There is a water ban in my town, and my pool water level is going to be below the intake to my filter. How can I keep my pool water circulating and clean without the use of my filter? I'm thinking of putting my vac hose into the water intake and leaving the other end in the bottom of the pool???? Or running my pool pump and letting the water just run back into the pool. It won't be filtered but it will keep the water circulating. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks Patty
Water Ban in my town, low water in pool. how do I keep my pool clean without filter running
- Thread starter PattyA
- Start date
Are you sure you understand the “ban” correctly? You are certainly allowed to top up your pool.
Edit: I suppose I’d have to take that back, looking it up sounds like there is. That’s crazy. I suppose you can just circulate the water, drain it, or fight it.
When the ban is lifted, get a storage tank of water to pre-fill before the next ban and use that to top off the water.
Last edited:
- May 3, 2014
- 58,369
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Surprisingly, no.
The Town of Scituate has implemented a Tier 4 water ban. This is a total ban on all nonessential outside water use due to the current drought conditions and the strains being placed on our wells. This includes lawn irrigation, watering of flowers, filling of pools, vehicle washing as well as boats. The Water department is fining violators with fines as high as $300 a day.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,369
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Do you have a main drain? You can switch to that for pump suction.
Otherwise your vac hose idea should work. But I would check that it primes every day it turns on.
Otherwise your vac hose idea should work. But I would check that it primes every day it turns on.
Hello, and thank you MK. I don't know about a main drain? When my water level gets too low it won't be able to be pulled into the intake to the filter. I thought I could put the small pump we use to lower the water for the winter into the bottom deep end of the pool and run the hose down to the other end of the pool and let the water go back in. I think this will help keep the water circulating enough to be able to put chlorine in and have it mix. Do you think this will help. I know I won't be filtering the water but it won't stagnate this way. Hopefully we will get rain soon. I have down spouts attached to my gutters on the house that run down to my pool, so any rain we do get will get the rain that hits my house in addition to the rain that lands in my pool anyway. Crazy summer here.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,369
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You can use the sump pump for that. No problem.
Most pools have a main drain. Normally in the deepest part on the bottom of the pool. Yours may or may not be functioning. It is likely connected to the skimmer. Does your skimmer have two holes in the bottom?
Most pools have a main drain. Normally in the deepest part on the bottom of the pool. Yours may or may not be functioning. It is likely connected to the skimmer. Does your skimmer have two holes in the bottom?
I was going to suggest the exact sump pump idea you're considering. Keeping the water circulating and maintaining the water chemistry will go a long way to keeping the water clear. It won't stay clear forever without any filtration, but you should be able to run like that for quite a while before the water clarity really starts to suffer.
Hi, I put the vac hose into the skimmer intake and put the vacuum head in the deep end. Now the water is being pulled into the filter as if I was just vacuuming the pool. Hopefully this will work until we get rain. I have about 1 1/2" before the water will not flow into the skimmer/filter intake. I'm hoping this will work.
Keep an eye on that because when the water gets below the skimmer level, the hose may lose the seal. Those hoses connections arent 100% airtight and so you might start sucking air.
Do you have a solar cover? If not it may be worth getting one, as that will dramatically reduce evaporation losses by 75% or more. Even a couple large tarps stretched across and weighted with bricks might achieve similar. In my case, cover off vs on is the difference between dropping 1-2 inches a week and dropping 1/4"-1/2" a week, which might be enough to pull you through.
It is tough because letting grass die in most cases doesn't have the same mosquito/health hazard potential has having pools unable to circulate, but I get that it's an emergency until you get some rain. Using the vacuum hose supervised even if only for an hour or so while you add/circuilate chlorine is a good mitigation idea.
It is tough because letting grass die in most cases doesn't have the same mosquito/health hazard potential has having pools unable to circulate, but I get that it's an emergency until you get some rain. Using the vacuum hose supervised even if only for an hour or so while you add/circuilate chlorine is a good mitigation idea.
Thanks MK, Yes, my skimmer has two holes. I never knew why? I have the hose from the vac hooked up to the skimmer intake and the other end attached to the vacuum head for weight, so it will say on the bottom. The pool is functioning well right now set up this way. I so appreciate your quick reply and support.
Thank you Donaldson, I just didn't want a swamp in my backyard.
Right now I'm comfortable with this set up and hoping for RAIN SOON.Thanks Bperry, I thought of that. I have 1 1/2" before it doesn't reach the level of the intake. I may have to go to a sump pump and hose idea then.
Not sure if anyone does this, but thought I'd mention, I add downspouts from my house and garage gutters and run them down to my pool. I'm able to keep my pool full, as long as we get even a bit of rain. It seems to double the amount of rain that registers in my rain gauge. We just got some and my pool is topped off. All it takes is a good downpour for a while and lots of water from the roof fills it up.
You can run that through a 5 gallon bucket filter to keep the shmutz out too.
Yes, thanks. At this point we have a new roof and not a problem yet. Will keep this in mind.
I spend most of the time trying to get water out of the pool rather than adding any. Should find a way to ship some of the extra water around to other places.
Never had a problem until this year. We've had no rain for weeks and now a total Tier 4 water ban, no watering anything. I use my downspouts anyway every summer because I don't want to pay for water to fill my pool. Just a way to save money.