How to drain water in winter - inground with mesh cover

Jump to latest Follow Reply
V

Veccster

0
Bronze Supporter
Aug 30, 2016
359
Pittsburgh PA
Ok...I'm frustrated with finding a solution to drain water from my pool. It's an inground pool and has a mesh cover. We get so much rain and snow melt all winter that I have to continually drain it or it will overflow. And, I don't like knowing the water is above the bottom of the skimmer because we also get freezes.

It is definitely easiest to drain from the skimmer lid but that doesn't leave much room to work with. Sliding a submersible pump under the tight cover and down into the pool is not easy.
I have a hill behind the skimmer side but starting a siphon is not easy either (not sure how to do it).

Ideally, I would like to have a pump that is not submersible (with intake and output hoses on each side) that I can just leave on the deck. It's not easy getting electric out there either so I would love it if I could find one that can be removed once it gets a siphon going.

Thoughts???
 
The easiest way to start a siphon is to submerge the male side of a hose into the pool. Connect the discharge end to a water source and turn it on until water flows into the pool. When you disconnect the discharge end (while its lower than pool water level) water begin flowing out.
 
Rancho Cost-a-Lotta said:
The easiest way to start a siphon is to submerge the male side of a hose into the pool. Connect the discharge end to a water source and turn it on until water flows into the pool. When you disconnect the discharge end (while its lower than pool water level) water begin flowing out.
Click to expand...

Thanks but what do you suggest as a "water source" that will suck the water up and into the hose?
I've considered doing this with a Water Transfer Pump but it will have to self-prime as the hose will be empty. Self-priming transfer pumps are probably in the $500+ range and not what I'm looking to spend.
 
If you're using garden hoses, just connect the discharge end to another hose connected to a spigot. Turn on the water only for a few seconds to completely fill the hoses. Once you disconnect the second hose water will flow, assuming the discharge end is lower than the water level.
 
Rancho Cost-a-Lotta said:
If you're using garden hoses, just connect the discharge end to another hose connected to a spigot. Turn on the water only for a few seconds to completely fill the hoses. Once you disconnect the second hose water will flow, assuming the discharge end is lower than the water level.
Click to expand...

I understand what you're saying. That's not easy in my situation. Our spigots are turned off in the winter for freeze reasons - and the distance to get hoses out there is far. If I left a 2nd hose in place, it would freeze up and not be usable (until a warm day thawed it out).

I could possibly fill up a hose in my hose, shut off valves on both ends, and carry the hose out to the area for a siphon. This just seems to ridiculous though. That's why I was hoping for a better solution. I can't imagine everyone in the cold climates does this......
 
Well, to close this out, I figured out a decent solution last night. I bought a rubber hose (so it folds up easily) and put valves on both ends. I hooked it up to our laundry sink and ran water through it. As water was coming out, closed both valves. I carried it out to the pool deck and laid it out - one end in skimmer (submerged), and one end down the hill. Open top valve first then bottom valve and siphon started.
I started it at 8pm last night and it's still going at 9am this morning. End of hose is in the bottom of the skimmer so I'm just lowering to that point.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Have you considered a small gas powered pump?

https://www.amazon.com/Generac-6917-CW10K-Clean-Water/dp/B01G4VU0YE/

51nrgPhpz9L.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply