Skimmer Basket wall caved in during the winter somehow? What's my next move?

[Common_Guy_123839]

Discovered this yesterday. Everything (skimmer / return jet) seems to be intact still and not leaking as far as I know. I can't make sense of how it happened. The only thing I can think of is the skimmer filled up with water and froze, and that weight caused the metal panel to buckle underneath. I drain the pool to just below the return jet for the winter, probably right where the bend occurred. I'm currently draining off the cover and then I'll remove it, but I'm wondering what my next move should be? Is this something I can fix myself or is this a pro's job? We're selling our house in a few months, so this is fun.

 

[Newdude]

Welcome to TFP !!!

Ice pulled on that wall. Either the skating rink under the cover also froze into the skimmer and when the rink shifted, the skimmer went with it, or some water was lost and the weight of the ice on the cover pulled the wall in.

That area needs to be cut out and repaired which is likely more PITA than replacing the wall. A buckled wall can be flattened but it'll never retain its original strength. It'll also need a new liner once it's drained.

I wouldn't want to spend the effort or money on it if I was selling the house. I'd drain it and take it down.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

That’s an expensive repair. Better off taking down the pool and selling it off as parts than dumping money into trying to fix it. Pools turn off a lot of buyers anyway so not having one up but promoting the backyard as “pool ready” can still attract a buyer that wants to put up their own pool …

 

[Newdude]

I did about 25 tours when we sold because the realtor wasn't allowed on the property at the tail end of the lock downs. I couldn't get over that half of them were entirely indifferent about the pool. 'Oh ok, it has a pool. Guess we'll have to figure that part out if we like the house'. They'd go take a momentary look, say 'Yup, it's a pool', and move on. For that half, no pool wouldn't have mattered, and may have even helped. Others probably wouldn't even consider it because of the pool.

 

[Common_Guy_123839]

Tough to hear that tearing it down makes the most sense. We have that big ol' deck just for the pool. Ahhh! Timing sucks big time. Appreciate the feedback all.

 

[HermanTX]

Tough to hear that tearing it down makes the most sense. We have that big ol' deck just for the pool. Ahhh! Timing sucks big time. Appreciate the feedback all.

Ask your realtor to get creative on how to sell it - you can put a list price and then offer $10K (or whatever $) to repair the pool or note that seller will remove the pool if desired. Developers in new construction come up with all types of incentives so your realtor should be able to come up with some ideas. This way there is no direct out of pocket money now and you attract both pool lovers and non pool lovers

Ideally a reduction of selling price at closing or credit at closing avoids direct out pocket $ now.

 

[Newdude]

Toss an intex in there so you have something to use until the sale and the deck doesn't call attention to the missing pool.

Your choice to either leave the old equipment or sell it on FB marketplace.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

As a potential buyer, I wouldn’t want a defective pool on the property as part of the sale no matter how “creative” the real estate agent is with the terms. If it were my home sale, I would remove the pool and then go buy some lumber to close off the deck. You can make it removable so that a future homeowner can easily put up their own pool and restore the deck opening to it. That makes the yard “pool ready” for anyone interested in owning a pool.

I’m sure there are plenty of people on FB Marketplace that would come and haul away everything for free. Even if you couldn’t get someone to take the pool, a small roll off dumpster costs less than a few dozen eggs and requires a half a Saturday to take everything down and toss it out.