Question:
I have a 27' X 15' in ground pool that is locating under a huge
Mesquite tree with lots of leaves. What is the best way of covering my
pool? Can I leave the pool empty of water during the winter?
Answer:
Go to your local pool store and buy a pool cover and water bags to weigh the
cover down. You will also need chemicals to close the pool for the season.
Your local pool store will help you.
Check with pool dealers for a winter pool cover, as previously suggested, and
also check around for a pool net...essentially a huge net that covers the
entire pool, sits on top of the winter cover, and catches leaves, etc. Much
easier to deal with when you open your pool.
You go through your regular closing routine in the fall - around here that
means lowering the water level below the skimmer and jets, disassembling and
cleaning the filter and storing the components, blowing the water out of the
plumbing, blocking off the skimmer and jets, and a final dose of chemicals
to retard algae. You lay the cover over the pool, letting it float on the
water, with enough slack so the weight of rain, snow, leaves and assorted
debris doesn't pull everything into the pool. Lay out the water bags so the
whole perimeter of the cover is held down and fill the bags with water from
the garden hose.
A considerable amount of rain, snow, and leaves collect on top of the cover
during fall and winter. In the spring when it's time to open the pool you
snake the hose under the cover to bring the water up to the proper level.
I'm located so I can use the vacuum hose to siphon almost all the water off
the top of the cover and need to use a submersible pump only to get the last
bit. I can clean the debris off the cover with the regular pool net. To
get the last bit of water off the cover, I poke the leaf blower under the
cover and turn it on to inflate the cover and lift it off the water.
