How to drain for hurricane Milton

[simonoaks]

Hi,
Never needed to drain water out my pool, the 11 years I have self managed it. Can you please tell me how I would drain it, based on the setup in the picture, and if you leave pump running while draining. Thx !

 

[Newdude]

Drain with the pump running with a garden hose or a backwash hose.

 

[PoolStored]

You can get this adapter (link below) and put it in the bottom red circle from @Newdude picture. Then get a 1.5" backwash hose and a hose clamp. Good to go!

Amazon.com

 

[Lake Placid]

If you have a main drain and a skimmer, I’d close the skimmer and just draw from the MD while draining down…just to be on the safe side.

 

[simonoaks]

Drain with the pump running with a garden hose or a backwash hose.

View attachment 613146

Cool, I have a garden hose. Sorry, I was not specific enough; do I need to turn any of the valves or handles or anything, or just simply screw in garden hose and open that metal wheel valve ? Thx !

 

[simonoaks]

If you have a main drain and a skimmer, I’d close the skimmer and just draw from the MD while draining down…just to be on the safe side.

I have a skimmer, not sure how to check of MD, or what valves I would open or close to do that. Thx !

 

[Lake Placid]

I have a skimmer, not sure how to check of MD, or what valves I would open or close to do that. Thx !

You have 3 valves on the suction side of your pump marked in the pic - red, blue, and green. Do you have 2 skimmers and a main drain in the pool shell?

 

[PoolStored]

Cool, I have a garden hose. Sorry, I was not specific enough; do I need to turn any of the valves or handles or anything, or just simply screw in garden hose and open that metal wheel valve ? Thx !

With the pump running and the garden hose attached, open the metal wheel valve.

I have a skimmer, not sure how to check of MD, or what valves I would open or close to do that. Thx !

You have three valves on the input side. The one closest to the house and the one furthest from the house are closed. The one in the middle is 1/2 way open.

Do you have a main drain in the pool?
How many skimmers do you have?

 

[Lake Placid]

The one closest to the house and the one furthest from the house are closed.

Those are apparently open…one is labeled “Backwards” in the picture. I assume that means they turn backwards and are open?

 

[PoolStored]

Those are apparently open…one is labeled “Backwards” in the picture. I assume that means they turn backwards and are open?

I read it as "Backwash," but could not see the last couple letters. Thought it meant to backwash from the MD for some odd reason.

Either way, we are on the same path. If he has a MD and two skimmers, OP should open and close valves individually until they figure out the three feeds and the placement of the valves on and off.

Then we can guide them to open the MD when lowering the water level.

 

[Lake Placid]

I read it as "Backwash," but could not see the last couple letters. Thought it meant to backwash from the MD for some odd reason.

Either way, we are on the same path. If he has a MD and two skimmers, OP should open and close valves individually until they figure out the three feeds and the placement of the valves on and off.

Then we can guide them to open the MD when lowering the water level.

Lol anybodies guess. I could see some pool tech breaking the valve and just slapping a backwards label on it….or backwashing for way too long from the MD and sucking the skimmer dry. At any rate the plot thickens.

 

[PoolStored]

Lol anybodies guess. I could see some pool tech breaking the valve and just slapping a backwards label on it….or backwashing for way too long from the MD and sucking the skimmer dry. At any rate the plot thickens.

Should have blown it up in the first place. To the OP, is there a backwards label on all the valves?

 

[JohnT]

I wouldn’t drain. Overfilling the pool won’t harm anything. Having the pool level lowered when groundwater rises could cause problems. You have far more important things to worry about.

 

[simonoaks]

You have 3 valves on the suction side of your pump marked in the pic - red, blue, and green. Do you have 2 skimmers and a main drain in the pool shell?

View attachment 613155

I have a drain in deep end, skimmer and a drain in the built in " spa ". See pic. Thx!

 

[simonoaks]

I read it as "Backwash," but could not see the last couple letters. Thought it meant to backwash from the MD for some odd reason.

Either way, we are on the same path. If he has a MD and two skimmers, OP should open and close valves individually until they figure out the three feeds and the placement of the valves on and off.

Then we can guide them to open the MD when lowering the water level.

It says backwash. The person before me in this house was a DIY bodge job enthusiast; so nothing is " usual " lol. When I open the metal hose valve, water cones out. Should I just attach a hose and run it to the street and open that valve ? Thx !

 

[simonoaks]

I wouldn’t drain. Overfilling the pool won’t harm anything. Having the pool level lowered when groundwater rises could cause problems. You have far more important things to worry about.

I have not done it before. Was just thinking dropping it 12 inches, on the theory it would help stop flooding reaching my back door. Which it did once before, but did not make it over the the threshold

 

[TinFoilHat]

How much rain are you expecting? If it's enough that it would top the pool then you want to drop the level to accommodate that. You might want to keep it below your dark blue tile which could be the edge of the coping. That's so water doesn't seep out underneath the decking. If you need to drop it below the skimmer level then you need to change your suction side to only pull from the main drain but you will loose skimming action. Of course, if you lose power then all bets are off.

 

[simonoaks]

How much rain are you expecting? If it's enough that it would top the pool then you want to drop the level to accommodate that. You might want to keep it below your dark blue tile which could be the edge of the coping. That's so water doesn't seep out underneath the decking. If you need to drop it below the skimmer level then you need to change your suction side to only pull from the main drain but you will loose skimming action. Of course, if you lose power then all bets are off.

I was planning on turning the pump off tomorrow, and chuck a gallon of 10% bleach in.
I do not know how much rain. We have already got about 3 inches last two days, not even from the hurricane, so everything is saturated. Could be 10-24 inches of rain. Idk. As I say, not dropped pool level before for storms, but I know that in the past, the way it auto levels ( drains not filling, as filling is manual) , it has flooded because the auto drain cannot keep up.

 

[TinFoilHat]

Put the chlorine in first so the pump can mix it. Figure out your current CYA and put the FC up to the max for a slam. That will keep the FC up there until water is drained out.

 

[simonoaks]

Put the chlorine in first so the pump can mix it. Figure out your current CYA and put the FC up to the max for a slam. That will keep the FC up there until water is drained out.

My CYA is currently zero. Has been for a while, as I have been working on other issues when my SWG went wrong.

To drain, do I just attach a hose to the valve with the metal wheel and open it up with pump running ? Thx