Draining Your Pool Plumbing
I’m not sure you can call this a plumbing job, but for swimming pool owners, draining your pool is a chore that has to be done every couple of years, or when your water gets so nasty that it just won’t balance anymore.
How often you have to replace the water in your pool varies, but generally speaking, probably every 2-3 years or so. Once the water can no longer hold chemicals, or if your total dissolved solids (TDS) readings are too high, it’s time to change them. You can take a sample of your water to a pool store and they will give you some advice on your water as well.
When it’s time to replace the water, you will need a submersible pump and enough hose to reach your cleanout. Place the pump into the deepest part of the pool (near the drain) and run the hose to the cleanout. You will probably need to hunt for your cleanout. It should be in the ground with a plastic or rubber cap covering it. Many times the cleanout line is run in the same trough as the main water line. Look at the meter and follow a line up to your house. It may be covered with dirt, landscape rocks, etc. Anyway, you may have to spend some time looking for it.
If you have a spa, drain run the spa drain only to drain the spa into the pool. This will make it so you only have to drain the pool and not the spa in addition to the pool. Turn the pool equipment off and turn on the submersible. You will want to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t overflow your cleanout, and also that you shut it off when it is done. The pump will get hot if it continues to run while the pool is drained.
By the way, while you are draining the pool, it’s a great time to clean the filters and generally perform any maintenance on the pool or equipment.