New Pool, needs partial drain, draining ideas

Aug 1, 2014
10
Spring, TX
Hey guys,

Somewhat new to the forum, close on my house with my first pool on Monday. Did the final walk through yesterday, and did a full set of chemical tests on it. I'm buying the house from an older lady and gentleman, who have keep the pool sparkling clean by continually adding chlorine pucks to their little floating duck.

FC-14ppm
CYA- Way, way over 100ppm
pH- 7.4
Salt- 1000ppm
CH- 600ppm

So I've got to get rid of some of the water to get the CYA and CH down prior to installing my SI-45 SWG. I was looking into different options to drain, and after sleeping on it I think I have a plan.

After walking around lowes this morning, I don't really want to pay $100+ for a sump pump that I will use once and need to buy some type of tubing for. So I'm looking at adding in a new valve with a bushing and spigot for a water hose so that I can use my pool pump to move the water for me. The supply side of my pool plumbing is kind of busy, so I don't think I will have room to add it before the filter.

photo 2.jpg

I have a hayward DE filter, which I have no clue if it has a place where I can hook a water hose to it in order to backwash not right beside it. I do not think it does. (hence the new pool owner)

photo(1).jpg

What I'm considering is right after the filter, there is a 90 degree elbow with some room around it for me to work on. I'm considering adding a little contraption in order to be able to use a regular water hose to drain. 3 way jandy never lube valve to 2'' to 3/4'' bushing to 3/4'' water faucet.

What do you guys think? Or is there some much much easier way to get this done without cutting my piping?
 
We just went through the same thing with our new house 2 days ago. Our CYA was 140 and CH 700. I'm not allowed to pump to the storm drain where we are. I have a sewer cleanout access on the back of our house that I can pump into.

I also have a garden hose fitting but that method is slow. Took a little over two hours to drain 3 inches after a recent heavy rain.

I tried a submersible pump from Harbor Freight, but it barely pumped and would have taken 2 1/2 days for it to pump 14,000 gallons. I ended up rigging a pressure side fitting (the fitting that runs my Polaris cleaner) to my vacuum hose and pumping down with my main pump (I have a cartridge filter so no backwash line). It ran for 5 hours and did well, about 2,800 GPH. I'll see if I can find a picture of the setup
 
I would suggest you rent from HD as well. If you rent in the evening, you get to keep it overnight for the cost of only a few hours.
Or buy one from HF if you are not in a big hurry; some just hook up to a garden hose.

The way your suction side plumbing is setup, you can not isolate the floor drain, so you will only ever be able to pump out to the bottom of the skimmer using your pool pump. {Unless you try to use a vacuum hose attached to your skimmer, but that does not always work}
 
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