How long can an AGP go without water

[phonedave]

I am doing some work on my 27' round AGP this spring. I will be draining, removing the liner, leveling some of the uprights, applying wall foam, compacting the sand base, adding foam cove, and installing a new liner.

Clearly that is a bit of work to do. I am thinking of draining the pool down, and cutting the existing liner along the top edge and leaving the top rails on while I do the bulk of the work (It's an overlap liner). My question is, how much of a risk am I taking by leaving my pool up, with the top rail one, without any water in it. I know if it rains hard, I am going to have to let the base dry before I can compact it, but I am more concerned with the pool collapsing.

Thanks

 

[Casey]

As long as it's not windy, you should be fine. But wind gust can wreck an above ground in no time!

 

[greg.stevenson.90]

One gust and it could be gone if empty. I had an AG some yrs ago and the installers came the day to set it up, but because it was supposed to be windy, and I did not have water trucks on order that day, they were gonna make me sign a release for them to install it. That tells me, no way would I let mine sit without water, unless you can be absolutely sure no wind.
One trick I saw installers do was to take a string every section to pull outward n spike it in the ground.
Just my 2cents.

 

[phonedave]

One gust and it could be gone if empty. I had an AG some yrs ago and the installers came the day to set it up, but because it was supposed to be windy, and I did not have water trucks on order that day, they were gonna make me sign a release for them to install it. That tells me, no way would I let mine sit without water, unless you can be absolutely sure no wind.
One trick I saw installers do was to take a string every section to pull outward n spike it in the ground.
Just my 2cents.

I like the idea of guying the pool as added insurance. I think I will do that. With the pump I have, it is going to take a day or so just to get the water down, so it is going to have to be somewhat empty for a while anyway, and then filling it with the hose creates the same issue on the other end.

-dave

 

[danpik]

We had to guy wire one a few years back. Liner leaked over the winter and we could not replace the liner until the 2" of ice melted out of the bottom and the air temps came up. We removed what was left of the winter cover, kept the winter cover cable around the pool sides and put ratchet straps to those large screw in dog run things (can't remember what they are called) that screw right into the dirt. (Not easy in frozen ground) Anyway, we mounted 4 or 5 of these to pull down and out on the sides while the cable kept pulling everything inwards. The whole thing was very sturdy and the high winds we had never bothered the pool sides.