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How To Fill In An Inground Pool

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How To Fill An In

How to Fill In An Inground Pool – How to Fill an Inground Pool with Dirt

21 September, 2017

Whether you have drained and cleaned your pool or it is brand new, your first task come pool season is to fill it. Larger pools can hold upwards of 26,000 gallons of water. Any way you choose to fill your pool will cost you money, but some options cost more than others. You can call your local fire department to see if they will fill your pool for a donation there are companies that will truck water to your house or there’s always the good old-fashioned garden hose. The cheapest way to fill a pool is with your hose.

Filling In A Pool With Concrete

Pool companies will not fill in a swimming pool with concrete, as the cost is far higher than it is to fill a pool with dirt. However, a partial removal involves filling the pool with the broken-up concrete from the demolition, which is cheaper and requires less dirt.

A full swimming pool demolition is required if you are looking to build a new structure afterward. Installing a concrete slab costs$4 to $8 per square foot once the pool is filled in.

Cost To Fill In A Pool With Dirt

The average cost to fill in a swimming pool with dirt is $1,000 to $6,000, including delivery, labor, compacted fill dirt, and topsoil. Structural fill dirt costs$10 to $30 per cubic yard, depending on the amount needed.

Cost To Fill In A Pool With Dirt

Pool Size
$4,500 $13,500

*Based on pool that’s 6′ deep. Dirt only.

Always hire an engineer to supervise the filling and compacting process to prevent sinking or swelling from poor drainage.

Structural fill dirt needs to be heavily compacted, but not the top 3 to 12 of topsoil. Since dirt settles over time, another option is mixing the broken-up concrete from the demolition with fill dirt.

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City Water From A Fire Hydrant

Because garden hoses are such a slow way to fill a pool, many people wonder if its possible to fill a pool with water from a fire hydrant.

Cost: Varies tremendously. In some places, a fire department will do it for free, as an exercise to flush the line. In other places, they will do it for the cost of water, or perhaps you need to rent the hoses or pay an access fee. In some cities, you cant do it at all and can get arrested for trying.

Time: A fire hydrant in good working order can deliver 1,500 gpm, but you shouldnt fill a pool with fire hydrant water at full pressure even though it is one of the faster ways to do it.

Considerations: If you have a fire hydrant near your home, it may be worth calling your local fire department to ask about the possibility. There is huge local variation in the use of fire hydrants, but it doesnt hurt to ask.

How To Fill Your Pool The Convenient Way

Inground Pool Removal/Fill

A professional water hauler can have your shiny new pool filled with high-quality water in a matter of hours. The best part is there will be absolutely no effort on your part. In addition, this is a great way to check for any potential problems. With a hose, a set it and forget mentality is being used. No one watches it and issues are not detected until it is too late. When you hire a water hauler, there is a watchful eye looking for leaks and any other issues.

When youre thinking about whether you should fill your pool with a water truck or hose, remember that with a water hauler youre not just paying for the water. To provide even further assurance, it is always a good idea to have your pool installer present with at least the beginning of the first fill. That is simply not possible with a garden hose due to the amount of time it would take to fill.

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City Water And A Garden Hose

You can always connect your garden hose to an outdoor tap, and use it to fill your pool.

Cost: The average American household uses about 12,000 gallons of water a month, so, depending on the size of your pool, you can expect to roughly double your water bill when filling a pool. Your city may also charge an additional sewer fee.

Time: It can take up to 48 hours to fill a standard sized swimming pool with a garden hose.

Considerations: You should call your water company or utility office and ask them about the rate for filling a pool. They will help you estimate the total costs, and may waive or reduce sewer fees if they know you are filling a pool. On the other hand, if you live in an area with water shortages or rationing, they may charge extra for filling a pool, or you may not be able to use city water to fill a pool at all.

How To Fill An Inground Pool With Dirt

03 March, 2010

Backyard swimming pools are fun and relaxing, but the time and expense of maintaining them can be taxing. If youve had enough of your pool and want to get rid of it, total demolition is not necessary. Consider covering the pool with dirt and laying down a lawn. Unless you have a jackhammer and experience using one, youll need to hire a contractor to break up your pool and level the rim. Expect to pay thousands for the dirt fill unless you have a cheap or free source already lined up.

Inspect the pool area and review the property blueprints to determine where utility lines are located. Buried electric and telephone cables, gas pipes and plumbing need to be located before any digging begins. Shut and close off any water pipes going to the pool. Remove pipes that are near the surface.

  • Backyard swimming pools are fun and relaxing, but the time and expense of maintaining them can be taxing.
  • Unless you have a jackhammer and experience using one, youll need to hire a contractor to break up your pool and level the rim.

Remove pool hardware such as slides or metal stairs. Remove any decking, rails and wooden stairs. Use hammers and crowbars to pry wood apart or use screwdrivers if decks were constructed using screws. Consider doing a neat job so you can reuse or sell the wood.

Use the jackhammer to break up the rim of the pool to below the level of the surrounding yard. Discard pool remnants into the bottom of the pool, but try not to cover the holes.

Warning

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Some Helpful Tips For Filling Your Pool

  • Filter your water. If you use any method to fill your pool that involves a garden hose, its a good idea to use a garden hose filter. These are inexpensive little attachments that simply screw on to the end of your hose and filter out all kinds of contaminants. Trust me, it will save you tons of trouble when youre trying to balance the water.

  • Keep an eye on the pool liner while youre filling it. Its not uncommon for the liner to slip or wrinkle in places while it sits there waiting to be filled. And if it does, youll have a heck of a time straightening it out once a few thousand gallons of water are on top of it.

  • . Remember, just using the water available to you isnt always the best choice. You might find that water delivery in your area is a few hundred bucks cheaper than using city water.

  • Shock your pool soon after its filled. You may find the water doesnt need too much adjusting if you use city water, a filter, or a delivery service that treats it themselves. But in most cases, youll need to add some chemicals. Shocking your pool is the best way to sort of start it from ground zero and then add what it needs to get it balanced.

  • Install all the railing and fittings before you start filling. The railing around the top will help keep the liner in place. Its also much easier to do before theres heavy water pulling down the liner and getting in the way.

Ways To Fill Up Your Swimming Pool With Water

Closing an InGround Swimming Pool – FOREVER

There are few different ways to fill your swimming pool with water. Some methods are faster than others, while some are more affordable. So whether youre looking for the fastest, or cheapest way to fill your pool with water, this section is for you.

One of the easiest, and most affordable ways to fill your swimming pool is by using city tap water and a garden hose. All you need is running water, a garden hose, and an outdoor water spigot to connect it to.

With that said, before filling your swimming pool, be sure to check for any water shortages or mandatory rationing in your state.

How long does it take to fill a swimming pool with a garden hose?

For an average-sized, 15,000-gallon swimming pool, it takes about 48 hours to fill the pool with water.

What is the cheapest way to fill my pool?

While it may not be the fastest way, using a garden hose and city tap water is the cheapest way to fill your swimming pool.

The average American family uses 12,000 gallons of water per month. And the average-sized swimming pool is around 15,000 gallons. So with that math, it costs a little more than your average monthly water bill to fill up your swimming pool. Whenever you decide to fill your swimming pool, expect your water bill to double that month.

Is It Cheaper To Fill A Pool With A Hose?

Have you ever wondered if you can buy water to fill your pool? Specifically, if you can pay for a water delivery service that sends the water straight into your swimming pool?

Also Check: Pool Spiders

How Much Does It Cost To Fill A Pool With Water

Pool filling costs less than you think with all factors considered. The average homeowner uses about 12,000 gallons of water per month. The average pool is somewhere between 15,000- 30,000 gallons. Using that simple math, it stands to reason that your water bill will at least double when you fill your pool for the first time from a hose. For just a few more pennies per gallon, you could enjoy more time splashing with the family and alleviate any hassle associated with the task at hand.

Pool Removal Contractors Discuss What Goes Into Inground Pool Removal & Demolition

Whether youre over the maintenance of your pool or you have other plans for your backyard landscape you have options!

You can hire the pros to take care of your inground pool maintenance for you. Or you can remove the pool.

Pool demolition experts can help you make the most of our backyard living space by removing or partially removing your inground pool to make way for bigger, better plans.

Heres whats in store for this type of pool renovation, how it works, some price-points, and the benefits of pool removal.

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Swimming Pool Backfill Material

When you dug out your hole for your swimming pool we had you separate the material you dug out a pile with your grass, a pile of the top soil and the remaining material that may be useable for backfill material. If that material is a gravely mix that seems compactable you can use that. If this third pile has many large rocks, or is a clay based material or red pan, or any material that retains water, you should avoid using this as backfill against your inground pool walls.

Its expensive to truck out bad fill, and truck in gravel, but good backfill material is important against the pool walls and as support for your pool deck. If you do need to bring in more suitable backfill material you want a good gravely mix or just plain gravel or any compactable material. Your local sand and gravel yard can advise you of the best choice in your area.

Turn Your Pool Into A Deck

Filling in an Inground Swimming Pool

You dont have to bring in the jackhammers and dirt to fill in your pool if you transform it into a deck. A deck is a great idea if you would to like use the space for outdoor gatherings or a peaceful area to sit back and enjoy the outdoors.

The process includes using composite decking to cover the pool area. The cost of a deckover can vary depending on several factors:

  • Your pools surface area
  • Your pools shape curved pools are more difficult
  • Your vision of extras, like benches or levels
  • Your choice of materials to use on the deck

You can call a local contractor for an estimate on cost, but most deckovers require a $10,000 to $12,000 investment. In most cases, you can have a usable outdoor area within a week.

Investing in a deck-over for your pool depends on the area and your needs. Whats great about this as a solution is you can use the area under the deck as storage. If you arent sure about losing your pool forever, you can remove the deck and use the pool again in the future.

Read Also: Intex Pool Shock Calculator

Alternatives To Removing Your Pool

If you can remember a time when you loved the idea of having an inground swimming pool, but you just dont want to deal with your concrete pools upkeep anymore, you have a third option: replace it with a different type of inground pool.

In general, youll get to choose between a vinyl liner and a fiberglass swimming pool. Youll save more money upfront on a vinyl liner pool, but its not as durable and it requires more maintenance and upkeep . Vinyl liner pools are also typically incompatible with salt water generators.

If you want to replace your inground pool with a swimming pool thats both durable and low-maintenance, a fiberglass pool might be a good option for you. This will likely cost between $50,000 and $70,000, depending on the size of your old pool and the size of the new pool that you plan to put in. You can read about the process of replacing your concrete pool with a fiberglass pool to learn more.

  • Low lifetime cost of ownership
  • Saves energy

It’s Not An Asset For Selling The House

In many cases, a well-constructed and maintained swimming pool is still considered a perk when it comes to listing your house for sale. But not if you have let it fall apart. Would you want to buy a house with a dilapidated pool in the backyard?

Check with local real estate agents and listings to see if pools in any condition really help or actually hinder the resale value of a home.

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Above Ground Pool Removal Costs

Pools that live above the ground have a relatively simple process for teardown, averaging $2,700. However, if there is an intricate deck or landscaping attached or near the pool, those elements might warrant removal or redesign as well. For the pool itself, the elimination will involve:

  • Draining it with a sewer pump.
  • Unscrewing and unbolting the walls before tearing them apart with a hand tool.
  • Renting a dumpster or hiring a crew to haul away the debris.
  • Redesigning the space left behind, either with landscaping or a new structure like a patio. Building a deck costs most homeowners about $7,700.

If this type of project isn’t new to you, you may be able to complete at least part of the process yourself and hire a pro to tackle anything beyond your abilities or comfort.

Installing A New Pool

Fiberglass Pool removal and Backfill

Some homeowners remove a pool to replace it with a new one. Typically, the installation of a new swimming pool costs$17,000 to $45,000. People often opt for this choice when their existing one hasn’t been properly cared for and is suffering visible structural damage, or they are looking for a more modern look or more economical size.

If your goal is to replace your pool, your project will be more expensive and take longer to complete than if you were simply taking one out. You should expect to pay added labor and material fees. However, you won’t have to worry about filling in the space since you’ll be installing a new one, which can save around $15 per cubic yard.

Get a Pro Pool Removal & Fill In Quote

The common tools involved include:

  • Excavator with rubber tracks.
  • Truck for pouring in fill.
  • Dumpster for storing debris and hauling it away.

Typically, a contractor includes these charges in his or her estimate. If this is a DIY project, it could run a homeowner up to $2,000 to rent equipment for a few days.

Another item that might add to overall price is access. If it’s tricky to get the required equipment into your yard for the teardown, fill-in, and haul-off, then the cost of the project could rise substantially.

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Compacting Dirt For The Pool

It is important to compact the dirt every step of the way as you fill in your inground swimming pool. That way you can mitigate potential settling. We would never want to affect the land and cause a sink hole. Before adding any dirt, we drain holes in the bottom of the pool to allow for any water to escape. This will avoid any possible water buildup issues that could occur. We use our John Deere compact track loader to make the process go much faster and more efficiently. Every layer of dirt that is added is packed down firmly throughout the entire pool. Look at the pictures below demonstrating the process and tools used along the way.

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