UNATTENDED EMPTY POOL OVER EXTENDED PERIOD

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:50pm

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Joined: 19 Feb 2020

I am locked down in Bournemouth and as things stand it looks unlikely that I will be back in Moraira until March 2021 due to the restrictions.We normally visit our villa 3/4 times a year for four weeks at a time.

As for the last 25 years I have employed a local Spanish "pool boy " at 850 euros p.a.which needs renewing on the 1st October. We rarely use the pool even under normal circumstances until about early June in any year so I a considering leaving the pool unattended or even emptied from the 1st October and then reactivating normal maintenance from the 1st June , thereby saving me around 600 euros in maintenance.

The question is - is it wise to leave a pool , either unattended or empty,, for such a long period without potential damage to the structure of the pool ???

A further factor is that most probably if the pool was emptied I would use the opportunity to get it re- grouted before refilling . Aged 89 I very much doubt that this time I will be doing this myself !!!

Any suggestions/advice would be very much appreciated Many thanks Alan, Bournemouth, England

P.S. As an aside I always book flights well in advance with Ryanair , and have found them to be understandably slow time-wise in making refunds , but very honorable in doing so.

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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 4:35pm

Loz61

Posts: 57

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Location: Orihuela Costa

Joined: 6 Feb 2020

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 4:35pm

Hi I personally leave my pool full all winter, and then at the start of the summer clean it, which probably takes a day, it's a lot cheaper than buying all of that water, and I l ive here all year

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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 4:42pm

jimtaylor

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Location: Mudamiento

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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 4:42pm

I'd be extremely reluctant to leave a pool empty for any length of time, but it depends to a large extent on the ground where it's located.

If there's any natural ground movement, this could lead to the pool walls cracking.

If there's a high water table, the hydro-static pressure could force the pool free of its moorings, and you'd have a concrete barge.

And if there's even a minor earthquake - quite common here - then this could lead to the pool walls collapsing or the bottom heaving.

I personally think it would be better to leave the pool full of water, even if it's unattended and the water ends up pea-green with algae.

I think that, from now on, the pool maintenance guys will be too busy with routine maintenance to do a re-grout - this is a job best done in winter when they aren't so busy.

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:12pm

Cheryl

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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:12pm

We also leave our pool full, uncovered and largely ignored all winter although we do fish out the leaves after they have all fallen from the trees. We also run the pump every night so it doesn't seize up. Apart from that we wait until the weather warms up (especially at night) and then do a thorough scrub of the walls and bottom and start sorting out the water with chemicals just before we want to use it.

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:30pm

jimtaylor

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Location: Mudamiento

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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:30pm

Thanks Cheryl, I'd forgotten about that. A pump motor will definitely seize up if it's not run and, if you can't do a DIY repair, then you're looking at a price of at least €250 for a new motor and pump, although a refurb is possible for about €100.

Leave the pool full, and give it a mega dose of slow-release chlorine.

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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:06am

alan21

Original Poster

Posts: 12

Location: Moraira

Joined: 19 Feb 2020

Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:06am

Loz61 wrote on Mon Apr 13, 2020 4:35pm:
Hi I personally leave my pool full all winter, and then at the start of the summer clean it, which probably takes a day, it's a lot cheaper than buying all of that water, and I l ive here all year

Many thanks for your prompt and helpful reply. Very much appreciated by an "old Codger "

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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:09am

alan21

Original Poster

Posts: 12

Location: Moraira

Joined: 19 Feb 2020

Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:09am

jimtaylor wrote on Mon Apr 13, 2020 4:42pm:
I'd be extremely reluctant to leave a pool empty for any length of time, but it depends to a large extent on the ground where it's located.
If there's any natural ground movement, this could lead to the pool walls cracking.

Read more...

If there's a high water table, the hydro-static pressure could force the pool free of its moorings, and you'd have a concrete barge.
And if there's even a minor earthquake - quite common here - then this could lead to the pool walls collapsing or the bottom heaving.
I personally think it would be better to leave the pool full of water, even if it's unattended and the water ends up pea-green with algae.
I think that, from now on, the pool maintenance guys will be too busy with routine maintenance to do a re-grout - this is a job best done in winter when they aren't so busy.

Hi Jim Many thanks for your very helpful comments which are much appreciated. Alan

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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:11am

alan21

Original Poster

Posts: 12

Location: Moraira

Joined: 19 Feb 2020

Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:11am

Cheryl wrote on Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:12pm:
We also leave our pool full, uncovered and largely ignored all winter although we do fish out the leaves after they have all fallen from the trees. We also run the pump every night so it doesn't seize up. Apart from that we wait until the weather warms up (especially at night) and then do a thoro...

Read more...

...ugh scrub of the walls and bottom and start sorting out the water with chemicals just before we want to use it.

Hello Cheryl It was very kind of you to be so prompt in your reply and so helpful from yorur own practical experience Many thanks Alan