Hello TFP,
This is my first year as a pool owner and when we moved into the home/inherited the pool, I found TFP and have been grateful for the forum in maintaining the pool chem-wise. I was glad to see how great liquid chlorine kept my pool sparkling for the two months we had of pool weather after move in. I wanted to enjoy the spa into the fall months so I said I'd roll the dice this winter and keep things running and maintained (plus the cost of water where I'm at is absurd, so draining didn't seem so nice at first). After about early November, I don't think we've even used the spa LOL - and probably a good thing, as come January, I read that corrosion can enter the picture within the heater/combustion chamber when using the heater below about 40-something degrees air/ambient temp--very surprised/disappointed, but understand the logic/condensation issues.
Anyhow, onto my concern and thanks in advance for the support. I appreciate the guidance (or direction to the correct posts/threads) regarding draining my pool. I've attached photos of my pad/equipment.
We're about to hit another hard freeze here in OK, and though we weathered the last one in January where temps hit single digits, I'm concerned this one will be colder for a longer duration and I don't want to risk things this go around. Last month, I "wind-blocked" the pad with some plywood for walls, tarped for cover, and utilized moving blankets for additional insulation...then had a space heater run when I knew the heater wouldn't push the ambient temp above the freeze protection...freeze protection worked well, though I did end up with some thick ice on the surface of the pool and am hoping I didn't get any cracking of the grout at tile level - no tiles cracked/lost that I've observed. This time around we'll have nights below zero and daytime wind chills also in the negative, with over 4 or more days well below freezing.
I'm ready to drain the pool down and pull the drain plugs on my filter, pumps, and heater. I've got about three days before the weather comes. I just can't figure out how to drain the pool with the system I have. I FEEL A LITTLE STUPID. When I took ownership of this pool last August, I obviously and instantly realized I wasn't dealing with sand filtration or easy waste/drain or backwash options. So how does one drain a pool like this one? The control box allows for the draining of the spa into the pool, or the pool into the spa (to fill it I imagine), but is there a way to switch to service mode, release the valve actuators into manual mode, and then turn the valves to a position so that water drains to waste? Or is that a stupid thought to think a pool would be plumbed into my house's wastewater plumbing? (Maybe that would violate a code/push too much water that direction and cause issues to home plumbing).
Am I going to have to get a sump pump/etc. to work water out topside and into the yard/french drains of landscaping/storm drainage along side of house?
Thanks again!
This is my first year as a pool owner and when we moved into the home/inherited the pool, I found TFP and have been grateful for the forum in maintaining the pool chem-wise. I was glad to see how great liquid chlorine kept my pool sparkling for the two months we had of pool weather after move in. I wanted to enjoy the spa into the fall months so I said I'd roll the dice this winter and keep things running and maintained (plus the cost of water where I'm at is absurd, so draining didn't seem so nice at first). After about early November, I don't think we've even used the spa LOL - and probably a good thing, as come January, I read that corrosion can enter the picture within the heater/combustion chamber when using the heater below about 40-something degrees air/ambient temp--very surprised/disappointed, but understand the logic/condensation issues.
Anyhow, onto my concern and thanks in advance for the support. I appreciate the guidance (or direction to the correct posts/threads) regarding draining my pool. I've attached photos of my pad/equipment.
We're about to hit another hard freeze here in OK, and though we weathered the last one in January where temps hit single digits, I'm concerned this one will be colder for a longer duration and I don't want to risk things this go around. Last month, I "wind-blocked" the pad with some plywood for walls, tarped for cover, and utilized moving blankets for additional insulation...then had a space heater run when I knew the heater wouldn't push the ambient temp above the freeze protection...freeze protection worked well, though I did end up with some thick ice on the surface of the pool and am hoping I didn't get any cracking of the grout at tile level - no tiles cracked/lost that I've observed. This time around we'll have nights below zero and daytime wind chills also in the negative, with over 4 or more days well below freezing.
I'm ready to drain the pool down and pull the drain plugs on my filter, pumps, and heater. I've got about three days before the weather comes. I just can't figure out how to drain the pool with the system I have. I FEEL A LITTLE STUPID. When I took ownership of this pool last August, I obviously and instantly realized I wasn't dealing with sand filtration or easy waste/drain or backwash options. So how does one drain a pool like this one? The control box allows for the draining of the spa into the pool, or the pool into the spa (to fill it I imagine), but is there a way to switch to service mode, release the valve actuators into manual mode, and then turn the valves to a position so that water drains to waste? Or is that a stupid thought to think a pool would be plumbed into my house's wastewater plumbing? (Maybe that would violate a code/push too much water that direction and cause issues to home plumbing).
Am I going to have to get a sump pump/etc. to work water out topside and into the yard/french drains of landscaping/storm drainage along side of house?
Thanks again!
Attachments
Last edited:
