#7-Pool Area Drainage Problems

Popup #7

Pool Area Drainage Problems

Water damaging/ bulging the pool liner and damaging pool patio, causing muddy water to flow into the pool, increasing mosquitoes.

Pool Drainage 

As with a home, a good drainage system can double the healthy life of your pool and pool patio. We have helped numerous customers who have had issues with muddy water flowing into their pools, pool liners bulging in/ wrinkling, pool patios cracking and other structures around pools being damaged by poor drainage.

Pool Liners Bulging In: 

As we’ve been experiencing bigger rain events, we’re getting more and more calls from customers whose pool liners are starting to bulge inward, looking like big water balloons in the corners of their pools. This happens when the water level surrounding the pool is higher than the water level in the pool. This hydrostatic pressure forces water down and into the pool through hairline cracks in the pool concrete causing the liner to balloon up. Once the water drains off, the water between the pool structure and the liner may subside leaving wrinkles in the pool liner. Typically, to fix these wrinkles, a pool needs to be drained, the liner needs to be re-stretched and resecured. This can cost thousands of dollars but proper drainage can prevent this as well as other damage to the pool, patio and nearby structures with the added benefit of reducing pests like mosquitoes that are attracted to wetness. 

Pool French Foundation Drains & Sump Pump Systems: Good pool builders typically install a French drain around the bottom of the pool. This is basically a foundation drain (otherwise known as a footer drain, drain tile or a curtain drain) that either drains out via gravity or with a sump pump, preferably an automatic float-controlled sump pump system. The sump pump system should automatically pump water out once it gets to a certain level so that water never builds up too high on the outside of the pool. 

The actual pool pumps and filter systems (not to be confused with the sump pumps) often need to be backwashed so it is also helpful to have a drain to carry the backwash away. This drain is also helpful if the pool needs to be drained. 

Pools Lifting, Floating Up: 

It’s amazing to see that the giant concrete structure of a pool can be lifted by water and even float up like a boat. I was on the job once where they just installed a brand new concrete pool. After a 4 inch rain event, the next day the pool floated up about a third of the way out of the hole. The entire pool had to be broken up, removed and reinstalled. When a pool is filled with water, this is much less likely to happen but if the water level around the pool is high enough and the water level in the pool is low enough, or if the pool is drained it can cause the pool to lift. 

Many homeowners have a manual pump which is not ideal. It may be electric but it needs to physically be turned on rather than automatically turning on with the float switch. Replacing the system with an automatic sump pump can save you thousands by preventing damage. Moreover, it is important to understand your pool drainage system and to know whether or not you even have a pool pump system, a French drain system around the pool or drain pipe and outlets for draining and back flushing the system. If you’re not sure about any of these, Drain Designs can help. Give us a call if you’d like to discuss any of this or have us check your pool drainage system in order to keep your pool environment healthy and prevent costly depreciation and other problems down the road.