Filling in a Concrete In-Ground Swimming Pool
Filling in a concrete in-ground pool becomes necessary when the pool becomes too much to maintain, develops structural defects or outlives its usefulness. Filling in an in-ground pool requires a lot of time and work, usually requiring the help of a pool professional or demolition company. Filling in a built-in pool necessitates much more work than just piling on dirt and packing it in. This is not an easy job, even for a very handy do it yourselfer. Demolition companies use heavy machinery to break up and fill in the pool.
Check local town ordinances and obtain the proper permits.
Call utility companies and have them come and mark the ground around the in-ground pool, above the location of electrical lines, gas and water pipes.
Drain the water out of the pool or call a water company specializing in pool drainage. These types of companies drain the water from pools into their own tank trucks and haul it away. If you are draining to water yourself, remember many cities and towns won't allow drainage into a sewer system.
Turn off the electrical power at the main box that leads to the pool and disconnect the wires from the junction box.
Disconnect the filter lines and remove the filter and set aside or discard.
Place 2"x4"s across the width of the pool at the bottom, middle and near the top every 3 feet to shore-up the walls and keep them from collapsing while breaking up the bottom of the pool. Once the bottom of the pool is broken up there is a danger of the walls collapsing especially if you live in an area where there is a high water content.
Use a jackhammer to break up the bottom of the pool, push broken pieces to the deep end.
Remove pool filtration pipes by cutting them out with a saw or disconnecting them with a wrench.
Remove top 2"x4"s used for shoring, bottom ones may be left in place if desired.
Use the jackhammer to break-up the concrete around the pool and push it into the deep end. Do not fill an in-ground pool with broken concrete more than halfway up the pool wall in order to allow the surface dirt to be used for another purpose.
Use a sledge hammer or heavy pick ax to chip away at the top 1/3 of the pool sides.
Back fill the hole with clean fill dirt to at least a 18 to 24-inch hill over the top to allow for settling. If you call a company to deliver dirt have them dump the dirt directly into the pool.
Consider hiring a demolition specialist to fill in the pool, but be aware they usually cost more than the installation of the pool.
Never dig without first calling utility companies, you can break gas lines and cause an explosion. You can also rip out electrical lines and get electrocuted or break water lines with is another very costly repair.
Wear safety glasses, hardhat, gloves and safety boots.
Do not build structures over a filled-in in-ground pool because the ground lacks the stability required for structures. W
When you eventually sell the house, this information has to be put on a sellers disclosure form.
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Comments
That is so important, letting potential buyers know where a filled in pool was. Great information here!
Good informative article, you have included must know information. We were tempted to do this to ours but decided to sell and downsize home instead. Too much work and waste of power as we never use it anymore. Rated
Excellent information to share. Nicely pulled together and well written.
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