Pool School, Closing
How Far Do You Drain an Above Ground Pool for Winter?
Active Pool Supply · Updated September 22, 2026
Only a few inches, and sometimes not at all. Without a skimmer cover, lower the water about 4 to 6 inches below the skimmer mouth so none is left to freeze in the skimmer. With a winter skimmer plug or cover plate, leave it at the normal level. Never drain a hard-sided above ground pool: the water holds the walls in shape and keeps the liner from shrinking.
Why lower it at all?
Water left in the skimmer throat and fittings can freeze, expand and crack them. Lowering the water a few inches below the skimmer mouth leaves nothing there to freeze. A winter skimmer plug or cover plate seals the opening instead, which is why a pool with one can stay full.
How far is a few inches?
Guides range from about 3 inches below the skimmer to 6 inches below the lowest opening; 4 to 6 inches covers most of them. Do not go further than you need to. Most winter covers allow for about 12 inches of lowered water, and past that a cover can come up short.
Why you never drain an above ground pool
The walls of a hard-sided above ground pool are built to lean on the water inside. Drain it and nothing holds them in shape, and an empty pool can collapse, especially in wind. A liner left exposed on a warm day can also shrink past use. Keep the pool at least half full, and in practice all but a few inches.
Intex and Bestway pools
Soft-sided and frame pools are the exception. Intex says to drain and take its pools down once temperatures drop below 41°F, and Bestway recommends taking its frame pools down for winter.
The full winterizing guide covers every step.
Products in this guide
Questions
Can you leave water in an above ground pool over winter?
Yes. A hard-sided pool should keep its water: it holds the walls in shape and keeps the liner from shrinking.
What if I drain it too far?
The liner is left exposed and can shrink, and the winter cover may no longer reach, since most allow for about 12 inches of lowered water.
Do I have to lower the water if I use a skimmer plug?
No. A winter skimmer plug or cover plate seals the skimmer, so the water can stay at its normal level.