Draining Intex AGP full of algae

[calcium]

Historically, it costs me about $30 to fill my pool, so that's cheaper than dumping 20 gallons of bleach over a few days trying to kill all this algae (that will still have to be removed).

The problem is that the Intex drain adapter has a structure that algae is going to quickly clog. Last time I drained the pool, it took 3 days, and I never got all the algae out. (I tried vacuuming the remainder off the bottom, but way too much got through the filter and just clouded the water.)

My current thought is that I'll take the filter off my vacuum and pump and just run the output line to the ditch. Is that an option? If not, what are my other options?

Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

Buy a submersible sump pump at Harbor Freight or your local big box store or Amazon.

 

[calcium]

Buy a submersible sump pump at Harbor Freight or your local big box store or Amazon.

Like this?

1/4 HP Submersible Sump Pump 3000 GPH

That looks like you have to install it. (No idea, I've never been in a basement before.) How would this be used?

 

[ajw22]

Look at this one - plugs in and you connect a garden hose to ti - 1/6 HP Submersible Utility Pump 1600 GPH

 

[calcium]

Look at this one - plugs in and you connect a garden hose to ti - 1/6 HP Submersible Utility Pump 1600 GPH

Thanks for the link. All the sump pumps I've seen say they're for clean water. Won't the algae clog or potentially wreck them?

 

[ajw22]

Thanks for the link. All the sump pumps I've seen say they're for clean water. Won't the algae clog or potentially wreck them?

Algea should not be a problem. If you have dirt and mud it might be. These pumps have a coarse filter at the bottom. If it clogs you just pull it out fo the water, hose it off, and drop it back in. Better you mess up a disposable pump then your pool pump.

 

[calcium]

Algea should not be a problem. If you have dirt and mud it might be. These pumps have a coarse filter at the bottom. If it clogs you just pull it out fo the water, hose it off, and drop it back in. Better you mess up a disposable pump then your pool pump.

Awesome, I'll pick one up. Thank you so much!

 

[cfherrman]

You can use the vac like you thought but when the water level drops your setup has to be perfect, any air leaks will cause you to lose prime then you start fighting it. If you start with a full pool and a primed vac, and duct tape all the connections, start the pump with circulation (put the outlet into the pool) and then toss the hose in the ditch. If you have enough solids don't vac them up, plugged pump and it's over with. You can use garden hoses to siphon water if your location is hilly enough. If you have a shop vac when you get down to 1" or so of water you can vac everything up, it's some work but when it gets full just dump it right there in the grass.

 

[calcium]

Algea should not be a problem. If you have dirt and mud it might be. These pumps have a coarse filter at the bottom. If it clogs you just pull it out fo the water, hose it off, and drop it back in. Better you mess up a disposable pump then your pool pump.

Hey, it's been a while, but I wanted to come back and say that I bought that pump and it worked amazingly well! So great to be able to start over with clean water. Thanks for the tip!

 

[ajw22]