When to Drain a Pool

When to Drain a Pool?

Hello ePoolSupply supporters! The decision to drain your pool should not be made lightly not only is there the inconvenience to consider, but also the expense. In this blog, I will go over some good reasons why to drain your pool and some why it would not be best to do. If you are not sure if you should, it is best to contact a professional and have them come look and help make that decision with you. Keep on reading to learn about why and when to durian your pool. 

Reasons to drain a swimming pool

Draining your pool may be a necessary task for a variety of reasons. Dry climates can cause more water to evaporate in your collection. When this happens, you must fill your pool with water more often. This can cause a chemical imbalance and can become hard to maintain. Draining the swimming pool and filling it up with fresh water might be easier than continuing to add chemicals. It is recommended every 5-7 years, you will have to drain your pool and refill it to give it a fresh start. Even pool water that has been treated with chemicals regularly can become impossible to clean after years of use because the pool water is exposed to harsh chemicals. If you and others use your pool often, there are also biological remains like oils from people's skin, hair, and even dead skin cells.

There can also be chemical remains like hair spray, sunscreen, makeup, tanning lotion, etc. It would be best to also lean the floor and walls of your pool when drained to have a squeaky clean pool. Another reason to drain your pool is because of calcium buildup and staining. Thai occurs when your pool water loses its ability to stay at safe chemical levels. Depending on how bad it is, you can use a chemical treatment to help remove this, but this can take weeks to months to remove. A proven way to thoroughly the area is by acid washing your pool surface. Any acid washing or tile cleaning will require you to drain your pool. If you need to repair parts of your pool if it is leaking, or even if your pool needs a repaint of your pool surface it would be best to drain your pool. Below I have linked a video on how to locate your sewer cleanout to drain your pool. 

When not to drain your pool

There are a few reasons for not draining your pool. Pool popping or cracking can happen when draining your pool. This occurs because the thousands of gallons of water that the pool contained kept the pressure downward on the pool surface. Draining removes that pressure and allows hydrostatic pressure from the ground around and under your pool to become heavier than the empty pool, which can cause your pool to crack or pop. Never drain your pool if you don’t have a place to drain the water. The area around your pool will absorb the water and lead to the sides and beneath your pool and this will lead to cracks in the bottom of your pool. Never drain your pool if you do not know exactly what you are doing! To avoid costly repairs from cracks, floats, and extreme damage to your pool. It is recommended to call a trusted pool professional to assess your situation. 

How often to drain your pool

The water in both residential and commercial pools typically is cycled through a filter, cleaned manually, and balanced with chemicals. Even with heavy use, it is safe to use for months or even years at a time without needing to be replaced in most cases. Home pools typically only need to be drained once every 2-3 years. Commercial pools if properly maintained and serviced should be drained and the water replaced annually. Draining and refilling pools more frequently than this can be costly, time-consuming, and inconvenient. However, if there is a spill of dangerous chemicals into your pool water that can potentially harm swimmers, it is a good idea to remove all the water and refill the pool rather than waiting for your pool filter to cycle the contaminants out. If any repairs need to be performed on your pool, it typically is necessary to drain the pool first so service personnel can gain access to the equipment or pool areas they need. 

In conclusion, there are reasons to drain your pool and reasons not to. Before you start draining the water make sure you fully understand what you are doing and that it is for the right reason. Please contact a pool professional for any questions you may have.