It is one of the most common questions when the cold arrives: “Pablo, in winter is it better to drain the pool or leave it full?”. Many people believe that draining the pool saves chemicals and work, but leaving the pool completely empty is a fairly common mistake that can cause serious damage to the pool shell.
In this article we explain why water is the best protection for your pool during the months it is not in use.
1. Water as a structural counterweight
It may not seem like it, but the water in your pool plays a vital mechanical role.
- Ground pressure: The soil around the pool shell exerts constant inward pressure.
- Counterweight effect: The weight of the water inside offsets that external force. If you drain the pool, ground pressure can crack the shell or even lift the pool out of place (especially in areas with high water tables or heavy rainfall).
2. Protecting the lining (liner and reinforced membrane)
If your pool is not a traditional concrete pool with mosaic tiles, the risk is even greater.
- Sensitive materials: A liner or reinforced membrane should never be left without contact with water.
- Deterioration: Without water, the material dries out from exposure to air and sun, loses elasticity, wrinkles and eventually tears beyond repair.
3. The right option: winterising
The professional recommendation from Quimipool is always to leave the pool full and winterised.
- Water level: It is only advisable to lower the level slightly (below the skimmers) if you live in an area with hard frosts, to prevent expanding ice from damaging the pipes.
- Real savings: Keeping the water treated with winterising products is far cheaper and more environmentally friendly than draining and refilling thousands of litres every season.
Frequently asked questions about draining
When should a pool be drained?
Only in exceptional cases: to carry out structural repairs (such as fixing leaks in the shell or replacing tiles) or when the water is so chemically degraded that it cannot be recovered. In those cases, the pool should stay empty for as short a time as possible.
Will the water go bad if I leave it full all winter?
Not if you follow the right procedure. With a good winterising product and minimal filtration, the water reaches spring in good condition and is much easier to bring back.
Is it dangerous if the water surface freezes?
If the ice layer is very thick, it can push against the walls. To prevent this, as well as lowering the level slightly, you can use winter floats or empty containers that absorb the expansion of the ice and protect the structure.
Conclusion
The safe and economical option is to keep your pool full and well protected. At Quimipool you will find everything you need, from covers to winterising products, to keep your pool protected through the winter.
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Test your pool water before adding chemicals and save up to 30%
Have you ever stopped to think whether you really need all the chemicals you add to your pool? By testing the water before treating it, you can save up to 30% of the product you normally use.Test strips: quick and affordableThey are the simplest option: dip the strip for one second and compare the colour with the scale on the container.The Set of test strips 4 parameters measures free chlorine, pH, total alkalinity and cyanuric acid in a single dip. If you also want to monitor bromine and hardness, the 7-parameter test strip kit adds total chlorine, total hardness and total bromine to the list. And if you only need the basics, the Astralpool 3-in-1 test strips cover free chlorine, pH and alkalinity.Comparator kits: a little more precisionThe Pooltester kit chlorine pH analysis (high range) uses reagent tablets and a colorimetric system to measure chlorine (0.5-6.0 mg/l) and pH (6.8-8.2) much more accurately than a strip, although it takes a little more handling.Digital meters: no more judging colours by eyeThe Hanna Checker HI 701 free chlorine analyser is a pocket digital colorimeter: it measures free chlorine between 0.0 and 2.50 ppm objectively, so the result does not depend on how each person reads the colour.Photometers: the professional optionIf you want the highest level of detail, the Lovibond Scuba 3s photometer measures up to 10 parameters (free and total chlorine, pH, alkalinity, bromine, copper, cyanuric acid, calcium hardness, phosphate and active oxygen), complies with the UNE-ISO 17381 standard and sends the results via NFC to the PoolAssistant app.And if you need the most complete equipment, the PoolLAB 2.0 photometer can measure up to 24 different parameters, with 3 measuring chambers that let you analyse several at once, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and the LabCom app to save your history and receive dosing recommendations.Here is the full video: View on Instagram View on TikTok If you are not sure which product you need, write to us and we will help you choose the one best suited to your pool.
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How many hours a day should your pool filtration system run?
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Beatbot Sora P7: the cordless robot that cleans the floor, walls and surface
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