Must I partially Drain AGP when closing?

[synapsid]

Hi there,

My first-time closing went great last year. Winterized according to this link. Opened to crystal clear water in the spring.

I am wondering...why do I need to drain below the lowest skimmer/return? I understand that freezing can destroy some of that plastic, but if I put chunks of pool noodle foam, wouldn't that protect the skimmer?

I have an E-Z drain cover that lets water drain to the center of the cover and out a hose to the return. Could I just leave the pool full and use foam to protect the skimmer?

 

[Newdude]

Yup. When folks lower the pool they can disassemble the plumbing without being flooded. But when properly plugged, there's no flood either.

The only concern is the ice rink freezing into the skimmer mouth and yanking on the wall as it melts/shifts. Stuffing the skimmer with cut up pool noodles won't let it get enough of a grip up in there to buckle the wall. A faceplate cover / aquadoor is another option.

 

[synapsid]

Nice. So my return jet will not be plugged, since it will pass the discharge hose from the EZ drain cover. My skimmer box will be stuffed with pool noodles. Unfortunately the bottom of the skimmer goes to an L-shaped PVC before reaching the first PVC ball valve shutoff. So I suppose I could still get some freezing in that L. I can't disconnect the L without draining or closing with an aquadoor.

 

[Newdude]

Use an expanding rubber plug in the skimmer hole. There's several sizes to choose from if needed.

 

[synapsid]

Cool! I did not know these existed with the wing nut to expand. So I'll plug the bottom of the skimmer, drain the length of PVC, and close the valve so there's only air in there. Maybe leave it open a hair so that if the plug fails, it will drip slowly. Thanks!

 

[synapsid]

Got the cover on today but the wingnut plug delivery is delayed until Wednesday. I went to Lowe’s to find something similar and the guy said i should use a gizzmo instead. Can anyone explain the advantages of gizzmo vs pool noodles? I’ve even read about just using an empty water bottle. I assume they all try to address the same problem by letting the ice expand. Should i be looking into a gizmo?

 

[Newdude]

The gizzmo great for the basket area, but does nothing for the throat of the skimmer.

I use a gizzmo to seal the pipe and still stuff the rest with noodles.

 

[synapsid]

So, something interesting has happened. As discussed above, I did not drain the pool. I screwed a Gizzmo with teflon tape into the bottom of the skimmer, and packed the rest of the space with pool noodles, extending out into the throat of the skimmer. I covered with my EZ-drain cover and connected the hose to the return jet. It's rained a few times, and there's a slow dribble of water from the cover drain.

After a few weeks I noticed the cover looked lower, as low as last year when i had actually drained the pool below the return jet. I loosened the cover enough to inspect it. The EZ-drain hose is still tightly connected to the return jet, but the water is now below the level of the skimmer.

I believe what has happened is that the cover is not watertight, and some pool water is seeping up to the surface. Then it's collected by the drain in the center, and out the return jet. So the pool has been slowly draining itself, drop by drop. It's been so slow that the ground is not even muddy nearby.

If this is what has happened, I'm not complaining. Basically I covered the pool and saved myself the trouble of draining it beforehand. Any other thoughts are appreciated!