I'd like to drain my above-ground pool a few inches so that I can
replace my skimmer basket. I have no pump other than the one that
usually pulls pool water into my filter.

Can I use that pump to drain the pool a few inches? For example, could
I just pretend to be vacuuming, except instead of stopping when the
water level gets to the low-water mark, I'd just keep going until the
water level has gone down several inches?

Or will that bring too little water into my pump?

Thanks!

wrote in message
ups.com...
I'd like to drain my above-ground pool a few inches so that I can
replace my skimmer basket. I have no pump other than the one that
usually pulls pool water into my filter.

Can I use that pump to drain the pool a few inches? For example, could
I just pretend to be vacuuming, except instead of stopping when the
water level gets to the low-water mark, I'd just keep going until the
water level has gone down several inches?

Or will that bring too little water into my pump?

Thanks!

Why don't you jus siphon it out? Maybe use a couple hoses even

wrote in message
ups.com...
I'd like to drain my above-ground pool a few inches so that I can
replace my skimmer basket. I have no pump other than the one that
usually pulls pool water into my filter.

Can I use that pump to drain the pool a few inches? For example, could
I just pretend to be vacuuming, except instead of stopping when the
water level gets to the low-water mark, I'd just keep going until the
water level has gone down several inches?

Or will that bring too little water into my pump?

Thanks!

Just get a garden hose and feed it vertically down into your pool from the
surface. Put the end in first that has the moveable collar connector. The
one you would screw onto your faucet. When you get to the end that you
would normally put the sprayer on, feed it down into the water and put your
thumb on it. Pull out about eight feet of hose from the pool and lay it on
the ground. Take your thumb off. If you've done it right, you have instant
flow. Watch it so it doesn't drain your entire pool. Should take about
30 - 60 minutes. The lower you can put the discharge, the faster it will
drain. If you're on a hill, take it down hill a bit.

If you want, you can put the end in the pool at the depth you want to drain
it to. When it reaches that depth, it will suck air, and not drain any
more, so you can walk away, and not have it drain your entire pool.

Steve

" writes:

I'd like to drain my above-ground pool a few inches so that I can
replace my skimmer basket. I have no pump other than the one that
usually pulls pool water into my filter.

Can I use that pump to drain the pool a few inches? For example, could
I just pretend to be vacuuming, except instead of stopping when the
water level gets to the low-water mark, I'd just keep going until the
water level has gone down several inches?

Or will that bring too little water into my pump?

You can use the backflush setting to remove water down to the edge of
the skimmer. Don't worry about running the pump with air going thru
it, it happens all the time. Like when the hose from the pool to the
pump bursts and you're not around.

Use a siphon as other posters recommend for the rest.

If you have a electric pump for the pool cover, use that, it's faster than
a siphon.

Thanks for the great suggestions!

Do you think it would work to use the backflush setting down to the
edge of the skimmer, then attach my vacuum hose directly to my pump,
drape the hose over the edge of the pool into the water and then pump
to backflush or waste setting?

I was thinking about trying to avoid siphoning to speed things up, but
that previous suggestion about the garden hose sounds pretty good.

Thanks again.

Fairly new to pools myself, and perhaps yours is plumbed differently,
but many have a valve that switches the intake to the pump from the
skimmer to a port at the bottom of the pool. If I turn the valve to
take water from the bottom, and open the backflush, I guess I could
pump it pretty dry,
Your milage may vary.

wrote:
I'd like to drain my above-ground pool a few inches so that I can
replace my skimmer basket. I have no pump other than the one that
usually pulls pool water into my filter.

Can I use that pump to drain the pool a few inches? For example, could
I just pretend to be vacuuming, except instead of stopping when the
water level gets to the low-water mark, I'd just keep going until the
water level has gone down several inches?

Or will that bring too little water into my pump?

Thanks!


Just take the skimmer basket off with the pool full. That will drain
enough water.
Or if you don't want to get wet, pull the hose off the bottom of the
skimmer housing.

--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To Email, remove the double zeroes after 'at'

My Hayward valve has a position labelled "Waste". This dumps water to the
drain. Hook up the vacuum and put the valve in the waste position Just keep
an eye on it and do not let the pump run dry. The ceramic seals burn up when
there is no water to cool them off.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Fairly new to pools myself, and perhaps yours is plumbed differently,
but many have a valve that switches the intake to the pump from the
skimmer to a port at the bottom of the pool. If I turn the valve to
take water from the bottom, and open the backflush, I guess I could
pump it pretty dry,
Your milage may vary.

that's what i do when i need to drain water.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for the great suggestions!

Do you think it would work to use the backflush setting down to the
edge of the skimmer, then attach my vacuum hose directly to my pump,
drape the hose over the edge of the pool into the water and then pump
to backflush or waste setting?

I was thinking about trying to avoid siphoning to speed things up, but
that previous suggestion about the garden hose sounds pretty good.

Thanks again.