Draining our fiberglass pool...

[tfpusername]

Our fiber glass pool was drained and sat empty for several years prior to us buying this house. I've also drained/refilled it twice since with no issue.

But now I'm considering draining it again (it's literally been used one time in the last 5 years, so it's hard to justify the cost of chemicals/electricity/cleaning).

I know you're not supposed to drain a fiberglass pool, but considering it's survived multiple drainings, do I really need to be that worried?

Plus, the thing really needs to be resurfaced anyway (it's 30+ years old and has developed scuffs/stains over the years). So I figure when we do decide to fill it again (perhaps in a few years when we sell the house), we can address any issues when we do the resurfacing?

What think?

 

[ajw22]

What think?

You are taking a gamble and none of us can tell you if are going to win or lose. But then you live in Vegas so roll the dice and see.

 

[tfpusername]

Yeah there's definitely a risk, but I can't be the only person who has drained a fiberglass pool with no issues. Clearly its possible. I'm just curious how rare my case is.

I wouldn't even consider it if not for the fact that it was literally sitting drained (and exposed to the sun, no cover) for YEARS. We thought for sure it would have a leak when we filled it for the first time, but we've had no issues with it all these years later.

I wonder, if it does crack or get damaged, since we're likely to have it resurfaced upon the next fill, shouldn't it be fairly easy to fix at that point anyway?

 

[Texas Splash]

What might make your situation unique is where you live. I know from growing up there that ground is like concrete about a foot down and not going anywhere. Except for perhaps monsoon seasons, it's not like you get a lot of rain or have a high water table. That's probably why that shell hasn't shifted in the past.