Instructed to completely drain the pool

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D

ddssanchez

New member
May 24, 2020
2
San Antonio
I just had my water tested a my local pool supply store and was told my CYA was above 300. The pool is 9 years old and I don't think I've ever drained it completely. I've read a few posts on here regarding hydrostatic pressure due to water table level. How do I find out if it is safe to drain the pool without damage to the pool. Pool is currently green and it was not responding to chlorine or shock no doubt due to the high CYA. Could you please advise on how to drain my pool safely
Thanks Steve
 
What kind of pool? Plaster? Probably best to do partial drain, fill, then drain again. Keep about a foot in the shallow end for each drain. There are also way to do a drain and fill at the same time. Tell us more about your pool and fill options (city water, truck?). Someone who has more experience with this will be by soon, I'm sure.
 
Thanks Shirker I just created an account last night so I havent had a chance to fill out my profile or signature yet which I know is how we can share info more rapidly, but it is a plaster pool, 18K Ga\llons. The partial drain is to protect the pool right? fill options will be city water. What do you mean by Truck I have not heard of this option
 
I live out in the county so I'm on a well. You can have water trucked in if you don't/can't get it any other way. I don't want to tax my well that much when I refill the pool. You can compare the cost of city water vs. having it trucked in.
 
In your climate I'm pretty sure you don't want to let the plaster dry out for very long. Cold water will separate from hot water. Assuming your pool is warm you can add cold fill water in the deep end and drain warm water from the top. If you search there are several threads on various ways to exchange water without draining the pool.
 
You can pump out the deep end while refilling the shallow end. You will go through a lot more water that way but it does protect the pool from floating or drying out the plaster.
 
If you can get a big enough tarp, you can use it to separate the fill water from the pool water.

You would need a tarp where the length and width are:

L + 2 x depth + 6
W + 2 x depth + 6

For example, a 16 x 32 pool at 4.8 feet deep would require a tarp about 32 x 48 feet.

You would leave about 3 feet overlap with the rest of the tarp on the water.

You would then begin filling on top of the tarp and draining from below at an equivalent rate such that the water level remains constant.

The tarp will slowly sink until the water under the tarp is removed and the water on top of the tarp is all that's left.

The tarp should never be under any tension since it's big enough to fit the pool.

www.uline.com

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I am in a similar situation as the OP, but I only need to reduce CYA from about 110 to around 80. I just need to drop the CYA enough until I can afford to replace the salt cell in a month or two.

How risky would it be to drain 6-8 inches below the tile line overnight?

Air temps will be below 80 °F by 7pm and will dip to around 60 °F overnight. Gonna be really warm here for the next few days, but shouldn't get above 85 until mid-day, at which point the water should be back above the tile line.

I could do this over a couple of nights, but it would obviously take less water if I do it all at once.

I have done this before several times, but usually during the winter months and while it's been raining.
 
peterl1365 said:
I am in a similar situation as the OP, but I only need to reduce CYA from about 110 to around 80. I just need to drop the CYA enough until I can afford to replace the salt cell in a month or two.

How risky would it be to drain 6-8 inches below the tile line overnight?

Air temps will be below 80 °F by 7pm and will dip to around 60 °F overnight. Gonna be really warm here for the next few days, but shouldn't get above 85 until mid-day, at which point the water should be back above the tile line.

I could do this over a couple of nights, but it would obviously take less water if I do it all at once.

I have done this before several times, but usually during the winter months and while it's been raining.
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I don't think you would have any issues.
 
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