Water isn’t just water when it comes to pools. A new pool owner learns this the hard way after dealing with an inundation of rain that overflows their perfect pool.
How Does Rain Affect Pool Water?
It might not seem like this would be a big deal. Rainwater seems like it would be as pure as you can get. However, the rain picks up substances, particulate matter, and other nasties in the air on its way to your pool water. What rainwater tends to do when it overflows your pool is to cause your chemical levels to get wonky and hard to manage.
Other Problems Caused By an Overflow
Not only can it cause a problem with the chemical levels in your pool, if the rain is very hard, it can also leave you with a flooded backyard due to all that overflow. This is a frustrating and potentially messy problem to have, especially if you aren’t sure how to address the problem. In this guide, we will show you how to reduce the water levels in your pool and get your water chemistry back in a good range.
My Pool is Flooded, What Now?
First thing’s first – don’t panic! This is a relatively common problem to have and in many cases, the solution is to just wait for your yard to absorb the water and fix your pool chemical levels. This often only takes a few days. But these aren’t always just small overflows that your yard can quickly absorb. If you have had a long spate of torrential downpours or your yard has poor drainage, you could have a real problem on your hands. This could result in landscape damage, nasty stagnant water standing for weeks on end, and more.
You will also need to see how badly the rain has altered your water chemistry. In essence, all that overflowing water makes it difficult for the chemicals pumped into sanitize your pool to even stay in the pool. Rainwater can significantly or completely dilute your properly sanitized water, making it unsafe to swim in. If you leave the water in this state, it can easily become contaminated and lead to problems with a rapid proliferation of mold, algae, and other gross stuff.
Ways To Drain Excess Rainwater From Your Pool
Before you can address the problem with water chemistry, you have to lower the level of water in your pool so that it doesn’t continue to overflow. First and foremost, if you have a lot of standing water, you are just going to have to wait it out. To remove water from the pool, you have to have someplace for it to go.
Draining Option 1: Siphon It
The easiest way to lower the level of your pool water is to siphon some of it off. You will want to have a good place for this excess water to go and you may need to contact the city to make sure there are no special rules for this process.
Siphoning is a simple process that uses a standard garden hose. You screw one end of the hose into a spigot and then submerge the other end of the hose. Next, turn on the spigot. This will create pressure that will force water through the hose to wherever you are directing it to.
Draining Option 2: Use Your Pool’s Pump
You can also use your pool pump to lower your water level if it has a drainage spigot. This is recommended if possible as it is easier than traditional siphoning. To do this, connect a garden hose to the drainage spigot on your pump. Then, simply open the spigot until the water level has been lowered to where you want it.
Draining Option 3: Use A Submersible Pump
In really bad cases of flooding, or when time is imperative, it may be time to turn to something a bit more heavy-duty. A submersible pump (aka a sump pump), often available for rent from local hardware or home improvement stores, is an efficient and fast way to remove excess water from your pool. These are often large and corded and as the name implies, they are to be submerged in the pool. Make sure to carefully read the instructions of the specific model you are using.
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Here’s a video about using a submersible pump to drain your pool:
Fixing the Chemical Imbalance Caused By Rain Water
Once your water levels are back to where you want them to be, the real work begins. First, you will need to determine whether your water is treatable or not. If a ton of debris has gotten into the pool or you have algae, you might want to do a partial or full drain of your pool. Otherwise, skim, brush the surfaces of the pool, and give it a good vacuum. Then do a water test to see where your levels are. Address each specific problem in turn (we have some great articles discussing how to balance various aspects of your pool chemistry). If all else fails, you can shock your pool, leave it overnight, and test the water again in the morning to see if the levels have balanced out.
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What To Do if Your Pool Always Overflows When it Rains – Preventing Future Overflow
Dealing with an overflowing pool is not fun, no matter how easy it is to solve the problem. It is better to avoid this problem in the first place. Since you can’t control the weather, you are going to have to look towards water management solutions. If you know that there is a chance of extended rain, be proactive and go ahead and lower the water level in your pool in anticipation. It is also helpful to ensure that your yard has proper drainage to better manage these problems when they arise. Having a slightly pitched pool deck can help divert water away from your pool during serious inundations.
Finally, if all else fails, you can always put the cover on your pool in anticipation of the rain, as this will definitely keep it from overflowing. You can do some preventative things to help avoid this becoming a problem in the first place, but dealing with rainwater as a pool owner is often just part of the “gig.” Knowing how to lower the level of water in the pool after a downpour and how to get your water chemistry back in balance is good information for any pool owner to have.