Pool Drain Nightmare
This is by far the worst pool pop I have ever seen. Many times when a pool pops up it may only move less than a foot or two. This pool is elevated on one end a whopping 52 inches! This was a very unusual pool pop because a majority of the time it is the deep end that lifts. The deep end of a pool is the lowest and is usually affected the most by the hydraulic pressure. This hydraulic pressure is the same pressure that acts on boats and heavy vessels that float on water. The displacement of air in water is what causes these vessels to float. You are doing the same thing when you drain a pool, displacing the water in the pool for air. If the surrounding ground water is high enough it will push the pool up and out of the ground. Careful attention is needed to pump out this surrounding ground water so that very little hydraulic pressure acts on the pool shell.
The back story on this nightmare here was that the homeowner hired a fly-by-night pool company that gave him a surprisingly low bid to acid wash the pool. The pool company started draining the pool and went to lunch. When they came back the pool had lifted. They packed up and left right away. The homeowner tried to contact them to no avail. Even going to the authorities was a dead end. The homeowner contacted his insurance company and they would not help because it was done by an unlicensed contractor.
Most homeowner insurance policies do not include hydraulic movement damages. This is why you should never drain your pool yourself. Hire a company that is licensed with the state and has pool pop insurance. Pool pop insurance is an extra rider on the liability insurance. VERIFY that insurance; do not take their word for it. You need to have a copy of that insurance along with your invoice or estimate from the company that is performing the drain & clean.
We at Professional Poolcare have all the equipment necessary to drain your pool with complete safety. We also carry a $300,000 policy for pool pop insurance but have never made a claim. Since we do many acid washes each year in Orlando, we are seasoned in ascertaining whether or not your pool would look good with just an acid wash or if it will need resurfacing. Depending on the clarity of your pool water this may or may not be possible. Many times in very green pools we cannot tell what shape the pool floor is in until we drain the pool completely. If it comes down to it we can provide you with a quote for resurfacing to get your pool in showroom condition.
