Damage can occur within four hours on a hot sunny. That's only if your pool is plaster. The pool in question is gunite. A gunite pool can stay empty for as long as it takes t…o do the repairs, no long them a month. But you have to make sure, and this is very important, to open the plugs at the bottom of the pool to releave any water pressure that is under your pool, or your pool can lift out of the ground a couple inches.
http://www.answers.com/Q/How_long_can_an_in-ground_pool_be_empty_before_any_damage_occurs
The water in the pool helps hold the liner into place. If you do drain your pool you can cause your vinyl pool liner to shrink ,upon refilling if the liner has lost its elasticity it can cause the liner to rip or tear. The liner can also become hard and brittle.
http://www.royalswimmingpools.com/blog/is-it-okay-to-drain-my-vinyl-liner-swimming-pool/
During hot summer months a pool could possibly be pumped dry and left for up to 4 to 5 hrs. without too much damage. If the plaster is allowed to become too dry you run the risk of forming blisters or hollow places under the plaster surface at the gunite level.
http://www.answers.com/Q/How_long_can_an_in-ground_pool_be_empty_before_any_damage_occurs
My inground pool with a vinyl liner and it has pull away from the bottom drain how can I fix it. I have a 16×32 above-ground Kayak pool that I think is about 10 years old (I’ve been here 5 years). One corner settled and is almost one inch lower that the rest.
http://www.royalswimmingpools.com/blog/is-it-okay-to-drain-my-vinyl-liner-swimming-pool/
Two days ago our in ground pool totally drained in one day. It had been leaking for about 2 years but something must have ripped in the leak drastically more for it to drain the entire pool in 24 hours. We know we need a new liner but can't afford to do anything till spring.
http://www.aaapoolservice.com/blog/2011/8/15/how-to-drain-an-inground-swimming-pool.aspx
I have an inground pool, gunite, I have for about three years in the late spring, drained the pool by closing the skimmer line, have the main drain valve open fully, and the return line open fully, had an issue of the pool pump not priming, called out my pool company and they had to replace the pump.
http://www.aaapoolservice.com/blog/2011/8/15/how-to-drain-an-inground-swimming-pool.aspx
You can try, but in all likelyhood the liner will fail somewhere. If it’s under 4 years, you MAY have a chance, but leaving it empty will have shortened it’s lifespan considerably. Ideally, for any pool, proper winterizing involves draining the pool down to ONLY the level of the returns.
http://swimming-pool-builders-bonanza.com/swimming-pool-kits/is-it-safe-to-leave-an-above-ground-pool-empty-over-the-winter.html
Is it safe to leave an above ground pool empty over the winter? Hi, we have an 18 ft round above ground pool. The poor thing didn’t have a fighting chance this past summer, we had two squirrels and a bird meet their fate in it, 8 holes in the liner and cold water so we never swam in it. We tried to keep up with it, but by fall it was filled with leaves and slimy green.
http://swimming-pool-builders-bonanza.com/swimming-pool-kits/is-it-safe-to-leave-an-above-ground-pool-empty-over-the-winter.html
The bottom line is never leave your above ground pool sitting empty for any extended period of time. I have a 30' x 15' x 48 above ground pool.....decked on 3 sides. Started to leak last night......we are into fall weather....cold and lots of rain. I have repaired leaks before....this spring I replaced the liner.
http://www.bigkahunapoolsandspas.com/blog/bid/52352/Can-I-leave-my-Above-Ground-Pool-empty-over-the-winter
If you decide to drain this pool yourself, you will first need to rent a sump pump that can be submerged under water. After renting the proper sump pump, connect it to the sewer access point and submerge the other end in the pool. Plug the pump into an outlet and let it go to work.
http://www.aaapoolservice.com/blog/2011/8/15/how-to-drain-an-inground-swimming-pool.aspx
how long can you leave a pool empty
You can leave a pool empty for one day.