Why should you drain your swimming pool? I have been working with swimming pools for a very long time now and that is one topic I get a lot of heat about. Most of my service clients will look at the pool and see that it is clean and clear and just not understand what they will gain from draining the pool and simply refilling it back up. It might even sound like a huge waste of time and money not to mention a waste of water, but trust me there is a reason.
Here in Phoenix, AZ we evaporate approximately 10- 12 feet of water from swimming pools per year. That is H2O only. Now remember most pool here are only 4 to 6 feet deep with the occasional diving pool that is about 9 feet deep. So in essence you could turn the auto-fill off to your pool and let all the water evaporate then fill it up and do it again all in one year. Still wondering why you should drain your pool if you are technically replacing the water twice per year already?
Yes you are getting rid of a lot of water each year already, but that is all you are getting rid of H2O only. Your tap water is filled with all kinds of minuscule extras like calcium, and other minerals and salts. Just about everything water comes into contact with it dissolves over time. As it comes into your pool all of those dissolved solids are added to your pool. The total count of dissolved solids in your pool as you might guess can double in just one year from the time you filled your pool with fresh water for the first time.
Most people did an experiment in school where you took water and added salt until it wouldn't dissolve anymore. This is the point where the water became over saturated. When water is over saturated it can no longer keep all the minerals dissolved into solution so the precipitate out. Why is this bad? This is bad because they have to deposit someplace, and that someplace is going to be on the walls, in the pipes, filter, tile line and just about anything the water touches. This scale will cause your seals on valves and pumps to fail. It will cause your filter media (Sand, Cartridges, DE Grids) to become plugged and possible ruined. It will cause nasty scale staining in the pool. A nasty white line on the tiles, and make the pool water just a little cloudy. All of this can add up to some costly damage to your swimming pool which is probably one of the most expensive additions to your home. You can try to combat this effect with balancing your water chemistry but that becomes more and more difficult as the water gets more and more saturated.
Ever wonder why all of a sudden you can't get your pool to hold chlorine? This over saturation is part of the problem. And don't forget all those chemicals you add to your pool to help keep it clear and sanitary they too add to the problem of over saturated water as well. Think of a balloon, you can only add so much air before you have a problem. And none of this covers all the organic contaminates to the water from algae, plants, sweat, and anything else that enters your pool from the air or swimmers or animals.
So your only solution is to remove the water that contains all those dissolved solids and start fresh. When you drain your pool the water takes everything that it has dissolved with it. Yes you may have some deposits still left in the pool but those can but not always dissolve into the fresh water keeping them safe from harm until the time you need to drain again. If you waited to long and you have staining already you will probably need to have an acid wash to remove the staining from mineral deposits on the surface of your pool, but that will be described another time.
More times than not when I finally convince a client to drain there pool they are sold on the idea, because their pool looks noticeably better than it did before the drain. I even had one think the pool was drained again one morning when she was sitting on her back porch because it was so crystal clear she couldn't see the water. How often do I think you should drain and refill your pool? I personally think it should be done no later than every 3 years, 2 would be best.
So in conclusion drain your pool you will be much happier. Your wallet will be happier, and your peace of mind will be better.
If you need more info don't forget to talk to your pool professional. I am sure they will also have more input on this and could help determine your best outcome.
Who am I you might ask? I am Bryan Treguboff the Owner of Universal Pool Service Inc. found at www.universalpoolservice.com . I have been working in the swimming pool industry for the past 16 years and started my own pool service company over 12 years ago. I may not now everything with pools, but I am always learning and seeking out new info to better do my job.
