pumping out excess rainwater

[gugarci]

I'm a fairly new pool owner. This is going to by fourth year.
I'm still a very inexperience pool owner. But I was wondering when do people normally pump out excess rain water from their pool. I'm pumping out more water again tonight since we've been getting thunderstorms almost every day and we are expecting more tomorrow.

My biggest fear is that I will get a large amount of rain and will cause the water to over flow from the sides and collapse the pool. Can this happen or am I being paranoid??? Will high water levels or overflowing water cause the pool to collapse???

Anyway what I usually do is connect my electric pool pump cover to an outlet inside my garage and drop it in the pool when the water levels get too high. I pump the excess water to the street with my hose. I do this sometimes while it's raining and sometime while it's raining very hard, but it depends on the water level. Every time I pump water while it's raining I'm always a little worried that I could electrify myself. But since my outlet is indoor I think I'm safe, am I???
Although after the pump runs for about 15mins or so I normally unplug it and let it run under it's own power.

Anyway should I wait for the rain to stop before I pump out the excess water???
Also in the event of a pending rain storm I will usually lower my water levels on the low side to compensate for upcoming storm. In fact when I've gone away on vacation I always lower my water level below the skimmer since there's no one home to look after the pool.
Thanks and sorry for the Newb questions.

 

[JohnT]

The only real issue is that the water might damage the landscaping or even wash out the cove in extreme cases if it runs over the side of the pool. You can plumb a T into your skimmer line and use that to just drain the pool if you have a good place to let it run, or you can use the "Waste" or "Backwash" settings on your filter (if so equipped) to pump water out of the pool.

 

[pepsiholic]

We have been pounded with rain and thunderstorms here too.

I drained about 3 inches off my pool today. I have an above ground and it was up past the top of the skimmer.

I couldn't use the backwash method because I'm in the process of adding cya, and I don't have an electic pump. So I did it the good old fashioned way. I took a piece of old garden hose, stuck it over the edge of the pool, turned on the new garden hose, shot water up through the other hose until I heard it "bubble", tossed the old hose on the ground and watched the pool water come gushing out. Pretty nifty, huh?...lol

 

[rastoma]

turned on the new garden hose, shot water up through the other hose until I heard it "bubble", tossed the old hose on the ground and watched the pool water come gushing out. Pretty nifty, huh?...lol

Or just submerge the entire piece of old hose so it fills with water then hang it off the edge and it should the suction.

 

[gugarci]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not worry about the overflow damaging my landscape since the yard needs major work. We are upgrading other part of the house first. So I'm guessing the overflow will not collapse my pool???

Also I've never had luck pumping out excess water without the aid of my pool cover electric pump.
Maybe in the past I've never waited long enough for the hose to fill up with pool water on it's own.
I can see it how it will take a while since I run the hose down my driveway so the pool water hit the street.

If I dump one end on the hose in the pool water will the water always eventually start to flow out the other end without the need of any assistance???

Thanks.

 

[tphaggerty]

If you don't have a hose bib nearby: unroll a hose and put one end where you want the "waste" water. Hold the other end in the pool at the return (with the pump running). The hose will fill up and then start siphoning water out of the pool.

I use this method for my portable spa - works like a charm.

 

[gugarci]

If you don't have a hose bib nearby: unroll a hose and put one end where you want the "waste" water. Hold the other end in the pool at the return (with the pump running). The hose will fill up and then start siphoning water out of the pool.

I use this method for my portable spa - works like a charm.

The only problem with this solution is that I can't pump out water while its raining without risking electrocution since the outlet to my pool pump is outside next to the pool. That's why I use my pool pump cover which I can plug inside my garage. Do they sell manual pump devices???

 

[PaulR]

If I dump one end on the hose in the pool water will the water always eventually start to flow out the other end without the need of any assistance???

The water needs help getting over the initial hump; that doesn't happen by itself. I bet you could unreel the entire hose into the water, just put your hand on one end to seal it, and haul that end over the side and down below water level before you unseal. That should be enough. Then drag the hose wherever the drained water has to go.
--paulr

 

[gugarci]

That could work but since I dump the water to the street I would need to stick a 50ft hose in pool.
I'm going to pass.

It's raining again right now. :|
I'm starting to think we will never used the pool this summer. :blah: