How To Drain An Above Ground Pool Very Fast

November 9, 2022

Learning how to drain an above ground pool should be one of the first lessons every above ground pool owner should take because it is one of the essential pieces of knowledge to keep your pool in a good condition as long as possible. In this article, we’ll show you how to drain water from the pool, so you can do it as easily as it can be without the need to call professional help.

Why You Should Drain Your Above Ground Pool

Although the first reason to drain the pool that most often comes to mind is to keep it from freezing during winter, that may not be the case, or even recommended, because of the winter wind and cold that could cause the liner to dry and crack. However, there are a few reasons why you may have to drain the pool:

Replacing the pool liner. If you’ve spotted a tear or any form of leakage in your pool, you’ll have to drain it to fix it.
Starting a new season with fresh water. This can be prevented if you keep your pool closed properly, but if something goes wrong, maybe starting from scratch isn’t the worst idea ever.
Removing, replacing the pool or some integral part of it.
Fixing the pool chemistry. More about this topic you can read in our guides on how to take care of your pool chemistry. If the pool water quality test shows it doesn’t work, changing water may be the only solution.

How to Drain An Above Ground Pool

There are two ways to drain the pool – with a submersible pump or by siphoning the water out with a garden hose.

Before You Start

The first step should be to find a place where the extracted water can go without flooding your area. Make sure it is away from your pool and look for level space.

Draining With A Pool Pump

Here are the steps to help you drain the pool with a pool pump:

Place the pump’s intake hose under the water, as close as possible to the swimming pool’s center.

Move the second end of the pump’s hose to the area previously chosen for water extraction.

Clean your hands, dry them well and turn the electric pump on.

Once the pump starts to run, stay at the pool’s side to make sure the water level is decreasing. If it does, you can leave it unattended.

Make sure to check if everything is working well and without malfunctioning along the way. Also, check if the extraction area is doing OK, to avoid any flooding.

The pump won’t drain the whole pool, it will leave about 6-12 inches of water. Once it stops draining the water, turn the pump off. Use the garden hose siphon method

Draining The Pool With A Garden Hose Siphon:

Garden hose can be used to either complete a pool draining procedure or to perform it from the start to finish.

You can use one garden hose for this or more if you have one. The more you use it, the faster it will be done.

Place all the garden hoses completely under the surface and let them fill up with the water.

Grab one end of the garden hose and take it to the level ground area, previously designated to sustain the water without flooding. The other end of the hose should stay submerged. Now make sure it has begun to siphon out of the above-ground pool.

Check the water level frequently and make sure there is no flooding. Also, be patient because this way is a bit slower than the one with the pump.

Most often, the garden hose won’t drain all of the water. Once you see the water level doesn’t decrease anymore, if it is about 6-12 inches deep, you can take the garden hose out and continue with the removal of the remaining water.

You might also like: Coleman vs Intex Above Ground Pools

How To Remove Remaining Water

The next step will the removal of the remaining water from the swimming pool. That can be done by some of the following techniques:

Use a wet vacuum to suck the rest of the water out of the pool
Sweep the water into the drain
Remove the liner from the frame, flip it over and let it flow to the ground

Possible Risks And Things To Look Out For

Although it is pretty simple, draining the swimming pool has its own risks and possible problems, so here is what you should pay attention to avoid:

1. Sun damage

The water is not there only for your enjoyment, but it also has the purpose of protecting your liner from UV rays and damages it can cause. When you remove the water, it stays unprotected from the sun.

2. Mold development

If you plan to store it for the winter, make sure to remove all the water, let it dry and keep it in a dry place to prevent any mold from developing. Before you store it, dry it with a towel.

3. The Change Of Shape

Water pressure is the key to your pool keeping its shape all the time. When you remove about ¾ of the water out of it, it will change its shape, which can be cause damage if you do it on a windy day or during heavy rain.

FAQ

Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how to drain water from the pool:

Q: Can you completely drain an above ground pool?

No, it can’t be drained completely, but draining it with the pool pump or the garden hose will give you the chance to remove any water leftovers by simply moping the pool’s bottom or vacuuming it until all the water is out.

Q: How do you drain a pool without a pump?

If you don’t have a pump available, a garden hose will do the trick. If you want to speed the process up, then employ more than one garden hose and you’ll get an almost equally effective way to empty your above ground swimming pool.

Q: How do you drain an above ground pool for the winter?

If you have a temporary swimming pool, then drain it completely and store it somewhere dry. However, if you own a swimming pool that can’t be moved, then before the winter arrives contact the manufacturer and ask them for a recommendation. That’s the safest way to keep it good and prevent anything bad from happening.

Q: How often should you drain your above ground pool?

Every 7-10 years. If you take good care of your swimming pool and keep the water healthy, then you probably won’t have to drain it completely sooner than that. Of course, if you need to do it for some reason, then drain it, but when it comes to the pool itself, 7-10 years is more than good.

Q: Does an above ground pool freeze solid?

In a harsh winter, pools tend to freeze solid all the way to the bottom. In order to prevent it, you could use the air pillow under the cover, or you could contact the manufacturer and ask for advice.

Globo Surf Overview

Learning how to drain an above ground pool is a piece of knowledge you’ll find useful sooner or later and with this article, it is easy to see that how to drain water from the pool is actually a quite straightforward process that basically takes care of itself with minimal supervision and effort.

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