Any tricks or suggestions for pumping out the last few inches of green pool water?

[dannyd]

Have you ever dealt with a dirty water pump that just wouldn't drain the last few inches?
Is there a simple solution?

I bought a 1 HP Harbor Freight 69300 dirty water pump to drain a green pool but it won't turn on at low water levels:

Even with the obnoxious float switch manually set to permanent on, the pump stops pumping with plenty of dirty water left to pump out:

I'm currently shoveling the water into a garbage can and then pumping it out from the garbage can:

But, pumping at 50 gallons per minute, I have to constantly run to the GCFI and pull the plug to shut it off before the garbage can runs dry:

Currently I have a 2-inch pool vacuum hose connected to the 1.5-inch outlet (female NPT thread) in the steel body of the pump:

But, I'd like to see if I can jury rig *something* (a rubber hose perhaps?) to go on the *underside* unthreaded inlet of the pump:

What could I shove into that inlet which will allow the pump to go shallower than the three or four or even five inches it seems to currently stop at?

I have a few 1.5-inch NPT fittings which go on the *outlet* of the stainless steel body:

The specs for the 69300 pump seem to "imply" it drains down to 1-3/8 inches:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-hp-s...-pump-with-tethered-float-2910-gph-69300.html

But, the Harbor Freight 69300 owners manual says it stops at 3 inches (it seems to stop at 3 to 5 inches or so):
http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/69000-69999/69300.pdf

Do you have a simple trick to get a dirty water pump to drain the last few inches?

 

[Dibbler]

Do you have a main drain or as we call them hydrostatic relief valve down there you can take out/open/take the cover off which you can then shove the pump into? it should be lower then and drain the last bit out?

 

[Smykowski]

Shop Vac?

 

[gtemkin]

Take a hole saw and drill a hole in the base beneath the inlet. Size it so the hole is slightly smaller than the OD of a rubber drain pipe coupling and pick the coupling so it would would seem the right size to mate up with the unthreaded port. Press the rubber coupling into place. That would bring the port out to where you could pick up from the thinnest depth of water. May need to silicone glue the rubber in place but maybe not. Lots of other ways you could come through the bottom with threaded pipe or various fittings, etc. Kinda little project I love doing.

 

[JasonLion]

I'd go with a shop-vac.

 

[samt]

I like your garbage can trick, maybe if you could get one of those hand diesel fuel pumps and remove the drain plate, pump it into the garbage can and let your pump do the rest. Those hand pumps work good.

 

[Richard320]

My first thought was also a shop vac. My second thought is a big carwash sponge.

 

[pooldv]

Are you draining to refill? Why not just refill it now? That amount of dirty water is not significant.

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