MiamiCuse wrote:
I just took posession of a property I purchased and are planning some
remodeling work before I move in. The remodeling work will last 4 to 6
months.

...

So now I need to clean the pool. The location is in Miami, FL and I was
told by a friend that I cannot drain the water or else the pool may crack
because of the low water table. This may be a stupid question but - is
there a drain for a pool? I have no idea where the water comes from to fill
the pool and where the water goes. Is there a stopper thingie at the bottom
I need to dive in to pull out?

When it's time to drain a residential pool, rent a portable submersible
pump. The filter pump usually cannot handle completely draining the
pool. Heed the warning about not draining it when the water table is
high -- the weight of the pool water keeps the ground water from popping
the concrete pool out of the ground. There may even be a safety valve
under the pool that will allow ground water to enter, thus saving the
pool's structural life.

If you don't plan on using the pool for a while, there is no major harm
in just leaving it as is. Just keep enough chlorine in it to keep it
from becoming a public health hazard, and maintain the pH so as not to
be corrosive. Once you're ready to fix up the pool you'll have to drain
it and clean out the muck.

One more very important point -- Have a fence at least five feet high
around the pool with a self-locking gate.