Leaving Pool Empty During Winter Months

by Mary
(Homewood, IL)

We have an 18 x 22 above ground pool. The liner is now leaking (we think thru the bottom drain). We are pretty sure we will have to replace the liner since we cannot seem to stop the leak.

The question, it is now October and winter is approaching. Should we replace the liner, fill the pool & winterize it or let the pool drain & wait until spring to replace the liner? We are concerned that perhaps the walls will collapse during the winter & the pool is only 3 years old.



Hi Mary. Many of my customers here in Arizona leave their pools empty all winter so they can have me change the liner out in the spring. Most of the time this works out just fine, but not always. There is always the chance of a good wind storm blowing the pool over, or at least causing damage. It does not happen to often, but always a possibility.

In the northern climates you have more to worry about than just an occasional wind storm. With freezing temperatures the ground moves, and this could easily cause damage to an empty pool.

My recommendation is to either keep adding water to the pool all winter, or at least until it freezes, or take the pool down for the winter. Once the whether has already turned cold is not the best time for installing a new liner. Vinyl needs the warmth of the sun to install properly, fall whether is not the best time for this.



I know this response is late in coming, my thoughts turn in other directions during the winter months. I do hope your pool will be up and running come next summer.