Ah if only the Home Depot wasn't 22 miles from my home and I am trying to do this on the only day I have off for the next 6 weeks with me probably working until 6 PM on Friday as usual. (and not entirely even, since I have to show for that meeting.) Tucson sux in that way in that everything is 20 miles away (in different directions) from my densely populated (but unincorporated) 'burb. I can start pumping the night before... I actually also have a transfer pump... I have no idea the GPM on that one but I can run both (it's a pain to prime it though). I can start using the pools pump until I get to the skimmer bottom, but I have a main drain so it can go at least until there. I'm not worried about losing prime if I am out there watching it.
Luckily the drain to the wash is downhill from the pool and only about 10' away. I can run through almost no hose. When I do that with the hot tub, I literally drain it in about 10 minutes (I've done that three times now), and it's 250 gallons... so it's consistent. I agree head loss kills those pumps rapidly but I'll have almost none (only the draw from the level of the pool I am draining, 2'-3') . I could literally drain to the wash with just enough hose to drop over the decking of the pool. I could siphon about the first foot off of the pool if need be!
So lets assume I am hallucinating and I am only getting 10 GPM out of that pump... I still can do 7K gallons in 12 hours. That's all I will do regardless. If I am still too high in CH after that a second round will happen later in the year.
Here is the published ratings for the pump I have.. it's a Menards special for you fellow Midwesterners and former. 1500 GPH @ 0'; 1320 GPH @ 5'; 1200 GPH @ 10'; 960 GPH @ 15'; 540 GPH @ 20'; 120 GPH @ 25'
It has a 1-1/4" discharge and an adapter to "hose".. I guess I can get a 1-1/4" 6' bilge pump hose and a hose clamp.. not a bad idea! Hmm..
So since I am going downhill and I'll use a short hose.. I'm guessing the 10' isn't going to be going too far off of the mark. Lets derate this to 1000 GPH or the about 12' head level (with a 5' garden hose on it). That's seven hours. That is what I am actually expecting... Since I have a dozen other things to do, including fixing the SWCG control unit, going to a meeting, etc., that is not an issue really.
When we filled the pool we did it with two garden hoses on both silcoxes on the house and it filled in about 12-13 hours. So I probably can drain during the day, get done in the afternoon and then fill over night.
You did pick the second closest HD to me though. The one on Irvington is scary, I don't go there if possible. So that's the one I use when I am up here in Tucson. That pump is an "up to 3600 GPH" pump and is only 3-4x the capacity. I suppose if I were planning better I'd get another 1/4 HP for $56 from the midwestern chain (they sell mail order) and I'd be at least 1/2 the way to the rental and get to keep both pumps.
I'll consider the rental... if I have time... we will see. I think it's doable with the 1/4 of the capacity pump though...or two of 'em....
I am starting to wonder if doing this when I get back in the middle of October isn't a better idea though for the plaster. This has been my conundrum for several weeks now. I also wanted to get past the monsoon. It's been raining non stop here since early June (contrary to all the doom and gloom you've been hearing about the Southwest this year-- not the case here, I am actually tired of the rain, it's been worse than the Midwest this year, I have to cut grass at the other house! I tried to get away from that! Rye grass is growing there, not that normal Bermuda stuff, I am not kidding)... so that's been a major stall as well for me.
I want to try the bilge pump hose now tho....
