hello, i am looking at the posts about winterizing the above ground pools. my question is, is it ok to drain the pool? along wiht all the other pertinent pump and hose things to do? it makes sense to me to drain it so as not to have to be concerned about water quality over the winter and the pool is only 4500 gallons? btw i do plan to put the cover on after draining, should that be recommended.. btw it does not snow here , nor barely ever dip below freezing . appreciate the support!
above ground pool winterizing. drain?
- Thread starter kalypso
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 64,749
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The water weight supports the pool structure.
There is a good chance the winter weather will collapse the pool structure, especially if you put a cover on it and there is a lot of snow weight on it.
The liner also has a good chance of being damaged without water in it.
That is why draining liner pools is not recommended.
There is a good chance the winter weather will collapse the pool structure, especially if you put a cover on it and there is a lot of snow weight on it.
The liner also has a good chance of being damaged without water in it.
That is why draining liner pools is not recommended.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,616
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
In Phoenix you manage the pool during the winter the same as you do in the summer. Luckily with low water temperature and lower UV impact, the amount of chlorine needed is less.
instrucitions i have seen say to drain below the filter inlet and outlet.. are you agreeing with that?
- Jun 1, 2018
- 15,974
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
You can certainly do that but not lower. The cover must rest on the pool water or it will pull on the top rails as it gets heavy with precipitation and pull them inward.
some people instead choose to plug the penetrations in the pool wall instead of draining so much water.
There are plugs that came with the pool to do this with. They look like blue or black hats
Many throw them out assuming they are packing material. 
You remove the interior fittings- stick the plug in and put the fittings back to secure the plugs in place.
You can also choose to take the pool completely down for the winter.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,616
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Phoenix does not have a 'winter' to winterize for. You operate the pool as normal.
well this is my thought process tell me what you think.. i still want to drain the pool since having water in it that does not get filtered does not make sense to me. but yes i would have the chlorine tabs in the water at all times. my cover has holes in it so any little bit of rain we get would run into the bottom of the pool and if enough got in, i have the drain plugs on each end open so water could run out. i would put weights on each of the legs outside the pool to help keep it from shifting. and i would get a couple rigid braces to mount and run across the pool to keep it from caving in..You can certainly do that but not lower. The cover must rest on the pool water or it will pull on the top rails as it gets heavy with precipitation and pull them inward.
some people instead choose to plug the penetrations in the pool wall instead of draining so much water.
There are plugs that came with the pool to do this with. They look like blue or black hats
View attachment 620102
You remove the interior fittings- stick the plug in and put the fittings back to secure the plugs in place.
You can also choose to take the pool completely down for the winter.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 15,974
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
*If you’re going to completely drain leave the cover off. Regardless of any bracing you decide to erect.
The pool will probably shift a little and will also need to be cleaned in the spring.
Most would opt to just store the pool at this point.
*If you’re going to drain down to the intake and suction holes you can use a cover but it needs to rest on the water in the pool. No xtra bracing needed. The water in the pool will keep the pool from shifting.
Leaving chlorine pucks in the pool without circulation is not recommended. If allowed to rest in one place they will damage your liner. This can happen in just hours.
Follow the steps in the link below to winterize your pool properly and prevent a swampy opening if you plan to leave water in it. If Adequate fc is maintained throughout the closed period it will be fine. The majority of people, myself included, do this and follow this guide and open to a nice clear pool in the early spring.
www.troublefreepool.com
Alternative #3 is to just continue to operate & maintain the pool over the winter As @mknauss suggested above. Most people in your area do this.
You’ll need to ensure that the pump remains running during freezing temperatures. You can deploy your cover to help prevent debris. During colder temperatures and less uv there’s a much lower fc demand which makes for much less work/attention. When i am running my pool with the cover on it I reduce run time to only 1-2 hours per day unless theres freezing temperatures.
The pool will probably shift a little and will also need to be cleaned in the spring.
Most would opt to just store the pool at this point.
*If you’re going to drain down to the intake and suction holes you can use a cover but it needs to rest on the water in the pool. No xtra bracing needed. The water in the pool will keep the pool from shifting.
Leaving chlorine pucks in the pool without circulation is not recommended. If allowed to rest in one place they will damage your liner. This can happen in just hours.
Follow the steps in the link below to winterize your pool properly and prevent a swampy opening if you plan to leave water in it. If Adequate fc is maintained throughout the closed period it will be fine. The majority of people, myself included, do this and follow this guide and open to a nice clear pool in the early spring.
Closing (Winterizing) Your Above Ground Pool
Closing an above ground pool at season’s end should be a fast and worry-free process. Learn the basics of above ground pool winterization in easy steps.
www.troublefreepool.com
Alternative #3 is to just continue to operate & maintain the pool over the winter As @mknauss suggested above. Most people in your area do this.
You’ll need to ensure that the pump remains running during freezing temperatures. You can deploy your cover to help prevent debris. During colder temperatures and less uv there’s a much lower fc demand which makes for much less work/attention. When i am running my pool with the cover on it I reduce run time to only 1-2 hours per day unless theres freezing temperatures.