How full should a swimming pool be?

Author: Koby Spinka  |  Last update: Monday, March 21, 2022

It is recommended you have your water level between one-third and one-half up the swimming pool skimmer box opening. If the level is higher than that, it may slow or even stop debris from being pulled into the skimmer box through the plate or valve.

How full should you fill your pool?

The level at which pool skimmers function properly is between one third and about half way up the opening of the pool skimmer. If the water level is too high the debris floating next to the opening may pass by without being pulled into the skimmer.

What happens if pool water level is too high?

What Happens If Your Pool Water Levels Are Too High? When your pool water levels exceed the middle part of your pool's skimmer, your skimmer is not going to work properly. The water flows into the skimmer at a higher level, it causes the water to not get skimmed properly.

Can a pool be too full of water?

You don't need to drain your pool, as there is no risk to your pool by it being full. The only thing you lose with a pool filled to the rim is your skimmer's surface cleaning action. Overall, it still draws water and the equipment is just fine.

How do I know if my pool water is too low?

If your water level is too low, your skimmer will suck in water as usual, but it will also suck in air. And in case you don't already know, your pool system was designed to move water only—never, ever air.

How Long Does It Take To Fill A Swimming Pool?

How often should the pool be shocked during periods of heavy use?

How Often Should I Shock My Pool? Shocking your pool regularly will help to keep the water clean and free of contaminants. You should aim to shock your pool about once a week, with the additional shock after heavy use. Some tell-tale signs that your pool needs to be shocked are cloudy, foamy, green, or odourous water.

When should I add more water to my pool?

Check your water level daily, and add water whenever the level approaches the one-third mark on the skimmer door. If the water level is below the skimmer hatch, don't run the filter system at all until you've added water. This will prevent expensive damage to your pool filter.

Can a pool overflow from rain?

The pool will only overflow by the amount of rain in excess of the amount of rain needed to fill the pool to the top. So if your pool is the normal 3” below the top, the rain would need to exceed 3” before any additional rain would be available to overflow onto the deck.

What to do when you overfill your pool?

After an extreme overflow, you will need to remove water from both the outside and inside of the pool. You may also need to adjust your pool chemicals, since the extra water may dilute the water and reduce the effective chemistry.

Can a pool pop out of the ground?

Much of this rain water penetrates into the ground, raising the inground water table, which creates a lot of hydrostatic pressure pushing up on the pool. After the water table raises enough, the pool may float or pop up out of the ground.

How do you know if your pool is full?

The main issue that you will have if your swimming pool has too much water in it is the ability for the skimmer to keep the surface of your water clear from floating leaves, grass and bugs. This will only occur if the water levels have risen so much that the entire skimmer beneath water.

Should I turn off pool pump when raining?

To prevent potentially dangerous electrical issues, it's imperative that you turn off the power to your pool equipment — such as pumps, motors, filters, heaters, chlorinators, and lighting fixtures. Even if you turn off the power to your pool equipment, it can still be damaged by wind, rain, and debris.

Can you overfill an Intex pool?

To the line near the bottom of the inflated ring. Do Not Overfill above the line as this may cause the pool walls to become unstable and possibly result in injury or property damage from the water flowing over the pool wall while in use.

Is it bad for above ground pool to overflow?

But large quantities of precipitation combined with an overflowing pool and poor drainage can cause problems such as flooding, structural damage to the surrounding buildings as well as out of balance swimming pool water chemistry.

Why does my pool lose water when it rains?

Pool Losing Water After Heavy Rain

Due to a heavy rainstorm, water loss is more common with vinyl liner pools that can be damaged, come loose, or float to the top. With other types of inground pools, it is vital to get the water level down. If not drained, the water balance will change, causing cloudy water and more.

Where does pool overflow go?

Slot Drain Systems offer a pool overflow drainage system that is installed around the rim of the pool. This drainage system helps manage and prevent water overflows in and around pools.

How often should I top up my pool?

The Optimum water level is between 1/3 - 2/3's of the way up your Skimmer box . Any lower then 1/3 above the bottom of your skimmer is too low and needs topping up immediately . Normally pools will see ¼ – ½ inch loss of water per day due to evaporation. This is roughly 2 – 4 inches per week.

How long does it take to add an inch of water to a pool?

The average pool can take 12-24 hours to fill and that is only if you have a few hoses chugging away. When your family is chomping at the bit to dive in, that may as well be an eternity.

How much water loss in a pool is normal?

Most pools experience between 3mm - 7mm of water loss each day, depending on where you live.

Can I just throw chlorine tablets in my pool?

NEVER just throw them into your pool water. This will cause them to dissolve on the floor and it can damage and create a permanent bleach stain to your liner or concrete.

Do you really need to shock your pool every week?

It's often recommended to shock your pool once a week. If you don't do it every week, you should at least do it every other week. This is necessary to maintain your pool's water chemistry. If you have a lot of people over in your pool or have a party, you may want to shock your pool more frequently.

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