To Drain, or not to Drain, THAT, is the Question!

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PoolGate

PoolGate

Gold Supporter
TFP Guide
Jun 7, 2017
9,794
Damascus, MD
Pool Size
29000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Jandy Aquapure 1400
I am debating whether to drain my winterized pool or just ignore it. Some years I drain, some I don't. It has risen pretty high up to the top at the moment. We will get more freezes here. Probably would drain a good 12-15". Such a PITA though to bust the pump out, release a corner of the safety cover, run the drain lines, etc.

Yes or no? What do you do?
 
I'd drain. The 2 week forecast is looking good but the back half of February could be seasonal, or even the beginning of the March. Although I guess breaking a little ice is less of a deal with plaster. But still. It might be cold less favorable to be playing with water.

Anywho I started hanging the pump in a bucket in an attempt to drain more of the top water. Last year I ran tests using electrical conduit to get a bottom sample and the top was zeros, 2 ft down was 10% to 20% and 7.5 ft was exactly how I left it for salt and FC. (And I imagine CH and CYA follow suit)

The bucket with the pump in it is heavy so as the water drained, it sunk with the water level so I didn't have to lower it any.


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PoolGate said:
I am debating whether to drain my winterized pool or just ignore it. Some years I drain, some I don't. It has risen pretty high up to the top at the moment. We will get more freezes here. Probably would drain a good 12-15". Such a PITA though to bust the pump out, release a corner of the safety cover, run the drain lines, etc.

Yes or no? What do you do?
Click to expand...
I would drain it down. By the way, I used to live in Damascus. Now I live in California
 
If the water is on tile a freeze can damage tile and grout.

I keep the waterline below the tile line all winter.
 
Because of the slope behind my house, if I had a cover, and freezing spells, and had to drain periodically...

I'd rig a siphon hose before I covered, weighted about a foot below the surface (or wherever I figured was the best depth), run the hose down the hill and connect a quality brass 1/4-turn ball valve at the bottom of the hose. Draining would then just be a matter of walking to the end of the hose and twisting 1/4 turn.

If I never let the hose run dry, the siphon would "auto-start" each time. But even if it did run dry, starting the siphon is a simple matter.

No pump. No extension cord. No removing the cover. Just a twist.

Even if I forgot to turn it off, it would only drain down to the end of the hose in the pool.

I supposed the hose could freeze, so maybe this wouldn't work for certain climes, but would that work for you? Do you have a place to siphon to? Would that make the chore any less of a PITA?
 

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I do actually have a perfect hill behind the pool for that. And I frequently during season use it to drain water with a simple hose. The level it is at now would take probably 3 days to siphon with a hose. I have thought of this but for now I will probably use my sump pump.
 
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I watch the water level and drain the pool to keep the water off the tile in the winter. The pool needs to be drained again this week. The skimmers get vacuumed out, too! I use a siphon.
 
I decided to drain in preparation for below freezing nighttime temps all week. Pool was fuller than I thought. All the way to the coping!
 

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It's 3:30 and looks like it needs to go for another hour. 4" below the tile line but I am going to take it another 5" to below the returns. Pump is supposed to be 3500gph but I suspect it is running at less than have of that.
 
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Sfii said:
Our pool is vinyl so I think we are fine.
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You do not want water getting behind the liner once it reaches the top. The liner sits relatively loose in the liner track and even if it's liner locked the whole perimeter, it's not water proof and water will find its way behind the liner.

With a steel wall pool it will accelerate the inevitable rusting.

With concrete or composite walls it may erode the floor or deep end hopper.

Or it undermines the patio instead.

Or the water freezes under your coping and pops some off,

I'd drain it. :)
 
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