The end of summer or the onset of winter is a time to send the above ground pool (and we hope you have picked the best above ground pool from us) straight to storage. However, before you pack it in, there is the issue of draining all that water out first. You should know how to drain the above ground pool to make it usable when the warm season is back.
Why drain the above ground pool?
Besides putting the above ground pool in storage, there are other reasons why draining the pool is necessary. For instance, if the pool has a lot of algae in summer months and shocking it just won’t fix the problem, the only option you may have is to drain it. The pool may have more debris than your pool vacuum can handle and can only be cleaned by draining out the water. There are also times when you want to move the pool and you can’t obviously carry it with all that water inside. Whatever the reason for draining your above-ground pool, make sure you do it properly or you may end up damaging the pool. In some cases, the pool’s liner may be damaged when you drain the pool which is why draining should only be done as a last option.
Draining the pool
There are two simple ways of accomplishing this task. You can drain the above ground pool with a pump or do it by using a hose siphon.
The pump method
For this method, you’ll require a medium sized vacuum or water pump. Here is the step by step process:
- Take the pump’s intake hose all the way to the center of the pool and submerge it inside the water.
- Ensure the outlet hose is in a place that does not flood your home while it drains off the pool.
- With your hands completely dry, plug the pump into an electric outlet and turn it on.
- Check if the pump is working then leave it running.
- Keep checking the water level. Depending on the pump’s rate and the pool’s capacity, the draining process should take up to several hours to complete.
- Once the water level reaches a point where the pump cannot drain further, turn the pump off and clear the remaining water manually with a broom.
The hose siphon method
For this method you’ll need one garden hose. You can use more than one garden hose to drain the pool quicker.
- Start by submerging the hose in the pool until it fills with water.
- Lift one end of the hose and place it on the ground where you want the water to drain off to. Leave the other end completely submerged in water.
- Let the pipe drain off the water from the pool. With this method, the amount of time taken to drain the entire pool depends on the pool’s capacity, the number of hoses you’ll use, and the diameter of each hose.
- Avoid using your mouth to start the siphon by sucking on one end of the hose. You may end up choking on dirty pool water. Instead simply attach one end of the hose to a faucet, open the water for a brief moment until it fills the entire hose then place one end of the hose on a lower level. The water will flow freely from the pool to wherever you direct it to.
It is advised to drain the above ground pool on a day with lots of sunshine to avoid water-logging your compound. You can drain the pool faster by using hoses with larger diameters. You’ll finally have to sweep out the remaining water that couldn’t be drained out by the hose using a plastic broom before you start the drying process. In both methods, clear out the remaining water by dismantling the entire pool to free its liner. Turn over the liner to completely empty the pool.
It is also important to ensure that the pool is completely dry before you fold and put it in storage. This will help to avoid mold forming on it while it’s in storage. Store it in a cool dry place.
