I need help restoring filled in pool

[Shawn7898]

I recently purchased a home with a 16x32x8 pool that was filled in for lack of use. All the equipment is still hooked up and i talked with the company that filled it in, and the pool was in good shape when they did it. They said they drained it and cut a 1'x2' section in the deep end for drainage end and filled it with soil. That was 8 years ago.. I this past week decided to dig out the soil and refinish it. When i dug down to the last foot of dirt i found the spot they cut out and water started to flow in pretty fast. I have a 27gal/min pump running to keep water level down but it's coming in faster than the pump can handle. I have another pump that I'm going to use tomorrow to try and clean out the rest of the mud/ water i have left in there. I have a few questions about the next steps in the process

1. Once the pool is cleaned of all the mud and water, how do i keep the water from flowing in long enough to repair the hole and paint or epoxy?
2. The water table is probably fairly high as the house is about 50' from a river. If i do seal the hole how do i keep the pool from floating out of the ground?

Thanks for any help/ input

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Was that a plaster pool with a gunite and rebar shell? Is there rebar around the cutout that you can tie into?

You need to keep holes in the floor to release water pressure until you are ready to fill the pool with water. Then you fill the holes with hydraulic cement just before the water fill.

We love seeing pools come back from the dead. Keep the updates coming.

@bdavis466 @Rich D @jimmythegreek @kadavis ideas?

 

[aussieta]

how fast it it filling
maybe dig a hole outside the pool as close to the damaged area as possible
place pump in new hole to keep water table low enough to carry out repairs

 

[Rich D]

I would imagine you could do the entire project without putting in a exterior sump pit but it would be more difficult and then you would not be able to drain the pool for maintenance or even water exchange. Have you poked around to see if already have one. With water table that high they must have de-watered too install the pool. Since you are at the demo I would definitely get a exterior sump pit installed if you do not have one. Is there a good spot where you could put one?

 

[Shawn7898]

how fast it it filling
maybe dig a hole outside the pool as close to the damaged area as possible
place pump in new hole to keep water table low enough to carry out repairs

Its filling pretty fast, I can pretty much drain it empty and in about 10-15 minutes have a foot of water back in there. Thats the part I'm not sure of what to do? How can i repair the hole and match it to the pebble finish with the water pouring in so fast? Im afraid to patch it and stop the water from coming in and the shell "popping out". The closest i could dig a hole near the pool is about 20 feet away and i don't think that would keep up with the water table

 

[Shawn7898]

I would imagine you could do the entire project without putting in a exterior sump pit but it would be more difficult and then you would not be able to drain the pool for maintenance or even water exchange. Have you poked around to see if already have one. With water table that high they must have de-watered too install the pool. Since you are at the demo I would definitely get a exterior sump pit installed if you do not have one. Is there a good spot where you could put one?

The house is built around the pool like a courtyard. the closest i could dig anything would be at least 20 feet away

 

[Shawn7898]

Welcome to TFP.

Was that a plaster pool with a gunite and rebar shell? Is there rebar around the cutout that you can tie into?

You need to keep holes in the floor to release water pressure until you are ready to fill the pool with water. Then you fill the holes with hydraulic cement just before the water fill.

We love seeing pools come back from the dead. Keep the updates coming.

@bdavis466 @Rich D @jimmythegreek @kadavis ideas?

How much time do i have between sealing hole to filling water? I can stop the water from coming in pretty quick with the cement but then i have to try and match the patch to the rest of the pebble finish?

 

[ajw22]

How much time do i have between sealing hole to filling water? I can stop the water from coming in pretty quick with the cement but then i have to try and match the patch to the rest of the pebble finish?

You patch the hole right before the plaster crew and then you fill the with water. It's a 2 day process with pebble.

 

[Shawn7898]

what about the pool floating out of the ground for those 2 days? If i can just pour the cement in the hole and stop the water and have 2 days to patch it with the pebble tec that sounds easy enough.. My biggest concern is stopping the water for that long and not refilling

 

[Rich D]

.. My biggest concern is stopping the water for that long and not refilling

There are just too many variables to guess at how long it would take. With the water rising that fast my guess would be it could happen in hours not days. I have seen structures pop out of the ground in less than 12 hrs. I would seek some local professional help for de-watering, they will know what works best in your area. See what they have for suggestions and costs. They might be able to drive some point wells around the outside of the house, or they might need to core some holes in your deck for the driven point wells.

The only suggestion I would have for a DIY would be to cut out a section of deck and dig a sump. You can just put the dirt in the pool if you have not cleaned it all the way out yet. This would also allow you to just place a skimmer over it and have it for the future.

 

[aussieta]

does your pool still have hydro static valve or is that what was cut out

 

[1Sammy]

If i were doing this i would install the body part of a hydro static valve and cement it is place. I would remove the valve from the body and screw in a 4 or 5' length of pipe, longer if the water table is closer to the surface. Then you can take your time and do a good job, rush / hurry don't work. Get everything done to your satisfaction and replace the pipe with the hydro static valve and fill. A sump pit would be a great addition down through the deck near the deep end in any pool installation.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Post a picture of the pool with a wider view.

The only way to ensure that you don't float the pool after all the work you've done is to install a well point. It'll need to be close enough to the pool and large enough to keep the water down to a manageable level.

Thinking about it, are you sure there isn't already a well point near the pool that you just haven't discovered? It'd be worth a good look around to see.