Draining Pool Without a Built-in Overflow?

[HofstraJet]

I live in a planned community in SE Florida so the homes were all built by the same builder. Most houses have pools and, with the extensive rains in SE Florida, the pool frequently has to be drained in the summer to prevent overflow.

Neither my pool nor the ones of my neighbors that I have seen have any overflow device built in to them.

When installing a SWCG, I had them install a spare JVA I had on the output of my heater so that whenever I needed, I could drain the pool. I have a long backwash hose running out to the street as my pool pad is in my backyard which connects to the yards of other houses.

I never see anyone else draining their pool.

My question is whether there is another, perhaps easier, way to drain the pool that I'm missing. How is everyone else in my community managing pools that are too full without draining to the street?

Thanks!

 

[kimkats]

You can use a sub pump to drain to the yard or garden or maybe they use the same idea as you but drain to the yard instead of the street?

Kim

 

[SoCalGuy]

We use a sub pump and run a hose into a sewer clean out. No water in the yard, no water in the street. Everybody's happy.

 

[HofstraJet]

Some of my neighbors are telling me that Florida building code requires an overflow device and that my pool should have one. I don't see where it would be and my pool has been nearly full for a few weeks while I was getting things fixed (thankfully no rain during this period) and it never drained to a reasonable level. My deck does have drain holes running around it about 3 feet from the pool - I wonder if that is what satisfies the overflow requirements?

Any ideas what I should be looking for to see if i have an overflow prevention device? Maybe it's clogged or not working properly.

Thanks!

FWIW, here's an old thread on this issue. Seems I'm not alone. Is it possible my pool has NO control for overflow???

 

[emdoller]

If you have an overflow it's simply I pipe that's near the top of your pool around the tile area. Should look like a round hole.

Ed

 

[C3Cl3N3O3]

You can get a siphon going without needing a pump if you have two hoses and enough of a downward slope to work with. That saved me when my pool drain got clogged.