PaulR said:
Regarding dilution in the face of water restriction, it takes longer and ultimately uses more water but it can be done. There was somebody on the forum a while back who rigged something up so they were using pool water to feed the sprinklers and then topped off the pool from the hose. Net water usage doesn't change, but you are (slowly) resolving the high CYA problem.
--paulr
I've kept two inexpensive submersible pumps for years and use them for many things including when the garage floods, but mostly for pumping water out of the spa and pool, and to recirculate pool water when I can't or don't want to use the main pool pump, for various reasons. But the most valid reason that I've always kept two is to wet the house down, from pool water, in case of approaching forest/brush fires. It took only one fire, years ago, a few miles from here in the State Park (adjoining the back of my property, to convince me to always have at least one. I keep several big backup batteries charged up at all times that will run the pumps. One pump failed 2008 which I just replaced. BTW... the small ones cost $65 at HD years ago.
I have my pool partially closed (normally keep open all year) due to our recent freezes and I have pipes cut at pumping station to put in new filter and pump so I'm really making use of the old pump and new one for circulation and distribution of chems. I purchased a new one, last week, that is 4/10 hp. Cost at HD $137 but got $37 off as it was a floor model. It is powerful enough to run, abeit very slowly, my Polaris 280 (I have put in a screen to catch any fine debris that would make it to the Polaris.)
Which leads to...... I need to lower the water in pool by several inches. Temps are coming up in next few days. So here's what I'll do..... I'll hook up a couple of different portable sprinklers to the discharged water to see what kind of "yard watering" action I get from the 3/4 hp pump and the smaller, older pump. If I have some drip hose that has survived the puppies I'll hook one of those up too. At any rate some water will be used for watering plants even if it is not as fast as using the spigot (mine has great pressure).
The submersible pumps more than pay for themselves, almost immediately, by simplifying many water moving chores AND in the peace of mind I get knowing that I might be able to save the house in case of wild fires.
I'll report back when I do the testing. BTW.... we certainly don't need any watering right now with all the rain we've been having so I'll run the hose down the hill to woods. I put this in for local people so they wouldn't think that I was any crazier than I am. :lol:
For anyone reading this, in case you are not in an area where fires run wild, but have neighbor houses/structures close to your house..... when I was a kid our next door neighbors house burned. Heavy, fiery coals were hitting our roof. It took the fire dept. way to long to get on site. Until they arrived my father hosed the roof. This may have possibly saved our house.
gg=alice