If you decide to drain this pool yourself, you will first need to rent a sump pump that can be submerged under water. After renting the proper sump pump, connect it to the sewer access point and submerge the other end in the pool. Plug the pump into an outlet and let it go to work.
Close the pool for winter – but don't drain it.
In winter, the water in your pool is still your friend. Especially when properly winterized, it helps to protect the pool liner, keep it clean and prevent unnecessary damage from debris, harsh weather and other factors.
Approaches on How to Drain a Pool
For inground pools with a sand or DE filter, the easiest way to quickly lower the water level is to place the multiport valve into the waste position and roll out the backwash hose. If instead, you have a slide (push-valve), backwash the filter to lower the water level.
Additionally, a lack of water means there's a lack of moisture on the pool walls. If left exposed to long periods under the hot sun, pool finishes will dry out, creating cracks and flaking.
An inground pool can pop regardless of type. Concrete, gunite, vinyl, fiberglass—they're all at risk of popping when drained. If it's time to drain your pool, and you want to keep it from popping, consider draining just half the water from the pool, and refilling it.
All you need is a medium-size water or vacuum pump. Unroll the pump's intake hose so that it reaches the center of the pool (or as close to it as possible), and submerge it in the pool. Place the outlet hose so the exiting water doesn't flood the area, but drains off away from the pool.
Put one end of your garden hose inside the port. Thread the hose to the back of your house. Attach the other end of the garden hose to a submersion pump and place the hose and pump in the deepest area of your pool, near the drain. The pool will begin to drain.
Never use your pool pump to try to drain the pool. Inevitably, you will pull air into your suction line, the pump will lose its prime, and you will damage or burn up your pump. Always rent or purchase a submersible pump to drain the pool. Remember to turn off the electricity to your pump and pool light.
A 10,000 gallon pool will take about 14 hours to drain, the maximum rate recommended by the City of Phoenix. It will take twice as long to drain if the pool size is doubled or cut in half.
In general, draining this type of pool is the trickiest. Inground pools made of concrete or gunite are susceptible to popping out of the ground if drainage is not done properly. If there has been a surplus of rain recently or your pool is located in a wet area, it is best not to try and drain the pool yourself at all.
Pool industry experts recommend you drain your pool and refill it every five to seven years. No two pools are alike, so there is no set number at which you must drain your pool.
First, if the draining is done at the wrong time or under the wrong conditions, you can actually risk damaging your pool structure and liner. All the water from your pool needs to go somewhere when it's drained, and that usually means the ground.
If you can pump around 30 GPM (gallons per minute), which is also equivalent to 1800 GPH (gallons per hour), it should take you 2.78 hours or 2 hours and 46 minutes to drain your pool using a hose.
Flooding Your Grass Is Not A Good Idea
The problem with draining your pool in the yard, if permitted by your local water regulatory laws, is that it will quickly reach its saturation level and increase the risk of flooding your lawn, drowning the roots of your grass, and attracting mosquitoes.
Swimming pool builders often install overflow drains near the rim of the pool that prevent flooding most of the time. If you don't have an overflow drain, or if it is clogged, it is possible for periods of unusually heavy rain to overflow your pool.
If a water line breaks or leaks under or near a pool the soil may become fully saturated over time. When the saturation reaches a point, that there is sufficient water under the pool, it may cause the pool to float or pop up.
Most inground fiberglass and concrete pools are built structurally to withstand the weight of the dirt against them when drained. However, if the groundwater is high enough, it can push the entire pool out of the ground. The pool shell acts like a ship and floats up in the groundwater.
How Long Will a Concrete Pool Last? A concrete pool should last decades (we're talking 50 years or more) if it is properly maintained. While the shell of the pool can become damaged if the building was not done correctly, a well-constructed concrete swimming pool should last a lifetime.