4 Easy Steps to Drain an Inground Pool
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Conducting an inground pool drain is something that all pool owners have to deal with at some point. Whether it is the end of the swimming season or the pool needs to be drained for some other reason, you will have to get the water out at some point. If you have never done it before, it might seem like a big job. However, once you break it down into manageable steps, it is really not that difficult. Here are a few easy steps that you can take to drain an inground pool.
1. Make Sure You Can Drain Your Pool
While it might sound strange, you need to make sure that you can drain your pool before you actually do it. Depending on what type of pool you have, you may or may not be able to just drain it whenever you want. The first thing that you will want to check on is if there is any groundwater present. If there has been a lot of rain in the last few days, you might want to wait until the ground dries out. Otherwise, you could run into a serious problem. While it is rare, pools have been known to actually float out of the ground after they are drained when groundwater is present. Also, you will want to make sure that your pool is strong enough to support the outside pressure without water. If your pool is fiberglass, you need to be careful. Concrete or gunite pools are usually going to be fine.
2. Locate the Sewer Drain
When you empty the pool, you do not want to just run the water out onto the yard. In most situations, you will want to locate the sewer drain that is located somewhere in your yard. This will give you a direct access point to the sewer and allow you to get rid of the water easily. If you can not find it or are not close enough to it, you may be able to run the water in the street and into a drain. This is not the ideal solution but it may be able to get you by in a pinch.
3. Find a Sump Pump
In order to remove the water from the pool, you will need to get a submersible pump (also known as a sump pump). A sump pump can actually be placed completely underwater and will pump the water out through a hose. You will need to make sure that you have a big enough sump pump and hose for the job. You can buy these at a variety of home improvement stores, or you can even rent them from some. If you are not going to do this very often, it is probably going to be to your advantage to rent them.
4. Pump Out the Water
Hook up the sump pump to the hose and drop it down in the pool. Run the hose into the sewer drain and the water will be pumped out of the pool and into the sewer.
