How to drain below skimmer

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M

micanal

New member
Dec 9, 2019
1
Houston
Moved from here.

Speedo said:
Does this actually work..? I'm assuming the suction would keep the hose from being disconnected. That along with using a rope to keep the hose off the floor sounds like a much easier way than using my transfer pump for 12 hours.

Using hoses to siphon is very slow, but also a great technique.
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Many years later but just in case someone like me is trying to do a partial pool drain, a have to say this technique works. I set my filter in backwash mode, bought a threaded hose connector in Lowe's for $1 to firmly attach my vacuum hose to the suction hole in one skimmer (see link below), then I filled my vacuum hose with water and send one end of the hose to the bottom of the pool using a vacuum head with a pole as weight. I have two skimmers, so I put a tennis ball in my other skimmer to block the suction on that one (I guess I could have used another vacuum hose in my second skimmer but I didn't have an extra hose). While I waited for the pool to drain, I even vacuumed the bottom of the pool since as I mentioned I had the vacuum head attached, win-win :)

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge, you do a service to this great community.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Welcome to the forum!
It works, but, it does risk running a $1000 pool pump dry and damaging it. Much better to invest in a $60 sump pump and use that to drain or exchange water.
Draining a pool has risks. Be sure you are very aware of those risks and what may happen by draining.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
 
micanal said:
I set my filter in backwash mode, bought a threaded hose connector in Lowe's for $1 to firmly attach my vacuum hose to the suction hole in one skimmer (see link below), then I filled my vacuum hose with water and send one end of the hose to the bottom of the pool using a vacuum head with a pole as weight.
Click to expand...
We tried this but the pump always drew the water out of the skimmer faster than it could stay filled from the vacuum hose. So we got a submersible pump.
 
MarD said:
Can't I just put multiport valve on "WASTE", leave only main drain open (close skimmers) to drain water below the skimmers for closing? I have a vinyl inground pool.
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Yes. Just be there to catch it if the pump loses prime.
 
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