How to drain a pool with a garden hose is a simple process but will take time due to the narrow diameter of the hose. Normally, you would use the pool pump to drain the water from the pool. Most inground pools are fitted with a valve to redirect pool water into the stormwater drain. Some above ground pools also have this water redirection facility.
If there is no way to drain the water from your pool you can drain a pool with a garden hose. If you want to speed up the process, use two garden hoses or obtain a portable water pump.
Drain a Pool with a Vacuum Hose
Most inground pools are fitted with a valve to run the pool water from the skimmer box to the pump or the drain. Turn the valve to drain and the pump will direct the pool water into the stormwater drain.
Is your pool is fitted with a multiport valve or a single valve to redirect pool water into the stormwater drain?
If so, you can use a vacuum hose to drain the pool.
When you redirect pool water to the drain that water is coming from the skimmer box. You cannot drain the pool from the skimmer box. You need to connect your manual vacuum hose to the skimmer box and put the other end of the vacuum hose at the bottom of the pool. Attach the pool vacuum head to other end of the hose to weigh it down. The vacuum hose will sink to the bottom and stay there.
Note that you need to fill the vacuum hose with water first before turning on the pump. This ensures there is no air introduced into the filtration system.
Please read our article on How to Drain Water from a Swimming Pool
Drain a Pool with a Garden Hose
If there is no way to drain the water from your pool you can drain a pool with a garden hose.
Connect the garden hose to the outside garden water tap. Fill the hose with water to remove all air from the hose.
Submerge one end of the hose in the deepest part of the swimming pool with the water running from the hose.
Remove the other end from the tap and make a kink in the hose to hold in the water.
Take this end of the hose to the drain or where you are going to run the water. Ensure you are allowed to run the water into a drain or wherever. Make sure you are not going to cause a flood in a neighbouring property.
Release the kink in the hose and water will run out of the hose.
The position where the water exits the garden hose must be lower than the water in the pool.
Emptying a typical inground pool will take 2 or 3 days with a garden hose siphon.
Drain the Final Water with the Hydrostatic Valve
When you pump or siphon the water out of the pool you will not be able to remove the final few inches of water.
Open the hydrostatic valve at the bottom of the pool to drain the remaining water.
The hydrostatic valve is a one-way pressure relief valve. You will find it at the deepest point of an in-ground swimming pool. The valve works to relieve ground water pressure under a swimming pool. It’s located in the main drain under the drain lid which sits at the bottom of the pool.
When you drain your pool down to the last few inches of water you cannot remove it with a pump or suction hose. You can open the hydrostatic valve by lifting it up and wedging it open to drain the remaining water to the ground. The valve is on a spring that opens upwards into the pool. It works to release pressure underneath into the pool but we can use it to drain water out of the pool. Simply lift up the valve and hold it open until the excess water drains away.
Hydrostatic Valve for Swimming Pools
