Earthquakes and Pools

[KDpoolguy]

It’s been awhile since I’ve felt an earthquake this powerful, and seeing tonight’s 7.1 mag empty a bunch of water onto my deck was frightening.
My thoughts are with the residents in Kern Co.
To my California crowd, what did you see?

Looks like I’ll need to check my CYA and Salt level

 

[aussieta]

Looks like I’ll need to check my CYA and Salt level

when they say to aerate to increase ph
they dont mean to shake your whole pool

 

[zea3]

I'm lucky enough to have not experienced an earthquake, but I have seen videos on youtube. Water shloshing out of pools like you were trying to run with a full glass of water. Keep an eye on your water levels the next few days in case the shaking loosened any plumbing. That has to be a pretty unnerving experience!

 

[NLandas]

It was crazy as we saw some water movement in our pool last night as well. I'm with zea3 with regards to any loose plumbing the quake might have created.

 

[KDpoolguy]

 

[Greg 2]

Funny to see, but not so funny when you wake up in the middle of the night to a shaking waterbed. Northridge earthquake, Jan 17th, 1994. Oxnard, Ca.

 

[markayash]

I saw that pool video. Crazy, what does that do to the plaster or are they built to hold up to that?

 

[Arizonarob]

I remember when you used to have to put a quarter in the machine to make the bed do that.

 

[KDpoolguy]

Yeah, this video was nuts. No joke, my bulkhead at the heater started leaking after the quake.
Thursday’s quake didn’t empty any water out, but Friday’s was markedly larger. I felt like I should have grabbed my surfboard. We’re 150 miles from the epicenter, that’s how powerful the shaking was.

 

[zea3]

Are you still getting aftershocks?

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

We couldn't feel it here in Tucson but one of the dogs went nuts at exactly the same time as the quake was reported. Due to a freak of terrain I can see most of the Phoenix TV channels and there were multiple videos of pools being agitated there, especially in Southern Phoenix.. Chandler, Suprise, etc. on the evening news last night.

Concrete is pretty flexible, surprisingly enough, but I have to admit that I don't know about plaster and it is totally possible if a PVC joint was a little questionable that it could pop and spring a leak. Thanks, guys, now I have something else to worry about...

 

[KDpoolguy]

...not so funny when you wake up in the middle of the night to a shaking waterbed. Northridge earthquake, Jan 17th, 1994. Oxnard, Ca.

Same here, save for the water bed. -Pasadena, CA 1994. I managed a ‘soft story’ apartment (&pool) that survived in city of Northridge and never parked my car underneath. Also was there for Whittier 1988, and lucky to have had 20+ years of relative quiet. Now we’re 12 miles from the San Andreas.

Concrete is pretty flexible, surprisingly enough, but I have to admit that I don't know about plaster and it is totally possible if a PVC joint was a little questionable that it could pop and spring a leak.

I heard IG fiberglass pools are more susceptible to damage due to settling of the gravel base.

Haven’t felt the aftershocks this far away. Last nights shaking lasted for a good 45 seconds—terrifying when you’re in it.

 

[aussieta]

the quake is making the news in australia
so must have been scary for those involved

 

[Richard320]

It’s been awhile since I’ve felt an earthquake this powerful, and seeing tonight’s 7.1 mag empty a bunch of water onto my deck was frightening.
My thoughts are with the residents in Kern Co.
To my California crowd, what did you see?

Looks like I’ll need to check my CYA and Salt level

I didn't see anything. I felt it real good. One good shake, enough for me to call out to my wife, "earthquake!" and then some more, and then it was obviously time to get under the desk.

I found it less disturbing than the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, but I was a lot closer to the epicenter for that one, in San Jose. I would have thought that a lot of the junk I have stacked haphazardly on my workbench would have slid, but it's all there. Pool didn't lose any water either that I can see.

 

[markayash]

Yeah, this video was nuts. No joke, my bulkhead at the heater started leaking after the quake.
Thursday’s quake didn’t empty any water out, but Friday’s was markedly larger. I felt like I should have grabbed my surfboard. We’re 150 miles from the epicenter, that’s how powerful the shaking was.

Be safe

 

[LarsKev]

Here's a video my brother took a few minutes after the quake, in Cathedral City, which is Palm Desert adjacent, I think. We just closed on this house July 3 and were at a restaurant for breakfast when the 6.4 hit on July 4th. I didn't feel it because I was walking back to the table from the restroom, but my brother, who was sitting down did. I definitely felt the 7.1 and told my brother to look at the pool because I remember the pool in Culver City in 1994, which had much more sloshing than what I saw this time. We haven't had time to clean this pool thoroughly because we just got it, and we're back in Los Angeles at our primary residence.
We did not have any damage at either house.