Pool Newbie

[poolfool72]

We just purchased a home with an inground pebbletech swimming pool. The swimming pool is connected to a spa and the water cirulates between the two. The pool isn't huge but is 7 feet deep at the deepest end.

The problem is the home is for my elderly parents who don't swim at all and I am worried about one of them falling in. They don't use the pool or spa and it just came with a house which they love. I was thinking of some different options here but am looking for advice....

-- Drain the pool and leave it empty. I understand this could cause the pool to crack over time? We are in Southern California.

-- Leave the pool half filled to reduce the risk of the pool caving in but creating a lower depth

-- Installing some sort of platform at the deep end so that if they fill in, they could simply stand up. Does something like this exist?

-- Pool cover? Do they have permanent pool covers? Can we just cancel the pool maintenance service if we install a permanent pool cover?

Any ideas? Other suggestions?

Thank you.

[quantumchromodynamics]

You don't want to leave it half-full or empty due to your concern for someone falling in. A half-full pool will get very nasty very quickly and would be a health hazard.

An empty pool can be pushed out of the ground by water pressure if the ground water is high enough.

I think that you want to preserve the quality of the pool in case you ever need to sell the property. Or, you could have the pool removed and filled in, but that would be expensive.

I think that the best option is to install a solid safety cover. You can run the pump on low for a few hours a day to keep the water from going bad.

You should have a 2-speed or variable speed pump. You should run the pump for about 2 to 4 hours a day at about 25 to30 gpm.

Maintenance should be minimal. Just check the pool chemicals about once per week and adjust as needed.

Loop-Loc

Merlin

Meyco

Anchor

[poolfool72]

Thanks.

We were considering the pool cover, but we're looking for other posssible options...

If we continued to service the pool, would there be any issues in pumping about 2 1/2 feet of water out (so that the at it's deepest point, it's only 4.5 feet deep, rather than 7 feet)?

I assume having some water in it would mitigate any of the issues relating to hydrostatic pressure, but would the pool still circulate and not cause any damage to the equipment with less water in it?

Thank you.

[quantumchromodynamics]

The pool really won't operate properly with a lowered water level and the plaster would be exposed, which could cause it to delaminate.

You could lower the level and plug the skimmers so that you could circulate using only the main drain, but that is not a really great idea.

What about putting some sort of safety fence around the pool?

Loop-Loc fencing

CPSC Reference

[poolfool72]

The pool really won't operate properly with a lowered water level and the plaster would be exposed, which could cause it to delaminate.

You could lower the level and plug the skimmers so that you could circulate using only the main drain, but that is not a really great idea.

What about putting some sort of safety fence around the pool?

Loop-Loc fencing

CPSC Reference

[poolfool72]

The pool really won't operate properly with a lowered water level and the plaster would be exposed, which could cause it to delaminate.

You could lower the level and plug the skimmers so that you could circulate using only the main drain, but that is not a really great idea.

What about putting some sort of safety fence around the pool?

Loop-Loc fencing

CPSC Reference

The parentals aren't keen on laying a fence around the pool. I spoke to a pool company about the cost to raise the deep end and they quoted me $25K! Wow....

Someone else suggested just laying concrete block or brick (no mortar, just laying them on top of each other) at the bottom of the deep end to raise the overall height at the deep end. This sounds like a good/simple solution to me.

Is there anything I'm missing or not considering here? Would these materials disintegrate over time or cause any other pool problems?

Thank you.

[quantumchromodynamics]

I would have several concerns about loading the deep end with brick or block.

The first concern would have to do with keeping the pool clean. It would not be possible to keep the dirt and algae from building up between the bricks or blocks. I think that you would lose control of the pool within a short period of time.

The next concern would be the weight of the concrete. The pool was not designed to support that amount of weight. It could crack or settle unevenly.

What about creating some sort of safety net that can be stretched across the surface of the pool? Perhaps you could use a blue or clear material to make it less noticeable.

The hard part would be finding some way to secure the net without the equipment being too expensive or ugly. Perhaps you could use strong stainless steel cables that would run along both sides and ends. You could secure the cables outside the deck to posts.

[poolfool72]

I would have several concerns about loading the deep end with brick or block.

The first concern would have to do with keeping the pool clean. It would not be possible to keep the dirt and algae from building up between the bricks or blocks. I think that you would lose control of the pool within a short period of time.

The next concern would be the weight of the concrete. The pool was not designed to support that amount of weight. It could crack or settle unevenly.

What about creating some sort of safety net that can be stretched across the surface of the pool? Perhaps you could use a blue or clear material to make it less noticeable.

The hard part would be finding some way to secure the net without the equipment being too expensive or ugly. Perhaps you could use strong stainless steel cables that would run along both sides and ends. You could secure the cables outside the deck to posts.

Thanks for the reply...

I assumed the weight wouldn't be an issue because it's my understanding that the concrete blocks would weigh less than the water that it would displace.

As for the dirt/algae between the blocks, I assumed the chlorine would take care of this? No?

We're trying to avoid any kind of fence or cover solution here..

Any help is appreciated....

Thank you.

[quantumchromodynamics]

Thanks for the reply...

I assumed the weight wouldn't be an issue because it's my understanding that the concrete blocks would weigh less than the water that it would displace.

As for the dirt/algae between the blocks, I assumed the chlorine would take care of this? No?

We're trying to avoid any kind of fence or cover solution here..

Any help is appreciated....

Thank you.

Concrete or brick is about twice as heavy as water. Adding concrete or brick will add about 62 pounds per cubic foot.

Example: If you added 18 ft. x 15 ft. x 2 ft. of block, that would add about 33,480 pounds to the deep end.

Dirt, rocks, sand, bugs, leaves and other debris are constantly getting in the pool. This debris would settle inside all of the nooks and crannies in the brick or block and you would not be able to get it out.

The spaces between the blocks would deplete the available chlorine and algae would begin to grow. The spaces would not get good circulation, so the chlorine would not be replenished.

Another issue would be the danger of having an unexpected underwater structure. You would have to be careful to make sure to prevent anyone from diving in and breaking their neck.