Well, time to winterize

So, we got a good two months out of the pool... I had it heated this last week and the family was swimming last night with 47 degree temps and the pool was at 98 degrees... ;)

But, now it is time to winterize it, and I have a decent handle on most of it, but I do have a question in regards to the "excess material" my liner has.

As it stands the liner is a little oval for a 27ft round pool. there is excess on both sides directly across from one another. I currently have it pulled into a seam about halfway down the sidewall on both sides. it starts as a small crease and then becomes a good 2-3 inch flap at it's thickest on both sides of the pool.

I do plan on replacing the liner in spring, but for now I was hoping to winterize it, so I have three options I see:

1) Pull the excess all the way to the bottom. Difficult because of the water pressure. I would also need to get goggles and a snorkel system to do it underwater easier.

2) Pull the excess all the way to the top and either tie it back with tape or some other means. Concern here is that is would come undone and pillow out above and potentially rip if it gets caught in ice.

3) Do nothing. Concern here is that the excess would get entrapped in ice and that would end up ripping the liner by shifting.

Now I plan on draining below the returns, using plugs, plugging the skimmer, removing all the hardlines, putting in antifreeze in the main drains and blowing out the lines, etc... Just that I am concerned about the liner ripping and the pool leaking out over winter.

There is no way I would change a liner now, especially since I am not done with the paver patio just yet (close, but not done), so that needs my attention.

Any and all advice is appreciated.

I plan on putting on a winter cover and air pillow as well as putting on it an automatic water pump to keep water pumped off the cover.

C'mon, no-one has any input???

Sorry, I have no experience dealing with ice in the pool down here in coastal SE VA.

This is the slow time of year, and getting slower. We're down to a crawl and soon even that will end. While I do have ice every winter, as bad as my liner ever was I cannot even visualize what you are describing. Since you are planning on replacing the liner, I can only give a wild guess as to what's best. My first suggestion would be to NOT cover the pool, leave it open. That way, in the liner ruptures, a cover weighted down with water, ice and snow won't pull down your walls. My second suggestion would be to add guy lines to the outside so if you lose water you have additional support to prevent it collapsing inward.

But as I said, I'm guessing.

Thanks for the reply...

As it turns out I am not using a cover, and no pillow either...

With all the cold we had so quickly this month, the pool is already an ice cube... I don't know if it goes down very far or not, I haven't been out to check on it since I have been recovering from doing 12-16 hour days getting the patio finished... My hands are still far from "good" and still heavily calloused.

I did get all the hard lines off, lines blown out (added about a gallon of anti-freeze per line "just to be sure"), everything plugged and added about 3 gallons of anti-freeze into the main drain on the pool. Everything is capped off and "done". Water was drained to about 2-3 inches below the returns. Basically got it all done the day the cold front moved in, as the temp dropped from 39-40 in the morning to about 30 degree as I was finishing up at 2-3pm. I drained the cartridge filter, even removing the plug underneath and fully draining it, as well as bringing in the pressure gauge. The filter is still outside, as it will take me another week or so to make room in the garage for it. But, eventually the heater and the cartridge filter will be moved into the garage as well.

Best of luck! Curious to see what new liner you pick!