Draining The Pool To Prepare For Pressure Washing
Start by draining the pool until all of the water is out. You may need to use a pump if your pool filters are unable to drain pools. Once the pool has been drained let it dry out. It may take a day or two to completely dry. Once the pool is dry, the next step is to sweep out any debris that is left inside of the pool. Next cover all electrical components including the area around the pump, stereos, and heaters.
If Theres Been Rain Wait
Stormy week? If you were ever curious about the absolute worst time to drain your pool, this is it. Because the rain has recently sunk into your yard, there is more pressure on the sides of your pool, and an increased risk that the ground will push the pool to pop out as the water empties.
Give the ground a few weeks to dry out before you attempt to drain your pool. While the ground itself might look dry, you never know whats happening under the surfaceand a pool pop-up is one mean way to find out.
Know Where Youre Going To Drain
Before you start draining your pool, you absolutely need to have a game plan. Remember, this is thousands of gallons of water youre about to moveand its got to go somewhere. Plus, your yard is not an option, and not just because you dont want chemically-treated water going into your grass. Pool pop ups happen most frequently when there is pressure underground around your pool. Introduce water to the ground near your pool and youre probably going to regret it.
So where should all that water go? Again, this is a time when you should consult with your local water authority. The usual process is to direct the water into one of your homes sewer cleanouts, but some cities allow you to drain into the streetand others have tight restrictions on when you can drain your pool. Go to your local dot gov to find out the regulations that apply for you.
To take extra measures to avoid the pool pop up, make sure your drainage hose is long enough to reach the sewer cleanout . And just in case any other drainage problems occur, direct the drainage hose downhill from the pool. You never quite know if your sewer cleanout is significantly clogged until youre trying to push thousands of gallons of water through. If something goes wrong and that water happens to come back toward you, you want to make sure its nowhere near your pool.
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Why Not To Drain A Pool
Draining a pool is risky business for several reasons. Your pool is not meant to be empty. Whether you have a vinyl, concrete, or fiberglass pool, it is at its best when its full of water. Once the water is drained, you open yourself up to all sorts of damage, so drain a pool only when there is no other option.
The greatest danger you face when draining a pool is hydrostatic pressure. Thats just a fancy term for the pressure of all of the groundwater around and under your pool pushing against your pools walls and floors. Water is heavy, and hydrostatic pressure can be significant. If you havent adequately planned for the onslaught of hydrostatic pressure, your pool could be severely damaged.
Clear And Store The Lines
Just like the plumbing in your house, your pool lines can be damaged by ice expansion. Even if winters are mild in your area, clearing, removing, and storing the lines will make for easier setup next spring.
Simply disconnect the lines, allow all the water to run out, let them air dry, then store them in a dry place out of direct sunlight. Letting them dry is crucial unless you want to find mold in them next season.
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The Wrong Way To Drain Your Intex Pool
Theres a right way to drain your Intex pool and then theres the wrong way to do it.
These guys obviously had no desire to maintain their pool the following year, and wanted a quick and easy way to drain the pool. They decided to flood the back yard, and post their method to YouTube, where you can watch the entire video.
If you decide to dispose of your Intex pool , please try to recycle the vinyl. Most landfills will accept your vinyl pool for recycling.
Elizabeth PoulinInTheSwim Staff Blogger
When To Winterize Your Above Ground Pool
Depending on where you live, your closing times will vary. But as a rule, if temperatures typically drop, and stay, below 65°F during the off season, wait until the temperature falls below that point to close.
Why? Algae, like orchids or William Faulkner novels, need heat to thrive, and cold temps help keep your water clear of infestation. Plus, leaving your pool open until the mercury drops gives you plenty of time to clean, test, and balance your pool before closing.
If you live in an area where the temperatures occasionally rise above 65°F for a few days during the winter, you can take advantage of the warm spell to test and balance the water chemistry. These tweaks will help you keep your water clean and clear until spring returns.
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How Often Should You Change Your Bestway Pool Water
Bestway pools are above ground pools, they are designed to be set up and taken down when the seasons change. As such, you probably wont need to change the water unless something contaminates it and cant be fixed with chemical treatments.
You will, however, need to drain your pool entirely before taking it down or if you plan to move your pool.
How To Clean Your Pool Without Draining It
During the summer, its common for pool water to take a turn for the worse especially if youve been away on vacation or neglected to clean it in a timely fashion.
When this happens, many homeowners think the best solution is to drain the pool but this isnt the only way to fix a dirty pool!
Here are our best tips for cleaning your pool without draining it.
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Dont Forget To Pay Attention To Hard
Vacuums and brushes can sometimes have a hard time maneuvering around the obstacles in your pool, like stairs, ladders, skimmers and gaskets. When cleaning your liner, its best to give those hard-to-clean areas some love by scrubbing them by hand with a smaller tool, like a pool cleaning mitt. It will prevent dirt and debris from building up there over time and damaging your liner.
Remove The Remaining Water
This step is only for complete drainage when you need to replace your liner.
There are many ways to do this, but the fastest is to suction it out with a pump or a wet/dry vac.
If you simply cant spare the expense, you can use buckets or other containers to remove as much as you can until it’s empty enough to handle.
Some water will probably get dumped in the process, so just make sure you let it dry out pretty well before putting in a new liner so you can prevent bacteria and pool algae from forming under the surface.
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Allow Pool Chemicals To Dissipate
Regardless of where youre going to dispose of the pool water, its bestand in most cities, requiredto ensure the water does not have high levels of pool chemicals. It should be chlorine neutral, have a neutral pH, and not contain any additional chemicals you may use. Contact your local water authority for required chemical levels where you live.
To reduce levels, stop adding chemicals, and test the water until the water reaches the necessary chemical levels. If you need to drain the pool sooner , you can use a chlorine neutralizer to speed up the process.
Other Dangers To A Drained Pool
The other possible danger to a drained pool comes from the exposure of the pool floor and walls to the elements. The material of your pool walls and floor is meant to be submerged. A pool with a vinyl liner can become dried out and even crack. Vinyl and cement is less fragile, but can also be damaged by the elements if the pool is not refilled quickly.
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How To Clean A Green Above Ground Pool
Spring is in the air, or at least in the minds of many swimming pool owners this time of year. Depending on where you live, getting your pool ready for spring opening may be as simple as removing the pool cover and letting the sun’s rays warm up the water. But for many others, our unprotected swimming pool is going to require a little more work to whip it into shape for the hot summer months ahead. Most above ground pools turn green over the off season from of a lack of chlorine and if left all winter without a pool cover, piles of debris can accumulate on the pool’s bottom making spring clean up a chore. Sometimes this mess can be overwhelming and draining the pool to clean it up is the easiest path to recovery. This is OK as long as it is done correctly.
Draining An Above Ground Pool
Cleaning Up The Mess
Once the pool is nearly empty you can scrub the walls and bottom of the liner to remove stubborn algae and debris. Care must be taken to not damage the vinyl pool liner material with brushes poles etc. If entering the pool during the cleaning process, be extra careful not to step on limbs, rocks, toys and other items that can cause the pool liner to puncture. Remember to work quickly and begin filling the pool up with fresh water as soon as possible, even if you do not drain it completely. You will now have mostly clean fresh water and the pool filter can remove the remainder of the Algae.
The Pool Is Now Open
Is There Any Other Option
When your pool is green and full of chunky algae, it may seem hopeless. But the truth is that there is almost always another option. All it takes is patience, some elbow grease, and a commitment to work on your pool almost daily for up to two weeks. It can seem daunting, but its still probably better than draining your pool. The cost of the materials you will need to clean your pool is almost certainly less than your water bill after filling a 20,000-gallon pool. Keep that in mind as you make your decision whether to drain.
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How To Drain Last Bit Of Water From Pool
by Team Teserra | Dec 24, 2019 | Swimming Pool Maintenance
Every swimming pool owner knows that from time to time, draining the water from the pool is necessary. There can be a ton of reasons for this, including replacing your pool liner, or due to environmental conditions. Once the water has been drained, your pool can be exposed to potential damages. Its important to know how to drain last bit of water from pool, so you can minimize the risk of damage.
Draining Pool Water Using Garden Hose Siphon
A slower way to remove water from your pool is by using a garden hose siphon. You can use just one garden hose, but if you want to drain water faster, use more. Follow the instructions below.
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Try Using Natural Cleaners
If youre not one for harsh chemicals, there are plenty of natural and organic options for removing stubborn stains on your pool liner. White vinegar or organic dish soap are great alternatives and can help you tackle most mildew and stains with less health and environmental impact. Theyre also cheaper than many of the other cleaners you can buy.
Pro tip: Be careful when using any cleaner to avoid bleaching or fading your liner. Always follow your manufacturer instructions and test new cleaning products on a small area before moving forward.
How To Clean Pool After Draining
Talking about cleaning your above ground pool. How do you get it all cleaned up? It is important to know how to clean things like this especially after draining correctly. Otherwise you could damage your pool and improve the chances of having infections and diseases in your water. So if you do not know how to clean an above-ground pool, it is best that you follow the necessary guides and carry out every instruction that follows.
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How To Close Your Pool For The Seasonin Ten Steps
Okay, so youve got what you need. Now its time for the real work to begin. I wont pretend that its easy to close your pool for the winter, but I can tell you that itll all be worth it in the spring. And once youve got this process down, itll come back to you faster and faster every year. Because as you know: when it comes to pool maintenance, youre in this for the long haul. Better eat some protein for this first step.
Safer Ways To Drain & Clean A Vinyl Pool
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Dispose Of The Water Correctly
This is important when you drain any pool, but even more so for an inground pool. If your drainage hose isnt long enough to reach the sewer cleanout in your yard, buy a longer hose.
Letting those thousands of gallons of water spill out onto the ground around your pool will have the same effect of heavy rainfall. The ground will absorb the water, and the pressure on your pool will increase.
Why Should You Keep Your Above Ground Pool Clean
Swimming in your pool should come with no worries. Therefore, you should always make sure that the water and the pool itself are clean.
There are so many benefits that you can get from a well-cleaned pool. Here are some:
1. Fewer Costly Repairs
Having a regularly cleaned pool can take your costs to a smaller price. See, when you lean your above-ground pool, it is more likely to be destroyed, and so you would not have to worry about buying a new one.
2. Overall Aesthetic
None of us would want a pool that is not clean. Part of enjoying a pool is not minding whether you are swimming in clean water or not.
3. Adds charm to your home
Having a clean pool is one thing but having a house with a clean pool means the other. We do not need a clean house with a backyard pool entertainment that is not equal to or even cleaner than the house.
4. Prevent Diseases
Suppose you do not regularly properly clean your pool. In that case, it can easily turn into a huge breeding ground of various diseases from algae to bacteria, to whatever it is that may cause harm.
Mosquitoes can also breed in an uncleaned, stagnant pool, so if you regularly replace and clean the water in your pool, you do not risk that from happening.
5. Longer Entertainment for the Family
Since cleaning a pool is one of the most basic jobs to do to maintain a pool, you can be sure that the pools longevity will not disappoint you. So it starts with cleaning.
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Skimmer Or Return Hoses
You may have already realized that you could remove the hose from the pool filter and drain water right next to the pool. This will work, however, only down to the level of the return.
Its always best to drain or pump out an Intex pool slowly. With the Easy Set pools, you may be tempted to deflate the top ring and just sort of roll the water out. This can be dangerous, not just to nearby plants or mulch beds, but to the pool, which can rip or develop holes during the process.
Thats our super-simple six-step system for draining your Intex Frame-Set or Easy-Set pool. Take the time to do it right and youll enjoy many more years of fun with your Intex Pool.
