Draining the pool in the middle of the summer in AZ

[Binar]

I need to drain the pool. The water won't hold any chemicals anymore and based on everyone's advice They told me to drain it draining is the only solution. I found a "pool draining" company that can do it. Keep in mind I'm in Phx/AZ and the weather is 105/85 for a couple of days. He said he can drain it in 6 hours and after that I have to fill it . When I raised my concerns of the weather being too hot he said as long as we keep water on the walls every 30-45 min and keep a hose on the stairs everything should be fine. the whole pool empty/refill procedure should take 24 hours He said he's been doing it for years and the only pool that cracked was a pool that was kept empty 1 week after he emptied it. Remember my pool is 30k gallons and I'm located in .


Do you think is it doable or he's full of it and there's a big chance the pool will crack ? He wants $399 to empty the pool, power wash it, chemical cleaning the tiles ....I'll hAve to do the filling with water since he doesn't want to stay 24 hours at my house

 

[PAGirl]

Are you draining due to high CYA? If so, DO NOT hire that company!! You can drain partially, refill, then drain again. The "experts" will be here soon to guide you in more detail, while you wait, start reading! Best place to start: TFTestkits.net

Then
Pool School - Pool School

You can learn to manage your pool chemistry easily, by yourself. No pool store involved!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Need to know more about your pool.

There is no such thing as "the water won't hold chemicals anymore". That's made up nonsense.

Now it is true that your CYA could be astronomically high in which case a partial drain is possible. However, a full drain and refill in Phoenix AZ summers is just a bad idea. At best it's a risk of cracked plaster which is way more expensive than water.

It's up to you, but if you are willing to get a good test kit and post results, the folks here might have a better suggestion than to drain it.

FYI, I live in Tucson and I know what HOT summers mean....


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[Binar]

yes..High CYA

I have the test kit They told me to drain it bought at the suggestion of the forum posters

I want to make sure is safe to drain it and if I keep the walls of the pool wet while I keep water permanently on the steps I'll be OK to drain it even if I'm in AZ 105/85 day/night temp

- - - Updated - - -

Need to know more about your pool.

There is no such thing as "the water won't hold chemicals anymore". That's made up nonsense.

Now it is true that your CYA could be astronomically high in which case a partial drain is possible. However, a full drain and refill in Phoenix AZ summers is just a bad idea. At best it's a risk of cracked plaster which is way more expensive than water.

It's up to you, but if you are willing to get a good test kit and post results, the folks here might have a better suggestion than to drain it.

FYI, I live in Tucson and I know what HOT summers mean....


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Since nobody click the link I keep posting here you go:
Again my test results are:

*Free Chlorine 0.0 ppm (after 8 gallons of liquid chlorine and 14 double sized chlorine tablets 6 in 2 floating holders and 2 dropped directly in the skimmer basket)
*PH 7.4
*Combined Chlorine 0.2 ppm
*Total Alkalinity 140 ppm
*Calcium hardness ---- could not make the test turn blue no matter how many drops I added ( as high as 32)
*Cyanuric Acid well over 100 (100 is the max the test grades for)

The test used is TAYLOR K-2006

Anyway the previous thread : They told me to drain it

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Ok. But you are over 100 on CYA. Did you a dilution test to determine your CYA? 1:1 pool water with tap water or distilled water then multiply results by 2?

You need to know your CYA before anyone here would endorse a full drain.

And, yes, I did read the previous post. The problem is you just say CYA is over 100ppm. That doesn't help anyone help you. If it's 150ppm, then the test will read over 100ppm but that's not a signal to do a full drain.

Do the extended CYA TEST and report back the actual CYA level.


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[Binar]

Just did a dilution test pool water/ tap water..CYA lvl is around 220..It's a little bit over 100 and being consistent with the previous measures it looks like 110 x 2=220
Thx for your help

 

[chyvan]

If you think that $399 was viable plus replacement water, then you'll think that www.aqualabz.com is a bargain for what they can do.

Also, I was sort of in your situation last year. My algae tended to want to sink to the bottom, so I was able to turn off the filter, wait three days, vacuum to waste. I was able to keep the pool a pale turquoise to almost not quite clear to buy time and keep code enforcement off my back. It was nothing but a way to buy time.

Thing is that my plaster was old and chipping, and the algae was growing between the smooth and rough layer of plaster where it was bubbling. In the end it was a hopeless case, and I wish I'd just drained, left it empty and the let the plaster crumble, and shopped for a remodel. You didn't say how old your plaster is, but there is a chance it might be more cost effective if it's at the end of it's life anyway to just throw in the towel.

 

[Binar]

If you think that $399 was viable plus replacement water, then you'll think that www.aqualabz.com is a bargain for what they can do.

called them and they said we can't guarantee you the water is going to hold chlorine after the filtration we do

I'd rather just empty the pool and get new water in...I might even do it myself if the experts assure me the pool won't crack if I keep the walls moist and the steps with water all the time
I have my eyes on a 9.5k gallons per hour pump and if I buy it in 3 hours I can drain it and start filling right away

 

[Nighthawk224]

For what it's worth, I live in Gilbert, AZ and am in the middle of a partial drain myself. I have Pebble-Tec and I am going to be out here pretty much the whole time. It has cooled off to 95 right now, so the majority of the drain is going to be at night.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Neither I nor anyone else can guarantee your plaster won't crack. You simply don't do pool drains in Phoenix AZ in the summer. Of course the guy selling you the draining service is going to say "no problem". He wants your money and I bet he makes you sign an agreement that he is no responsible for any plaster damage. Call up any plastering company in your area, give them the age of your pool and size and ask them if they think you should drain. Guarantee they're going to tell you not to drain in this heat.

You need to do a 3:1 dilution test and multiply results by 4. The number won't be super accurate but it will be better than your 1:1 test.

I would consider the RO route. They don't have to guarantee that you'll "hold chems". They just have guarantee their RO service will remove CYA. Then the SCIENCE will guarantee you'll "hold chems".


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[Binar]

3:1 you mean 3 parts pool water and 1 part tap/distilled or the other way around?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

3:1 you mean 3 parts pool water and 1 part tap/distilled or the other way around?

Sorry. 3 parts distilled water to 1 part pool water. Multiply results by 4


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[Binar]

Sorry. 3 parts distilled water to 1 part pool water. Multiply results by 4


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I got 50 or if I multiply by 4 is 200

 

[duraleigh]

You can also drain from one end while filling from the other. You will use more water, but will eliminate your worry about the plaster.

This is a classic example of why we ask posters to stay in one thread. Frequent responders (those of us that answer a LOT of questions) will not spend time bouncing back and forth between your threads.....they will simply move on to another thread that's easier to follow.

Reconsider the quote above by jblizzle.....it works. Simply drain from near the surface at one end and refill down deep at the opposite end. It takes a bit more water, but not much and your pool water level will not drop one INCH.

I would quit trying to manage that unmanageable high CYA and get your pool fixed with the drain procedure jblizzle suggests.

 

[Pogueld]

I would absolutely follow jblizzle's advice and not take the risk with the company. I wouldn't put my pool's future in someone else's hands.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
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[chyvan]

Simply drain from near the surface at one end and refill down deep at the opposite end. It takes a bit more water, but not much and your pool water level will not drop one INCH.

I don't want to be super controvertial, but this might make for a good discussion. The water here in AZ comes out very warm from the tap this time of year. It's so warm that I don't even use the hot water when I shower. Therefore, unless the CYA has a tendency to be more concentrated on the surface, my personal opinion is that you should drain from the bottom (cool water) and fill at the top with very warm tap water to take advantage of thermal stratification and I'd also suggest not to run the filter.

 

[duraleigh]

The water here in AZ comes out very warm from the tap this time of year.

Really? Warmer than the 90 degree pool water.....and it stays warmer, even after running a bit?

 

[chyvan]

Really? Warmer than the 90 degree pool water.....and it stays warmer, even after running a bit?

Pool water hasn't been over 90. The monsoons took a break. It's been dry the past week or week and half, and the nighttime lows around my place have been in the high 60s while still 100+ during the day. My pool temp dropped to about 78 degrees from a high of 84, and yeah, I say the water coming out of my tap during a shower does not get cool and is not very refreshing, and the pool feels much better temperature wise.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Really? Warmer than the 90 degree pool water.....and it stays warmer, even after running a bit?

Yup. I just let one of my spigots (right on top of the main coming in to the house) run for 5mins. Used a digital temperature probe - water temp out of the pipe is 89.5-91.0 F. Current air temp is 101F. Pool water temp is 87F.

The frost lines in southern AZ are fairly shallow. Irrigation pipes can easily be within 6" of the surface and not suffer any freeze damage during winter. Water main pipe is only a few feet from the surface. In the hot summer, any plumbing runs along exterior walls develop very warm water....saves us a bunch on hot water heaters


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[duraleigh]

The water here in AZ comes out very warm from the tap this time of year.

OK. reverse the hose ends. Let's don't hijack this thread. This method will work regardless of water temps....it just saves water if the temps have a broader spread.

The point is, OP needs to drain his water to manage his pool and doesn't want to uncover his plaster. jblizzle's suggestion is still a good one and workable with any water temps.