How to drain a pool

Sometimes a pool is over-flowing, particularly if there has been several days of heavy rain. In these situations, you may want to drain your pool to get the water level back down to a more manageable level. There may also be times when repairs are needed a draining your pool will facilitate those fixes.

Why is draining a pool important?

Knowing how to drain a little water from your pool is a helpful skill to have, particularly in the Northeast where we experience hurricanes and tropical storms. If you know a heavy rain event is on its way, draining a little water in anticipation of the event is a good idea. You’ll also want to drain water from your pool to winterize it before closing it for the winter season.

What tools do you need to drain a pool?

The only tool you need to drain a pool is a simple garden hose.

How do you drain water from a pool?

Locate the hose spigot on your pool plumbing.
Attach standard garden hose to hose spigot.
Place hose discharge in appropriate location to accept water from pool.
Turn on filter pump (if it is not already on).
Open hose spigot. Water will start to drain.
SET A TIMER SO YOU DON’T FORGET THAT YOU ARE SLOWLY DRAINIG YOUR POOL (many people have drained too much by simply forgetting the hose is on. You don’t want to be one of these people!). Start with 15 minutes and then see how much water has been emptied (all pools will drain at different rates).
Once water is at desired level, close hose spigot, remove garden hose (if desired).