Drain pool before closing?

May 30, 2017
91
Atkinson, NH
We have a large corner tear that I patched but I fear it will not hold over the winter. The plan is to get a new liner in the spring. Should we drain the pool now so if it tears it will not cause more damage or is that bad to do?? Thank you.
 
Can you take a picture and send over. Hold over the winter how? If the glue is on the outside of the patch and on the liner, then water will hold in place. I have 2 small patches that have not created any problems. The sad part is the PB cut one of them and the other was probably from stress during the installation.

Can the heater be fixed, including any piping?

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If you drain under the patch and use a solid tarp, then water will not enter that area.
 
Draining a pool and leaving it without water could be dangerous. All depends on the structure of the pool walls. Gravity, along with water and compacted soil, concrete, pavers is what keeps everything balanced. Please take a picture and where exactly is this in the corner?
 
What about cover? What cover are you using? You can easily drop the water level in an IG liner pool below the skimmer and near the return jets and not have problems in the winter. The tarp type of cover will accumulate water and bring the level back up. If you do not have one, it may be worth getting an inexpensive one for the winter.
 
You may want to drain below the tear, place a regular tarp and then the safety over this. The water will accumulate on the tarp through the safety cover. If it is a solid safety cover, then place tarp on the pool, fill up with a little bit of water or at least to under the tear and then put on safety. You can support the tarp with gallons filled with 50% water or water bags.

I assume your goal is to make sure water does not go behind liner and make it float, etc. Thanks!
 
The liners dead anyways, leave in what you can, the freezing water will expand upwards and won't damage your walls. I wouldn't put the safety cover on, it requires the frozen water for support. If the water does leave the pool you can expect broken anchors and ripped straps or rips in the actual cover.
 

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Sorry, not so much a reply as a question on this subject...ok, in draining below the return jet to close for the season I left pump overnight and woke to entirely too much water drained. My levels had been perfect, but now that I am having to add back so much water do I need to add chemicals as well? Besides the pool magic that is?
 
I would winterize the piping & Mechanical's at normal operating level & not cover the pool. Just plan to remove debris or pay liner contractor extra to do so. At 8lbs a gallon even a steel wall pool with a concrete collar needs the waters lateral support. & another fun fact, the subbase/floor needs at least 12" water on shallow end, to not heave or crumble. When I get a chance I'll post pic of a modern liner pool that wintered without ample water pressure... it was a heck of job to "true" the folded panels.
 
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