Having your own swimming pool can add so much joy and value to your life, and to that of your whole family. Being able to head out for a dip in the sun, get some exercise, and splash around and have fun can be an utter dream, but without the correct care, that dream can soon become a nightmare.
Proper pool maintenance is essential to keep on enjoying your pool for decades to come, so here we will look at one aspect of that; when, why, and how to drain your pool.
How often should a pool be drained and refilled?
On average, you should drain and refill your pool once every 5 years. Some experts drop down to 3 and some up to 7, it can depend on a number of factors. Just remember that most of the cleaning and maintenance that you will do can be done with water in the pool, so draining it is not something that you will have to do very often.
One time you will have to drain your pool is if you are getting large amounts of repairs or work done on it. For example, getting a top-notch company like West Coast Pool Resurfacing to come in and repaint your pool may require draining the water, but once done your pool will be back to looking as good as new and you won’t have to do it again for many years.
You may also have to drain your pool if there is too much debris or mess for your filter and cleaning to manage to get rid of alone. Though again, you should be able to sort most dirt and mess out without draining, or only partially draining your pool, it can sometimes become necessary. If you are in any doubt, ask an experienced pool maintenance professional for guidance.
In general, your very occasional draining should be done when the total dissolved solids, or TDS, in your water reach an unmanageable level. This is around 2500ppm, and at this stage, you will find that you are adding more and more chemicals to try and balance your pool levels, and know that it is time.
Draining your pool and refilling it can improve the health and quality of your pool if it is starting to struggle under the overload of – sorry to say – skin and hair cells among other materials that build up over time.
We all want to be swimming in the cleanest and clearest water that we can. Draining your pool will get rid of the build-up of organic materials, oils, and environmental factors that are impacting your water quality, and give you the chance to start over again with a fresh body of water.
Where does the water go when you drain a pool?
You will have to be careful when you drain your pool that you have the correct safeguards in place to make sure the water is safe to be drained. You wouldn’t want all that chlorinated water flowing into your garden, for instance, and causing damage to your plants. Likewise, your neighbours, local farmers, and anyone nearby will feel the same way.
You should never drain a freshly chlorinated pool, but rather check that the levels of chlorine are low enough to be safe for the area. Where exactly your pool water goes will depend on your own drainage systems that you have built-in and how you are draining it, so better to be safe than sorry.
Some pools will have a proper system that drains them into the sewers, or the same routes that any wastewater will take. Others will simply be decanted into the yard or flow into the nearest body of water, so you can see why it is important to get the chemical levels under control first.
Remember, you won’t be draining your pool that often, and if you are draining it for the sake of a repair you can always ask the experts for tips and help with what you should do before you start to drain the water.
Owning a pool should be way more fun than it is hard work, so do as much cleaning and maintenance with the water still in the pool as you can.
Does draining a pool damage it?
Draining a pool at the wrong time and in the wrong way can indeed damage your pool, and this is another reason why you should avoid doing so as much as possible. People who drain their pools for winter, for example, are placing an undue risk on their pool and its lining, as well as failing to understand that you can close your pool for the winter without draining it.
If you drain your pool in cold weather, the lining can shrink and then tear when you try to refill it. Older linings in particular will stretch less well over time, and replacing or repairing your lining will be expensive.
You can also have issues with groundwater that can interfere with your pool and will need to be pumped away. For some in-ground pools, if the groundwater is high enough it can actually push the whole pool out of the ground – not something that you want to happen to yours!
In general, pool draining should never be attempted unless you know exactly what you are doing. If you are in any doubt, get a professional to guide you or do the job for you. As it only has to happen rarely, the expense will not be too great, and the potential issues that can arise from doing it yourself make an expert opinion well worth it.
Conclusion
To Sum Up:
- Your pool should be drained and refilled roughly every 5 years depending on the need for repairs or a build-up of material that chemicals alone cannot deal with.
- You should never drain a freshly chlorinated pool, and be aware of where the water goes as it can have a huge impact on your pool and the area.
- Draining your pool can be damaging if done at the wrong time, or in the wrong way.
Having a clean, fresh and delightful body of water to jump into should be a source of utter joy and not a cause for concern. If you are in any doubt at all about what to do with and how to maintain your pool, don’t hesitate to ask a professional for help today.
