How To Empty A Swimming Pool

How to Empty a Swimming Pool. When cool weather rolls around, it's time to put away the pool toys and drain the swimming pool. Here are directions for emptying both aboveground and sunken pools.

Step 1

Stop adding chemicals to the pool water. Wait half a week.

Step 2

Rent an electric pump.

Step 3

Place the intake hose in the pool and the outlet hose in the center of the lawn.

Step 4

Plug in and turn on the pump, priming per the manufacturer's recommendations. Run until lawn is soggy. Turn off pump and wait until water has seeped into lawn.

Step 5

Restart pump.

Step 6

Repeat until drained.

Step 1

Stop adding chemicals to the water. Wait half a week. For highly chlorinated pools, wait longer or check the pH before draining.

Step 2

Find the drain line in the filter pump. It should be located near the pump motor.

Step 3

Attach a long hose to the drain line. Run the other end of the hose to a lawn or trees.

Step 4

Run the pump until the lawn appears nearly sodden. Turn off pump.

Step 5

Wait several hours.

Step 6

Repeat until pool is empty.

For a typical concrete or Gunite in-ground pool, there are two basic options for removal: partial or full. The area is filled with dirt afterward with both methods. Full removal is significantly more expensive than partial removal, but can potentially make the area as though there had never been a pool installed. You will likely need to apply for a permit with specifications about what kind of pool you have and how you will be removing it. If you want to build a structure over the area, there will be additional requirements for stabilizing the soil; you will likely be required to do a full pool removal with engineered backfill to be permitted to build over the pool site.

For a typical concrete or Gunite in-ground pool, there are two basic options for removal: partial or full. The area is filled with dirt afterward with both methods. Full removal is significantly more expensive than partial removal, but can potentially make the area as though there had never been a pool installed. You will likely need to apply for a permit with specifications about what kind of pool you have and how you will be removing it. If you want to build a structure over the area, there will be additional requirements for stabilizing the soil; you will likely be required to do a full pool removal with engineered backfill to be permitted to build over the pool site.