Replacing liner next Spring--should I still winterize and cover or just drain?

[davidargent0628]

Hello All! New to this great source of info so thanks in advance...I am a pool newbie. I inherited a 15x30 AquaLeader above ground pool and I have pretty serious, consistent leakage. Last winter I covered the pool with a cheapo cover that the previous homeowner left behind. Lots of rain and snow later, though I tried to keep up with pumping accumulation, somehow damage occurred and this Spring the pool was empty when I took the cover off. So we refilled the pool (took three days!) and I top off the water once a week or so because the level definitely drops all the time. The bottome of the pool liner has lots of wrinkles and uneven crevices. I have concluded that we should just bite the bullet and replace the liner, unless you all can offer advice on how to avoid that and instead repair somehow. I should mention that the liner is detached from the inside rail in one spot so it hangs about 6". So, my question is: if we are going to replace the liner next Spring, should we bother winterizing/covering the pool this year? Or just let it leak/drain all Winter and then give remove / replace the liner next Spring?

 

[bmj0928]

I'd cover it just to save the frustration of having to drain a pool full of debris, and also in the off chance you decide not to replace the liner.
Another option might be to replace the liner now, and close the pool shortly after. You may get a discounted liner this time of year. Plus, you get to enjoy the pool right away when you open it next year instead of having to do all that work in the spring.

 

[davidargent0628]

I'd cover it just to save the frustration of having to drain a pool full of debris, and also in the off chance you decide not to replace the liner.
Another option might be to replace the liner now, and close the pool shortly after. You may get a discounted liner this time of year. Plus, you get to enjoy the pool right away when you open it next year instead of having to do all that work in the spring.

Thanks for the reply. I like the idea of replacing the liner now but that raises a question: don't we have to completely drain the pool anyway, then? And if so, and this is a total newb question, what is the best way to completely drain the pool? Portable sump? Thanks again!

 

[Newdude]

don't we have to completely drain the pool anyway, then

Yes

And if so, and this is a total newb question, what is the best way to completely drain the pool? Portable sump?

Right again !!! Or if you had a lower area nearby you could use a few hoses and let most of it siphon out. But you'd have to pump a bit at the end anyway so you might as well just pump it all.

 

[magiteck]

Personally I wouldn’t leave the pool empty over the winter. The water pressure helps to support the walls, and without the water a bad winter storm could do some damage.