Pools are a great way to relax on a hot summer day and can provide hours of family. However, if your pool needs repairs you may have considered draining the pool. This may not be necessary because a variety of pool repairs can be completed underwater. If your pool must be drained for repairs you should take extreme care in draining them. Many problems can occur from shifting pool liners, to rips, to dislodging a concrete pool entirely from its original anchor point. These circumstances can occur for a variety of reasons which we'll explore below.
Above Ground Vinyl Liner
This type of pool may be particularly tricky to drain and refill. While easy to build and install these pools is a real paint to repair if draining is necessary. You may find that the liner of the pool has ripped when you begin refilling it after draining has taken place. This is because without the stretch of the water the liner could possibly shrink. You may also notice that the liner does not fall straight back into place when the pool is filled again. You may actually have to manually place the liner as it should be within the pool during the early stages of refilling.
In Ground Vinyl Liner
These pools were once very popular around the country. While they are much cheaper to build they can be a nightmare to repair. Avoid draining these pools if at all possible. The liners in these pools may shift or rip. The walls of the pool may also collapse in these pools when the water level is lowered and the dirt presses against the walls. Most repairs should be performed underwater if possible in these types of pools.
In Ground Concrete
Concrete pools are much more durable than their above counterparts, but they do not come without risks. In fact the concrete can be prone to cracking just as the vinyl liners can rip in the other two types of pools we’ve discussed. Also concrete pools can be uprooted from their original position in the ground as well when they are drained. This is caused by the pressure of groundwater beneath them causing them to actually rise up from the ground causing major issues.
As you can see while some repairs may need to be performed with the pool having been drained, it sometimes isn’t the best idea. Draining your pool can cause additional damage in addition to the original repairs that were needed. So if you’re going to drain your pool be very careful and try to refill it as soon as possible after draining to avoid further complications. Also keep in mind that ground water may pose special problems to your pool when drained like floating liners or concrete pools that become dislodged from the ground. Other complications include collapse of the walls of your pool when in ground vinyl liner pools are drained. So take care when draining your pool and stay safe.
