How to Pump Water Out of Pool

By Greg Jarvis | Last Updated: September 7, 2022

Some of the reasons why you need to drain your swimming pool are to prepare for winter and maintenance purposes. Also, if you have used the pool several times that involved a huge number of individuals. If your concern is how to pump water out of the pool, then this article is perfect for you. It is not a hard thing to do, but the process is quite tricky. So, to make things easier for you, we have written this step-by-step guide to simplifying the process.

This draining process uses a submersible pump. However, before you start pumping out the water in your pool, there are situations that you may require professional help:

  • If you are not sure what kind of pool you have
  • If you are living in an area with high groundwater
  • If you are not sure as to what are the equipment connected to your pool.

What You Need:

  • Garden hose
  • Bucket
  • Submersible pump with hoses long enough to reach the sewer line

How to Pump Water Out of Pool

Rent a Submersible Pump

If you cannot afford to buy a submersible sump pump, you can rent one at a home improvement store. The rental for 24 hours usually cost around $36. It is best to drain the pool water in the morning so that it will be empty before dark.

Note: Also, do not forget to include in your rental the rubber fire hoses with 50 feet length. The idea length is 100 feet, so it is best to rent two hoses. But, you can check the distance from your pool to the sewer access point.

Set Up the Sump Pump

This is an essential part of the process. Some areas won’t allow you to drain the water directly into the street. So you have two options where you can remove the water:

Directly into the cleanout

It is a 3 to 4 inches plastic pipe that you will find outside the kitchen or your bathroom. This will lead straight into the sewer. The city collects the water and uses it for other purposes. Old houses usually have one cleanout, while the newer homes have two cleanouts.

Warning: a cleanout directly connected to a wall can lead to water damage to the house. It is best to consult a pool specialist before starting.

Let the water flow into the plants, lawn, or other shrubberies

For those who need to drain the pool entirely, this is not the ideal way of doing it. Some plants and grasses do not react well to chlorine or salt.

Submerge the Pump

Make sure everything is in place, the hose attached correctly to the pump and the other end of the hose connected in the cleanout. If everything is in place, you can plug the pump.

Read the guide of best inground pool pumps now.

Monitor the Water Being Discharge

Check the water in the pool as it discharges carefully. The length of time consumed in draining the water will depend on the pump speed and size of the pool. Also, in the municipality laws.

You can check your municipality for the laws about the discharge rate. Some may have quite a low discharge rate. Do this to dispose of the water into the sewer safely.

A good pump will sometimes exceed the maximum discharge rate of the municipality. Most of them function at 50 gallons per minute and 70 gallons per minute top out.

For a 25,000 gallon pool, the pumping out of water will usually take 14 hours. This is for a pump that is capable of draining 30 gallons per minute.

Spray the Perimeter of the Pool

As you drain the water, spray the perimeter with the pool’s previous waterline using the garden hose. If some dirt adheres to the surface, you can brush them off so you can save time on the cleaning process.

Drain the Last Amount of Water Manually

The amount of water pumped out will depend on the pool’s contour on the deeper end. Finally, you can use a bucket to drain the water completely.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is best to choose the right type of submersible pump to be able to pump the water out of the pool fast. After pumping out the water completely, you can proceed to clean the entire pool. There could be some dirt sticking on the surface, make sure you have to get rid of them before refilling. Follow the simple steps on how to pump water out of the pool above to make sure you have done it correctly and safely.

Also, read How to Chlorinate a Pool.

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