Draining Gunite Pool

[jaypool]

I need to drain my pool that was just built. Can I do that with a simple pump? Will it affect or break anything if I do it?

[Watermom]

Why do you need to drain it?

[jonv112]

If your water table is high, you run the risk of cracking the new gunite because there is no water in the pool to counteract the pressure of the water under the pool from pushing it up out of the ground. Or worse, the pressure could even lift your pool out of the ground!

[waste]

I will reiterate Watermom's ? - why do you think you need to drain it? (BTW- welcome to the forum ! ;) ) If you tell us the reason, we may find a solution that doesn't require draining the pool.

[jaypool]

The pool guy was painting some rocks around the pool and got a TON of paint in it. I don't know how to get it out. The cartridge filter stops up every 15-30 minutes full of the paint and I've been doing this for a week now without any luck in getting the paint out.

By the way: this was after he got too much sand in it. I got advice on using the sand filter bag on the 380 to get all the sand/dirt out and I was in the process of doing this when he came back to finalize the paint on the rocks and got it in the pool. My water is now literally brown, the color of the rocks.

[105ex]

Like what jonv112 said, you don't want to drain. As the rain is starting to come back, the water table is probably going to get high quickly.

If you're draining because you're going to redo your pool, then that's different as you can have pressure relief holes drilled so your pool's concrete doesn't get cracked and the whole pool doesn't float.

Nonetheless, the answer to your original question is that a simple sump pump can empty out a pool just fine (but it may take more than a day) and you'd have to know the regulations in your area as draining water has to be done properly, too.

[jaypool]

Like what jonv112 said, you don't want to drain. As the rain is starting to come back, the water table is probably going to get high quickly.

If you're draining because you're going to redo your pool, then that's different as you can have pressure relief holes drilled so your pool's concrete doesn't get cracked and the whole pool doesn't float.

Nonetheless, the answer to your original question is that a simple sump pump can empty out a pool just fine (but it may take more than a day) and you'd have to know the regulations in your area as draining water has to be done properly, too.


No, it is a brand new pool. I'm just trying to get the paint out that the pool guy got in the pool. I've got a pump and I'm on a lot of land. It actually hasn't rained here in about 3 weeks. Other than drilling holes, can I get this paint out some other way?

[Socal_biker]

A submersible pump will do just fine.

It's what I've used to completely drain my pool a few time over the decades. You can get them cheap at Harbor Freight OR rent them from Home Depot. For what you pay in rental from HD, you can buy the unit from HF.

Similar model to what I have:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/45000-45099/45019.gif
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45019


The Harbor Freight website doesn't list all their submersible pumps, if you can go to a local store, they'll have over a half dozen models to chose from. The pool vacuum hose will fit the HF pump just fine.

[jaypool]

A submersible pump will do just fine.

It's what I've used to completely drain my pool a few time over the decades. You can get them cheap at Harbor Freight OR rent them from Home Depot. For what you pay in rental from HD, you can buy the unit from HF.

Similar model to what I have:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/45000-45099/45019.gif
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45019


The Harbor Freight website doesn't list all their submersible pumps, if you can go to a local store, they'll have over a half dozen models to chose from. The pool vacuum hose will fit the HF pump just fine.


I've got a pump from a contractor that is real fast and will only take about an hour to drain the pool.

However, given what others have said, I'm concerned the concrete could crack. Did you have any problems with that at all?

[SeanB.]

I've got a pump from a contractor that is real fast and will only take about an hour to drain the pool.

However, given what others have said, I'm concerned the concrete could crack. Did you have any problems with that at all?

We have some friends, who upon bad advice from a pool store, drained their pool to solve an algae problem. They drained it and immediately filled it from a fire hydrant.

If draining is the only solution, a quick fill might help prevent floating your pool.

[y0manda]

If a pool doesnt have pressure release valves that keeps the pool from floating and it has not rained in a long time. will a pool still pop out or float? I am curious about this question too. Would the plaster crack even if the pool is lets say at least 6 months old? Is their still enough moisture under the pool from the pool it's self or does ALL the water in the pool stay there and not past the plaster? I have asked myself this question, If I were to look under the pool while the water is still under there, Is the dirt completly dry? Just wondering. Thanks.

[jaypool]

I am thinking I am going ahead to try and drain it to get the paint out of the pool. Does anyone have an idea on how to do this any other way?

[eljefe281]

Note! I take no responsibility for this suggestion! :D

It seems to me that, if the pool builder is the one responsible for putting the paint in the pool, he should be responsible for getting it out.

Ask him to drain it, drill a new weep hole(s), clean the paint out, and replaster over the hole(s).

[divnkd101]

I am thinking I am going ahead to try and drain it to get the paint out of the pool. Does anyone have an idea on how to do this any other way?

Jaypool,

If you are wanting the water out, go to the rent-all place closest to you, rent an industrial pump (tell them what you are doing) and drain your pool to the street drain. However, I have to agree with Eljefe. Let whoever made the mess worry about getting the paint out. Any additional damages will also be at their expense. Good Luck

[jaypool]

Everyone,

Thanks for your help. I just drained it myself (a friend let me borrow a pump that did it very quickly) and now I'm filling it back up again.

My pool builder has been a pain in the neck but fortunately, I held back the last 15% payment to him for stuff like this. I was tired of arguing with him about stuff that he needed to do. I'm just going to deduct the amount (including my time) from the last payment.

[chem geek]

Just FYI (since you've already drained your pool), you could probably use the "sheet" method for draining and refilling the pool without actually changing the amount of water that is in it and have no risk of cracking or popping out. The sheet method is described elsewhere in this forum but essentially you drain water from under the plastic sheet while filling in new water from the top. You can also use large bags instead, though your pool will look like a scene from Cocoon. You can also use a silage tube. See later pages in this thread (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=5525) for a humorous discussion about these methods.

Another alternative, that takes more water, is to drain from one side of the pool while refilling from the other. This will never completely replace all the water in the pool, but you can perhaps get enough dilution to remove enough of whatever is in your pool that you want removed. This would normally be more for diluting the amount of CYA in your water -- it's not a good method if you want to do significant dilution much beyond 50%.

Richard