I just moved into a house with a pool. How do I cyphen the ugly water out?

Question

I need to get the old water out before I can put the new water in. I don't want to call a pool place because this has got to be easy and they charge a frickin mint.

It's an indoor pool and it's not above ground.

Answer 1

A pool, pro, would usually try the cheapest approach, which may not even include draining, but rather fixing the water. You'd be surprised what water can be turned around into crystal, with proper water balance, sanitizing and filtration.
This better be a concrete pool if you still want to drain it.
Hit your local rental and ask for a 3 inch trash pump. It'll be about 50 bucks for 4 hours and you'll only need it for 2 hours. Make sure you get enough discharge hose to where you need the water to go and as well, ask for a 2nd length of suction hose.
If you're sure there's noting in the water debris wise, that'll plug up a pump, then go even cheaper and rent a 3 inch centrifugal pump. Either way, an average indoor residential will be drained out in under 2 hours or so. Wash everything down as you drain and scrub with dilute acid. Yep..it gets hazardous. That's why the pool pros charge a "fricken mint". Protective gear, ventilation and materials add up. Better to do it properly now, than try to deal with staining later. Make sure, when you get down to the main drain, that the hydro static valve is in ok shape.
. If it's a viny pool, you may be opening yourself up to a host of issues by draining it, as it may be more cost efective to fix the water. If the liner is over 5 years old, chances are it's going to snap at a seam, when you refill, not to mention you'll need a liner vac to do it. You may wind up spending for a new liner, that could have been delayed by 5-10 years. It's a pool pro's call there. An average homeowner wouldn't be able to make an experienced assessment.. For that matter, it's ALL really a pool pro's call, but you asked so there it is.

Answer 2

First you shouldn't have to empty the pool. Clean out all the debris and make sure your pump and filter are in good working order. Shock the pool with "pool shock" and keep the pump and filter running 24/7. You may need to shock it every few days. It may take a couple of weeks to get it back clear but it will clear up. You many need to add an algaecide or a clarifier also as it begins to clear. Chemicals are available everywhere now - Wal-Mart even carries them. My suggestion is visit a pool supply place and ask questions about pool care. They will give you advice on what to use and some places will even test your water for a nominal fee.

Answer 3

If it's an above ground pool, you should be able to use the backwash system to evacuate the water via the floor drain...this is also true or most permanent above ground pools.

If you have a collapsable above ground pool, just hook your water hose up to the spicket, put the other end in the pool, turn on the water and get all of the air out of the line, then unhook it from the spicket and it should drain out. That's just an easy way of syphoning.

Don't use a sump pump, though, that's for crawl spaces and will only get the water level down to a certain point, leaving water in your pool. They do, however, have pumps specifically for this purpose. You can also buy a syphoning attachment for standard 3/8" power drills, you just hook a hose to each side of it and turn the drill on and it does the syphoning for you....they only cost about 15 dollars.

Answer 4

To truly siphon water, you have to have one end of a hose in the water and the other other end at a lower elevation than the water. If your pool is in-ground, it's unlikely that you can find a point lower than the bottom of the pool, so you won't be able to siphon all of the water out.

You can probably find a submersible pump at a tool rental place. Be sure to ask for one that can run on whatever electrical outlet you have available.

On a more practical note....does your pool have a pump and filter system? If it does, you can use the pool pump to pump the water onto the ground, or you can use the filter to remove the particulate in the water.

Answer 5

Figure out how much it will cost you to fill the pool with "new" water, then decide if that's what you really want to do. The pool should have a pump that recycles water through a filter, usually sand. Change the sand and run the water through the filter for a while. Change and keep doing that until you have removed all the particles (I assume you have removed all the large things in the pool with a hand-held pool cleaner).

Then get shock treatment from a pool supplier and a water test kit. Keep treating the water until it tests pure and keep filtering it through the pump and filter until it is clear. It will not cost any more for electricity since you would be running it anyway.

You may have to replace the existing pump/filter assembly.

Answer 6

Is this an in ground pool or above ground? If above ground siphoning will work, just get a few hoses and immerse in the pool put your had over one end to seal in the water and quickly move the sealed end to the outside to drain. this will allow the siphoning action to start. If in ground, then use the pool pump to drain, just disconnect the fitting after the pump and prior to the filter. You may have to attach a hose or temporary pipe to direct the drain water to where you want to minimize the mess. then start to pump.

Answer 7

1. Stop adding chemicals to the water. Wait half a week. For highly chlorinated pools, wait longer or check the pH before draining.

2. Find the drain line in the filter pump. It should be located near the pump motor.

3. Attach a long hose to the drain line. Run the other end of the hose to a lawn or trees.

4. Run the pump until the lawn appears nearly sodden. Turn off pump.

5. Wait several hours.

6. Repeat until pool is empty.

Overall Warnings:
If a lawn or tree-lined area is not available, check with your local sewage agency before running large amounts of water into the gutters. It may be illegal

Answer 8

Unfortunately, the reason the charge a mint is because it's NOT that easy...

One option would be to call Home Depot... or a pool place... and see if they'll rent you a pump.

You can't syphon it out because the END of the hose has to be lower than the bottom of your pool.

Answer 9

Get a sump pump. They are cheap

Answer 10

sump pump