Cleaning Our Above Ground Pool.

by Susana Fellers
(Cropsey ILL, usa)

Our above ground pools needs cleaned and we're afraid that it will collapse when we drain the water, do we completely drain out all the water? It's 33' round and we have a deck around it. Also, how can we clean the bottom and walls without damaging the liner? Our pool is about 5 years old.


Hi Susana. Anytime you drain an above ground pool you run the risk of the liner shrinking and not being able to refill it. If you feel you have to drain it, always leave at least a foot of water in it. If you drain, clean, and refill on a warm sunny day you should not have a problem with shrinkage.

An alternative to draining a pool is to use vinyl shock treatment and let the filter run for a few days straight. The bottom of the pool can then be vacuumed in the waste position on the filter.

Shocking, brushing and vacuuming the pool should clean it up pretty decent. If you are still left with stains you may have to live with them until your next liner change. If you choose to drain the pool in order to scrub the liner, your next liner change will probably be sooner than you would want.

Be very careful about using cleaning equipment around the outer edge of the pool. A vacuum head can easily scratch the liner along the top of the cove. Try to always stay a few inches away from the pool wall. This area should be cleaned with a towel or something very soft.