With the big hurricane that just came thought I had a lot of clients asking me what for their swimming pool storm preparation.
With the inability to predict rainfall it is NOT recommended to drain your pool, regardless of your location. The lower you drain your pool the higher risk you run of your pool popping out of the ground. A quick Google search will show you images of what can happen when this occurs. Essentially what holds your pool in the ground is the weight of the water that is in it.
It can be expected with the rain that can happen that there will be a lot of ground water under underneath the pool. If we remove the water from the pool there will not be any resistance for the water under the pool and eventually the pressure will push your pool out of the ground.
If you feel you must lower the water than 1 FOOT would be the maximum I recommend. At that point you will want to turn off the skimmer line to avoid the pump sucking air and possibly causing damage. If you are unfamiliar with any of this please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
It IS recommended to keep your pool equipment running as long as possible to keep the pool water algae free. However, if at any point you are worried about your equipment being flooded, it is recommended to turn the breaker off to the pool equipment at the main panel. This can normally be found in the garage. If your equipment does flood it is very important to wait until the water recedes and your equipment is completely dry before you attempt to turn the power back on to the pool equipment.
It is NOT recommended to put your deck furniture in your pool. While it is a great way to keep the furniture from moving around it could cause a lot of issues with your pool. Depending on the type of material the furniture is made out of, it could cause serious staining to your pool. Also, depending on your pool type, it could damage the surface as well.
Another thing to look for is it IS recommended to make sure you remove everything off of your pool deck and in the pool that could potentially become a projectile. We’re talking about life savers, tablet floaters and even rafts. I had a client tell me after the hurricane that a raft flew out of the pool and through one of their pool cage screens and destroying it. The more you remove the better.
Lastly, it is NOT recommended to remove the pool equipment from your pad. I understand that you want to protect your $1000 pump but you have to think of the vulnerability of your plumbing. When the plumbing is attached to the pieces of equipment the pipe is solid and rigid. If you remove the equipment then the plumbing can be more susceptible to damage. So, keep the equipment where it’s at. It really should be bolted down anyways.
Below you can see a podcast done by Chlorine King Pool Service explaining just that.
Also, below, you can see the YouTube video playing the audio from the Chlorine King Pool Service Show Podcast.
Need help with the next storm? [button text=”We can help you!” link=”https://chlorinekingpools.com/contacts/” style=”default” size=”large” target=”_self” display=”inline” icon=”no”]
