Pool owners and pool service providers must comply with mandatory rules on how to correctly drain a swimming pool and also the hot tubs. In this way, you will be ensuring the safety of the surrounding environment and also the waterways.
Fish and other species are harmed by the chemicals used in pools and hot tubs to keep the water clean and safe for swimming. If chlorinated or salt water is discharged into the storm sewer system, it will flow untreated into the nearest stream and eventually into the nearby lakes and rivers.
Pool water should never be dumped into or onto the ground near a ravine or valley since this can result in erosion and severe vegetation damage. So, if you aren't going to use your pool for an extended period of time and don't want to worry about maintaining it yourself or paying for costly service, you may be asking how to turn it off.
There are differing views on whether the pool should be drained partly, completely, or not at all. Let’s see them in detail.
Best Time to Drain a Swimming Pool
In some specific areas, certain time slots are followed to empty your pool. The reason behind this step is to prevent the presence of flooded environments on streets and sewers during the rainy season.
There are also other issues for pool owners in terms of scheduling. Summer heat can burn pool liners if they are not submerged in water. An empty pool can be pushed higher by the frozen earth during the winter, a phenomenon known as "pool pop".
So, in the spring or fall, when the water level is low and the maximum height won't surpass 85 degrees, wait for the weather to get pleasant.
Pool Owners - Steps for In-Ground Pool
The sheer water volume and its place of flow are some of the important reasons to think twice before pulling the plug. Is it going to spill over onto your neighbor's property? Is it going to spill with extreme pressure?
Is it your intention to drain a swimming pool? Find out different types of sewers that are present in your area. Ideally, the pool water should be channeled directly into a natural stream or other body of water without being treated by a storm sewer. Only sanitary sewers are used to transfer wastewater to the treatment facilities.
An in-ground pool requires a lot more effort to get drained. So, pool owners must follow these steps.
- Turn off or disable the pool pump, lighting, auto-leveler, and any timers that are set to run automatically. Many of these items are cooled down using liquids which means that will eventually overheat if the water level falls down beneath a certain limit.
- The drain points should be connected to enough house points (downhill, sewer cleanout line, road, or any other place)
- The pump should be connected to the GFCI outlet. The voice of the pump should be heard clearly.
- Make sure you are able to drain the water properly through the hose. You should throughout the day keep an eye on the pool.
- Ideally use a large pair of pliers, unscrew plugs and allow the groundwater to enter the pool. A bit of flow and pressure is common so don’t be alarmed when you come across such a situation. Also, don’t forget to get proper replacements when the plugs get damaged.
- Take help from the pump for the removal of the groundwater.
Tips for Draining Pool Water
- For detailed rules or codes of pool owners, contact your local municipal department. Swimming pool water should be transferred to a treatment facility via a sanitary sewer if at all practicable. This is extremely crucial for big (especially communal) pools, and it occurs automatically when in-ground pools are built with a sanitary sewer drain.
- If water cannot be drained to a sanitary sewer, it can be permitted to evaporate to a lower level for the winter, disposed of on the ground, or used to irrigate your property. The water should only be discharged when the pool owner has stopped adding chlorine or other treatment chemicals or has turned off the chlorination system. And has kept the water in the pool for at least one week while the chlorine levels have dropped.
- If you're going to drain a swimming pool on your land or use it to irrigate it, be sure it doesn't flow off your property or into a stream or storm drain. Dispose of pool water on your property in such a way that it does not pond for an extended length of time, resulting in odors and bug breeding conditions.
- If discharge to the ground will result in inflow to a stream ditch or storm sewer, increase the holding period of water in the pool to at least two weeks without adding chlorine to allow the chlorine to evaporate.
- Measure the chlorine level in the pool water using a pool test kit before draining to confirm there is no detectable chlorine level. If the free chlorine level is greater than 0.1 mg/l, a longer holding period may be required.
Reminder: Water Must be Dechlorinated
Simply stop adding chlorine to your uncovered pool and let it sit for a while. Within 10 days, sunlight will help to naturally eliminate chlorine. Use a swimming pool test kit to assess chlorine at this period.
Dechlorinate the pool water chemically. Chemicals for quickly removing chlorine are available from pool and spa service providers. Follow the product label's instructions. Now you know how to drain the pool water safely. Find the most suitable contractors for yourself on Topspot101. Such free directories have a list of best service providers which in this case will be a pool service provider.