Interesting story out of Tampa, FL. I haven’t seen one in person for a few years.
Someone drained their inground pool, and hydrostatic pressure popped it out of the ground. Homeowner’s insurance won’t pay (don’t blame them) to fix the damages.
Dom.
Great picture thanks .
When installing a septic system here they tell people to fill it with water NOW! so this does not happen .
It’s the homeowners fault for draining the pool.
Yep, happens all the time when they don’t check the water table first. With a water table depth of a few feet, the empty pool turns into a concrete boat (which does float).
I have seen this happen…
No surprise…
Homeowners Insurance does not cover Ignorance and Stupidity.
Had no idea that could happen.
Not many built in here.
Hi Dom,
The water table is about 600 feet in Phoenix—:lol:, we drain our pools about every three years, or I do at least, you cannot balance the chemicals any longer.
Never seen that before either, very nice.
Why won’t the AH ins co pay?
They pay every day for dumb folks that play with matches, don’t know how to clean a range or vent and allow water to cascade down from floor to floor.
And they even pay for idiots that drive their cars into pools!:roll:
Hey Dale we had that problem this year with chemicals. But main reason it was drained was to recoat it with plaster. I’m president of our HOA and few had concern about floating pool. I said we usually don’t have that problem here in GA but have seen it in FL!
I don’t know if they still do it, but, there used to be a copper plug that fits in a hole that was drilled in the pool. You have to chip out the marcite to get it out. That way if the water table comes up, it just fills the pool. I remember they guy using a metal detector to find ours.
I didn’t look at the article, but I know of a neighborhood in Coral Springs, where a bunch of pools popped when they were being refinished. On the one I inspected, they tried to make up the difference with thick pavers, unfortunately, the crack all the way around the pool about two feet from the floor, gave the game away.
I have pipes and rock under my pool to de-water.
All pools built in areas of a POSSIBLE high water table should have a dewatering system like the one John referred to. For most concrete pools it requires only about a 40" difference in the water level from inside to outside to cause them to pop or crack. The copper plug that was referred to by Eric is rarely if ever used any more, instead we use a “hydrostatic relief” valve. Basically a check valve typically installed in the main drain. Many pool contractors skip the hydro relief due to their tendency to leak, not the best plan. My pool construction company has to actually buy “pool pop” insurance in addition to our GL and there are damn few companies that sell it.