When should I drain my pool? Pool industry experts recommend you drain your pool and refill it every five to seven years. No two pools are alike, so there is no set number at which you must drain your pool.
This will vary depending upon several factors including: weather, if the pool is covered or not, bather load, and if it is heated or not. With pools that are covered, a good rule of thumb is that they should not have to be refilled more often than once every 2 weeks.
Depending on various environmental factors—including your location, average daily temperature, and the amount of sun your pool gets every day—your pool may lose more than half a centimeter of water every day. This translates to just under five centimeters a week, on average.
On average, swimming pools lose about a quarter of an inch of water each day, yet variations in wind intensity, humidity and sunlight can drastically change water loss rates. Some of the strongest and most intense wind in the country can be found in mountainous regions.
You can do the “bucket test” on your pool to measure evaporation. Place a bucket of water beside the pool and mark both the water in the bucket and the pool water level. Wait 24 hours then check the loss of both. If the pool loses more water than the bucket, then you have a leak.
Pool Is Losing 1 Inch of Water Per Day
Losing more than ½” of pool water per day indicates you likely have a leak in your pool's structure or your pool pump system. You should call your pool service for a thorough leak inspection. You might not be able to keep up with refilling your pool at this point.
The pressurized plumbing system pumps water back to the pool after it has passed through the filter. The filtered water returns to the pool through the jet (or return) inlets. The plumbing that returns the water from the filter to the pool is often referred to as return plumbing.
If your pool lost water overnight and it is more than the quarter-inch due to evaporation, you probably have a leak. Evaporation accounts for a minor amount of water lost each day. Losing a half-inch or more overnight indicates a problem.
It may be cheaper to run the pump at night, but honestly you should run it 1 hour a day per 10 degrees of temperature at least, and it should be during the day. Running the pump at night should only be when you are doing a major chemical treatment such as algae clean-up.
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.
The number-one way to combat evaporation is with a pool cover. It's estimated that a pool cover will reduce evaporation by 95 percent. Solar covers can heat your pool in the off-season, too. A pool cover reduces the pool's chemical consumption and reduces your cleaning time.
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.
An uncovered pool will lose water in the winter to evaporation in the same way it does during the summer. But the water loss is only about a quarter-inch on average during a 24-hour period when the pool is not in use.
A sinkhole can occur whether you have an inground pool or an above-ground pool. A pool that is allowed to leak into the foundation underneath can lead to a very large, very dangerous sinkhole. In fact, leaking water is the main cause of a sinkhole. Sinkholes start developing a long time before they actually appear.
The most obvious sign that a pool skimmer is leaking is when the water level drops below the skimmer and stays there. Since most skimmer leaks are caused by the skimmer pulling away from the concrete, it is best to hire a company that has the skill to fix them in a few simple steps, like Nelson Pool Company.
The average pool water evaporation rate is about a quarter of an inch of water per day or more than two inches in a week, which on a 33′ x 18′ swimming pool (an average pool size) is more than 2500 liters or approximately 600 gallons a week; this may vary depending on your climate and the factors listed above.
Typically, pools lose water for one of two reasons: Evaporation or a leak. Evaporation naturally occurs in any body of water, but it may increase under certain conditions, such as hot, humid weather. Leaks, however, indicate a bigger problem that a professional may need to address.
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.
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.
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.
It is designed to be filled with water at all times. If the pump is operated dry, it will burn out the motor and cause you to have to replace an expensive piece of pool equipment. If a pump is allowed to operate dry, it will build up heat that will melt the pump and possibly surrounding plumbing fixtures.
Lower Your Water Temperature
As we know, warmer water evaporates at a faster rate than cooler water because the molecules are moving faster. As the temperatures drop, the warm water evaporates even faster. ... This process accelerates when the temperature of the pool water is higher than the air's temperature.
Annual booster additions of pool salt are usually required, but only to replace salt lost from backwashing, splashout or lowering the water for winter. If you fully drain the pool for maintenance, you will need to replace all of the pool salt.