Ground water table and draining a gunite pool

[cpottschmidt]

I need to know what I need to do before draining my pool to clean it and repaint the plaster. I have a gunite pool about 15-20 years old in south Louisiana and we have been told horror stories about pools that were drained when the ground water table was too high and the pool popped out of the ground or cracked. Can anyone advise how we determine the water table in our area?

 

[Jasson]

If you take your cover off your main drain inside there will be a plug in the bottom. You may need a basin wrench and good lung capacity to get it out. When you get it out it will equalize the pressure and relieve pressure from the ground water under the pool. I live in Metairie and our water table is at about 2' right now with more rain coming. Also there may be a cap or 1 1/2 or 2" cleanout in your deck somewhere if so this is a another line that is plumbed under your pool just for this reason just hook up a diaphram pump for a couple of hours before you start draining the pool. Either way you will need to keep the pump running and leave the plug out until you are ready to refill the pool.