Question on how much water to add to pool due to leak

[Lynn5707]

Hello,
We have a leak (under the stairs that was repaired temporarily when pool was closed)and the liner and stairs will be replaced this spring. I opened the cover this afternoon as weather is warmer and we have lost a few inches it seems. I am putting pics on from today. When pool was closed the water was an inch or two above second stair and now it is just below the second stair. We have rain due tomorrow and I may just leave it open then as well. Last spring after a snow the cover collapsed into the pool and I don’t want that to happen again.

When the pool was closed, the pool company said they keep water lower due to possibility of freezing the pipes? It seems like those are sealed, and water was almost to the top of the water returns when it was closed. It seemed like he said cover would be a third lower in the middle. It just seems awfully low to me, but obviously I don’t know much about all of this.

Also, it took several times trying to open the cover before it fully opened. Is that normal when it hasn’t been used for a few months?

Any suggestions?

Thanks for any suggestions. I hope someone responds.

 

[Texas Splash]

While your water has dropped a bit from what you expected, it's not dangerously low so I don't see a problem. The pool (plumbing) was winterized so that shouldn't be an issue. If you leave the cover off, the water level is low enough to where it shouldn't come close to the top rail. Water behind the liner would be a bad thing, but I don't see that as an immediate issue.

 

[Lynn5707]

Thank you for responding. I do intend to put the cover back on the pool at some point this week. The big plan is to replace the liner as soon as the weather warms up, hoping to be done by the end of April.

 

[mknauss]

The water in the pool supports your autocover. So be sure you keep the level in the pool high enough to achieve that.

 

[Lynn5707]

The water in the pool supports your autocover. So be sure you keep the level in the pool high enough to achieve that.

Hi,
Yes, that is what I have been told, but when the pool has been closed for the winter, the level was intentionally lower, per our pool company. I checked today and it was even lower, so I am adding water to around where it was when pool was closed. It just seems to me that level should be higher than it was when pool was closed, but I was told that it was ok.

For comparison I have attached pictures of water level after pool was closed.

FWIW pool isn’t dirty like this when it is open.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

You have a choice: use the autocover as a winter cover or leave the autocover open and use a separate winter cover. If you use the autocover as the winter cover, you need to support it by keeping the pool full of water. If you must winterize the pool (for fear of a deep freeze) by draining down, you should leave the autocover open for the winter and use a standalone cover to keep winter debris out.

 

[Lynn5707]

Thank you. I have filled pool back up so good for now to use the cover. Most likely will get a new safety cover to use for winter next year. I could kick myself for selling my old one.