Do you need to drain any water when winterizing an above ground pool? The answer hinges on how you protect your skimmer during the winter. If you're concerned about freezing and cracking, and don't use a winter skimmer cover plate, then you should drain the water level below the skimmer and returns.
Important: Never completely drain an above ground pool. This can cause your pool to collapse. If your pool is plumbed with detachable, flexible hoses, remove them and store for the winter. Remove all drain plugs from the pump, filter tank, and any other pool equipment.
The best way to keep your winter cover on your pool is simply to maintain 2 inches of water on top of it and keep it free of leaves and other debris and monitor the water level inside the pool regularly.
Lower the water level in the pool approximately 3 to 6 inches below the bottom of the Skimmer. If you have a main drain, just shut off the valve(s) for the skimmer(s) and run the filter on backwash or waste.
Close the pool for winter – but don't drain it.
In winter, the water in your pool is still your friend. Especially when properly winterized, it helps to protect the pool liner, keep it clean and prevent unnecessary damage from debris, harsh weather and other factors.
A common question asked is, “Can above ground pools stay up year round?” And although the easy answer is that “Yes, they can,” whether you want to leave them up year-round really depends on the type of pool you have. Dismantling some above ground pools for the winter may be more hassle than it's worth.
Water level
If a pool has ceramic tiles it is recommended to drain the water a few inches below them, but not further. Some pool owners swear by having their pool drained down past the skimmer. This is usually done instead of blowing out the pipes and using gizzmos.
In warmer climates, Intex advises to keep your pool up, if you prefer. However, you must winterize the pool when keeping it full throughout the winter. If your area maintains tropical climates all year long, you may not need to winterize your pool at all, especially if you use your pool on a regular basis.
As noted, typical maintenance or winterizing your pool shouldn't require you to completely drain the water. You risk damaging your pool liner and the structure of your above ground pool.
Intex is a popular manufacturer of temporary above-ground pools. How long they last depends on a number of factors, but the simple answer is that the inflatable pools will last 2-4 years and the metal frame types will last between 4-8 years.
2018. A high-quality above ground pool from Valley Pool & Spa should last between 10 and 20 years depending on how well you care for it. However, your pool liner will not last as long as your pool. Contact a pool expert at our store to see if you need a new liner before you decide to replace your entire pool.
You should cover your pool every night for several reasons. First off, a pool cover saves energy and conserves water by decreasing the amount of make-up water. Also, it reduces the consumption of chemicals, and finally, it saves a lot of cleaning time since it keeps the debris out of the pool.
The size of your pool, the efficiency of your pump and filter, and how dirty your pool is are just some of the factors you need to consider. Nevertheless, most pool cleaning professionals would advise against running a pool pump for more than 8 hours a day.
So while a solar cover won't actually 'turn your pool green', it will warm your water by up to 8 degrees, so if the other conditions are right, adding a solar cover can easily accelerate algae growth, very rapidly. You need to get the water balance in your pool right before putting the cover back on.
Rainfall dilutes pool chemistry levels and lowers the readings for pH, alkalinity, hardness, stabilizer, and chlorine. Rainfall does not contain chlorine. As well, rainfall brings with it small amounts of contaminants that are washed into the pool.
Generally, pool water needs to be replaced once every five to seven years. This should be done during mild weather so that your pool surface is not at risk from strong sunlight and heat. Your pool maintenance company can recommend when it is time to drain your pool.
The cost to build a deck around an above-ground pool is $15 to $30 per square foot depending upon the design and materials used. The deck alone can range from $2,800 to more than $10,000 installed, or buy a small deck system/kit that's easy to put up as a DIY project for $800 to $3,000.