How to Drain an Above Ground Pool Quickly

As in ground pools, it is best not to drain an above-ground pool completely if you can help it. Draining a pool completely risks damage to the liner and supporting structure. That being said, it is sometimes necessary to drain a pool completely to clean or repair the lining. The most inexpensive way is to siphon the water out, but that will take a long time. To quickly drain an above ground pool, follow the steps below.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Submersible pump Hose Wet vacuum

1. Rent a submersible pump at a nearby home improvement store. The more powerful the pump, the quicker your pool will drain, although you do not want to drain more than 12 gallons per minute, as you will probably get overflow from your draining port at that point.

2. Determine where the water is going to go. One good place is into your sewer drain. It is a black pipe with a cap, located near the front of your house. If your pool is small, you can drain into your garden or even a gravel driveway, but take care not to let water get into the street or you may be fined by your city.

3. Attach a garden hose to your sump pump. One end should be either attached to your sewer drain or left out in your garden or drainage area. The other end should be attached to the pump.

4. Lower the pump into the deepest part of the pool, then turn it on. Monitor the draining carefully for signs of overflow or stalling. Try to keep the liner wet with a garden hose as the water level lowers. This will prevent chlorine residue from drying on it and causing it to shrink.

5. Remove the pump when the water level is too low for it to work. To remove the rest of the water, use a wet vac.

Tips & Warnings

• For best results, ask a pool specialist to drain your pool for you.
• Some liners will pull away from the pool walls if the water is completely drained. Try to keep 6 inches of water in the pool to prevent this.

Resources

• How to drain and winterize an above ground pool.