Can Fiberglass Swimming Pools Pop Out of the Ground?

Your common sense probably made you wonder about this claim, right? This statement is a favorite scare tactic from the vinyl and gunite industry, but they risk losing credibility after the customer gets the facts. Lots of people ask this question, and we are happy to set the record straight.

Any watertight vessel (in this case, your pool) will float, regardless of what it is made of, provided the vessel is empty and there is water under it. Hopefully all pools are watertight! This same “principle of displacement” is what allows heavy concrete barges to float as easily as lightweight fiberglass boats. What overcomes displacement? The weight of the water! This is why boats that have sunk do not “pop” out of the water!

The reasons to drain a pool in the first place (resurfacing, acid washing to remove algae, or draining to correct a severe out-of-balance chemical situation) don’t apply to fiberglass pools in the first place. So it is rare to ever need to completely drain a fiberglass pool. However, vinyl or gunite pools do require draining for this type of major maintenance or renovation. The truth is, the majority of the pools that become dislodged (float or pop) are actually gunite or vinyl liner pools.