Is it Possible to Drain and Clean a Vinyl Pool?

Concrete pools require regular cleaning and draining, as well as acid washing and pressure washing. These tasks are done when there are stains, poor water conditions, or both.

Draining vinyl liner pools (and fibreglass pools) is discouraged. It is best to avoid it unless needed. Draining vinyl liner pools can cause serious problems. In addition, an older vinyl liner will often pull away from walls and shrink.

Wrinkles can form if the liner has to be reset and refilled. In cases where the liner becomes stiff and brittle, it can snap and create large tears or rips within the fabric. You may also experience intense rainstorms, pushing water underneath the liner and floating it in an empty or close to empty vinyl pool.

Aged pool walls can collapse or tilt inwards when there is no pressure. Although it is rare, this could happen.

There are many good reasons not to drain a vinyl pool liner. What if you feel like you can do it? These are more innovative ways to drain an above-ground vinyl pool.

Safer Methods to Drain and Clean Vinyl Pools

Drain it halfway, then refill: A swampy pool? You can drain it within 3 to 6 feet of the shallow end floor. Then clean the walls and water as it drops, preventing algae from drying. You will need to refill the pool up to the top.

Next, you should vacuum the pool and scrub the walls. It may take $100 to shock the pool if you can't see the end floor or the steps leading to the entrance stairs. You may need to drain the pool and refill it more than once. This is the safest and most cost-effective way to restore a dark-green vinyl pool.

Quickly drain it, clean it up, then refill it: If your pool has been neglected for a long time, you may need to drain it completely. You can pump the water to the drain or downhill, but not to the bottom of the pool. Another person can scrub the vinyl with a scrub brush. TSP or Simple Green can de-grease the vinyl, but not too much.

Remove the drain cover and insert the suction hose to get rid of all the gunk. After removing the drain cover, you can replace it with a clean one. Then, reset your liner using a high-power shop vacuum or a high-volume blower. The liner is set tight against the pool wall to reduce wrinkles. Keep running the vac until the water just covers the shallow part of the pool.

Super Shock & Floc pool: Drain half of the pool first and then refill the rest. If draining is difficult or impossible, you can spend a few days cleaning the pool. You can also use a leaf rake to remove any debris from the floor. Remove as much organic matter and leaves as possible to reduce your chlorine usage.

To make chlorine more potent, lower the pH to 7.2. You may need 10-20 lbs of granular chlorophyll, depending on the greenness of your pool. The shock should be pre-dissolved into a 5 lb bucket. Add a little at a time and continue to pour the chlorine along the edge. Add chlorine to the pool until it turns cloudy blue. Do you still see a hint of green? You can add more chlorine.

Then add some aluminum sulfate to the mixture. Vacuum the waste, removing any wet toilet paper "jelly" on the floor. You can skip adding aluminum sulfate if your pool filter is large and effective. It can restore water clarity and be left to clear for a few days.

What About Above-Ground Vinyl Pools?

Is it possible to drain an above-ground vinyl pool? Although the risk is lower, the stakes are the same. Above-ground vinyl pool liners may shrink when the water is drained. In addition, without water pushing against the walls, the walls could begin to lean in some instances or even collapse.

Please follow the above advice for above-ground pools but be cautious and aware of what happens when a pool drains. Although it is unlikely that anything wrong will occur, it is possible.

Sometimes, however, draining the pool can be the best thing for you or the only way to fix the situation. Above-ground pool filters can be too small to bring back abysmal water.