Once the winter months come around, swimming in pools is not as enjoyable as during the summer. It becomes time to shut down until spring breaks again.
It is important that you carry out this process with the utmost care to avoid subjecting your pool to damage. These are damages that can be incurred during the winter.
In this article, you will learn the best ways to properly shut down your pool for the off-season.
How do I lower the water level in my above-ground pool for winter?
There are quite a number of methods you can use to lower the water level of your above-ground pool. I will be listing them below.
- Making use of a siphon: Using a siphon is one of the simplest and most accessible ways of lowering pool water. All you need is a garden hose. Once you are able to generate siphon pressure, the water begins to drain.
- Using a submersible pump: A submersible pump attaches to a hose and is dropped to the bottom of the pool. Once it is turned on, it begins pumping out water through the hose. This is a relatively quick method of emptying your pool.
- Using your waste outlet: Your pool pump has a waste outlet. This hole lets water leave the system without going through the filter media. At this outlet, there is a multiport valve. Switch it into the “WASTE” position. This way, you can empty the water up to your desired level.
- Using a pump drain: If your pool has a pump drain fitted, it can be used to drain the pool. Simply attach a hose to it, open it, and let the water out.
Do I need to lower the water level in my above-ground pool?
During the winter months, it is necessary to drain your pool water. This is done so that water in the skimmer and return jet doesn’t freeze and get bigger. That cooling and expansion process can damage them both. Regardless, you should not drain it completely, but to a certain level.
What is the correct water level for a pool?
In normal conditions, the ideal water level for a pool is halfway up the skimmer. If it was higher than this, it could really limit the functioning of the skimmer. Debris and dirt will remain on the surface even when the pump is running.
If the water level is lower than that of the skimmer, complications can arise. There will be an intake of air, and this can cause the pump to burn out or cavitate.
What happens if the pool water level is too high?
If the water level is too high, there are some issues that can crop up.
In addition to what was mentioned above, that is, debris remaining on the surface, pool overflow can occur. During the winter, due to freezing temperatures, the water in the skimmer can freeze up. When it unfreezes again, the expansion that happens can be harmful to the skimmer and return jet.
This is why it is always best to lower the levels of water during the winter months.
How much water should I drain from my pool for winter?
It is suggested that you drain your above-ground pool a few inches below the skimmer. Experts say you can drain it up to 6 inches. This is usually the level at which the return jet is. The return jet is usually placed below the skimmer.
How do you drain the last few inches of water from an above-ground pool?
There are some methods to do this effectively:
- Using a wet vac: Unlike dry conventional vacuum cleaners, a wet vac can easily suck up water. Using suction pressure, it can drain every last bit of water. The only drawback is that you have to empty it as it gets filled.
- Sweeping the water into the drain: You can decide to manually sweep the water into the drain at the bottom of the pool.
- Removing the pool liner and flipping the water out.
How do you partially drain a pool?
When you want to partially drain a pool, these are the steps to take:
- Stop adding chemicals to the pool: This will help to reduce the amount of chemicals wasted.
- Put in a submersible pump. As we’ve already talked about, using your pool pump to drain water can let air in.
- Attach a hose to the submersible pump and begin the process of draining.
- When you have drained it to the desired level, you can turn it off.
What kind of pump do I use to drain my pool?
While your pool’s pumps can do the job of draining, you have to be cautious. When draining the pool with the pool pump, you run the risk of air intake. And as previously mentioned, this can cause a burnout. So it is safer to use external pumps for this purpose of draining.
There are two kinds of pumps that can serve this purpose well.
These two pumps serve markedly different and specific purposes. They are submersible pumps and cover pumps.
- Submersible pumps: As the name implies, the pump is completely submerged in water. These pumps are popularly called “sump pumps”. They have a high horsepower rating, and, as expected, they provide a large output. Hence, they are used for large-scale draining. The submersible pump is able to pump out about a thousand gallons per hour.
- Cover pumps: They are technically still submersible pumps as they are immersed beneath the surface of the water. The marked difference they have is that they cover smaller scale tasks. Such tasks include removing water and debris from your pool cover in the winter season. Water and debris such as leaves, dust, and inorganic matter can easily accumulate on your pool cover when the pool is not in use.
The weight of the water can make it difficult to remove the pool cover without damaging it. Hence you need to suck the water off and then you can remove the cover easily.
Due to the small scale use, cover pumps don’t have such a high horsepower rating. Hence, they are only able to pump up to 300 gallons per hour.
There are two types of cover pumps. They operate in different ways.
- Manual: This type requires you to start it before it can begin pumping.
- Automatic: This type of cover pump rests on the pool cover. With the help of a sensor, it can automatically detect when there is a certain amount of water. Then it can fire away.
How do I drain my pool fast?
The fastest way to drain a pool is with the use of a submersible pump. They are also called “sump pumps.” They generate a lot of horsepower and will drain it way faster than just using a garden hose.
All you need to do is place the submersible pump close to the centre of the pool. Then you attach a hose and turn it on. You are sure to get the best results.
How do you drain a pool without a pump?
In the absence of pumps, there are some alternatives to draining water from your pool.
- Siphon: You can actually use the siphon to drain water out. As explained above, all you need is your garden hose and the ability to generate siphon pressure.
- Buckets: This is a very stressful and time-consuming method. It involves you using buckets to scoop out water from the pool. Then you empty it elsewhere. It will probably be an option of last resort when there are no garden hoses lying around.
How do you drain a pool with a hose?
The following are the steps for draining your pool with a hose:
The following are the steps for draining your pool with a hose:
- Check that both ends of the hose are completely submerged in water.
- Now hold both ends till the air bubbles stop. This means that the hose is now full of Check that both ends of the hose are completely submerged in water.
- Using your hand to cover one end of the house, bring up the hose out of the pool. Now lower the hose to the ground and thus your siphon is created.
- The water should begin to drain through the siphon. Ensure that the hose is well below your pool’s water level.
Alternatively, you can try the spigot method:
- Attach one end of your garden hose to your spigot. Alternatively, submerge the other end of your pool.
- Now turn on the spigot and let the water flow through the pipe into the pool.
- Once it has started flowing into the pool, turn off the spigot and disconnect the hose from it. Now the water from the pool will begin to flow through your siphon.
How long does it take to siphon water out of a pool?
This really depends on the size of the pool in question. On average, a 10,000 gallon pool should take about 14 hours to drain when using a siphon.
