to install.
Here's the background....when I moved into my house a few years ago, the previous owner had closed the pool with the Aquador faceplate/cover combo. Basically a Tupperware lid over the skimmer mouth which negates the need for draining the pool for winter. Over the last three years, the faceplate has become brittle, and last spring at opening I cracked the lip. Normal summertine operation was unaffected, but when I put the lid on in the fall, the seal was gone.
I really like the idea of not draining the pool in the fall, both to not dump the water (it ends up being a couple thousand gallons) qnd to not dump the chemistry. I can buy a replacement plate, but they're $30 each (I'd need 2), and the reviews say they just leak anyway (mine had slow leaks as well, but I assume that was due to the plastic deterioration). One of the reviewers said they just gave up and used a skimmer plug instead.
My question is, how would using skimmer plugs in an above ground pool be any different than using them in an in ground pool? It seems like it would serve the same purpose, be much cheaper, and be a huge order of magnitude easier to install.