We talked a bit about draining our pool for the winter. We had a pool before that was in-ground, but it had a nice wall around it. Not too tall, but tall enough that if anyone fell in, it was their own stupid fault. But, the pool we have now just has a small lip around it to keep rain from pooling up and running in. It also keeps the trash that is blowing around in the back yard from getting in easily.
Even though we have days in the 90s throughout the winter, the water gets pretty cold in the swimming pool. We have not been in the pool in probably 2 months and won’t return to swimming in it until late February.
If you don’t drain it, you still have to clean it. We have no filtration on the pool. You have to have a cleaning company come in with a pump and all the cleaning gear. It only costs $6 each time they come. But unless you pay for this service while the pool is not being used, it can start to look nasty.
If you drain it, there is not the clean up involved, but there is the risk that someone will accidentally fall in and get seriously hurt. We have a 2 year old daughter and an 8 (soon to be 9) year old son. Either of them falling in is a possibility. If you have water in the pool they don’t get hurt, except the possibility of drowning which is a risk factor year around. The 8 year old can swim without any problems. The 2 year old has to be watched each time she goes into the back yard.
Well, yesterday it finally happened. Our son fell in…twice!
He was riding his bike around the edge of the pool and lost his balance. He fell off right into the water. I looked up just in time to see him propelling himself out of the water with the claim “It’s not cold!” (I did not believe him). He quickly got out of his wet clothes and dried off.
Several hours later he was trying the same trick again and this time he and his bike went in. I got to him before he could get out and made him stay in to fish his bike off the bottom of the pool. It took him a while to get it because after just a few seconds he was so cold he could not function. When he finally got it up to me he did not have enough strength to pull himself out of the water.
He admitted it was cold the second time.
non practical pool solution: concrete… bags and bags of concrete
Well, you are right. That is not practical since it is a rental house. We also have 8 months of good swimming weather here.
It is where I ice down after my runs. It is great to be able to come home from a run and jump into the pool, after removing the shoes of course. This lets me rinse off my running clothes and hang them out to dry so they don’t smell so bad between washings.
You know I can understand falling into the pool once–but twice, and in the same day!!!!!!!!!