New (to me) Pool and How to Drain Excess Water?

[HowardL]

Just recently bought a home with a nice SWG pool system. I had a conventional pool for the past 10 years, and understood the basics. Now I'm learning all over again.

I recently learned that I don't need to backwash my filter. Instead I clean the cartridges. newby-at-bbb-moving-into-new-swcg-pool-t38727.html

Now it's been raining a lot and I need to drain some water, but I don't have my multi-port valve security blanket to turn to. How do I drain water from this pool? Here's an overview.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47988014@N08/6406853725/
shows one end of the pool equipment with what I assume is the drain pipe entering the ground. Since I don't have an above ground discharge I'm flying blind.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47988014@N08/6406853819/
is the other end of the equipment with the valve that I suspect controls the flow of water either back through filter or to the discharge, but I'm not sure.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47988014@N08/6406853879/
you can't read it in this photo, but the tab is currently pointed to the "off" position. The other positions have numbers, but they have any particular meaning to me. Unlike my old multiport it doesn't say "drain" or "rinse".

Any ideas of how to drain excess water, or what other information is needed to help determine this?

I'd just experiment but a) can't see the water draining so I'm unsure and b) really don't want to burn up any pumps by choosing poorly. Thanks for all the help.

Howard

 

[HowardL]

Also I guess I need some instructions on how to post images. Thought I had it right. Thanks.
Howard

 

[bobodaclown]

Hello Howard,
I plumbed in a drain here's the link (pictures included).http://www.troublefreepool.com/adding-a-to-waste-drain-to-plumbing-t35088.html
Hope it works for you let us know how it turns out.

 

[HowardL]

Bobo,

Thanks for the quick reply but I'm hoping you're wrong. Are you saying that there is no way to drain water from this pool without adding a drain now?

I was really expecting a reply that said..."yes, flip that valve and pump the extra water right out". Am I woefully naive and overly optimistic? Thanks.

Howard

 

[zea3]

Unfortunately, most pools with cartridge filters are plumbed without a drain/waste line. The reasoning is that you don't backwash cartridge filters, thus don't need a waste line. However, that is short sighted thinking and does not allow for the times when you need to drain water from the pool.

The pipe you circled in the first picture looks like a re-circulate line. That allows the water to by-pass the filter, but still be circulated to mix in chemicals, or just keep the water moving.

If you look closely at your filter, there should be a drain plug somewhere near the bottom. While not ideal, you can pull that plug and allow the pool to drain from there. You may be able to attach a garden hose to the filter drain to direct the water away from your equipment. Another choice is to rent or purchase a small pump to drain the pool as much as needed.

Ultimately the solution is to buy a small pump or add in a waste line. The re-circulate line would be a good choice to cut into and add a T and valve for your waste line.

 

[bobodaclown]

Speaking from experience.
First. I purchased a small sump pump and additional hose ($130ish) dragged it out a couple of times to lower the water in the pool. It got to be a hassle and time consuming. I did some research and saw the 1.5 inch drain fitting at the bottom of the filter cartridge canister. Figured it was worth a shot. The most expensive piece was the ball valve. I bit the bullet and plumbed in the drain line. It's a decision I wish I would have made the first time and saved myself $100.

Do you know your filter model? The manual should state if there is a drain plug on the bottom or so. I tried using the air bleeder valve on the top of the filter but it was painfully slow. That might be another option for you if you don't want to plumb or cut and plumb.

I decided not to cut into the existing plumbing but added to a drain plug that was already there.