How to drain pool?

[rficalora]

New guy here; hope to get help getting started & maybe help others as I learn.

We've recently started doing our own maintenance & the local pool supply says we are very high on cyanuric acid. Their recommendation was to add water for 8-12hrs. Rather than have that much water draining down our street from the overflow, I'd rather drain some water & then add fresh.

Problem is I don't see how to do that. I'm not even sure we have a drain other than the overflow. We have a septic system so unless it drains to the storm sewers, we may not. Can you tell from these pics how the pool is supposed to be drained? Maybe by hooking up a hose to the faucet that's above the pump?

[czechmate]

You need a auxiliary sump pump, some 1 1/4" PVC, few fittings. In most cities pool water can only be drained to a P-trap that enters a waste water and sewage treatment plant. Due to the chlorine level they do not like it to enter streams thru a storm sewer. You can rent the sump pump, but it is better to buy one online, since you will use it later anyway. Besides, you can always sell it later on the craigslist.
For about 50.00 you get a nice pump. Check your CSI Calcite Saturation Index first! You may be able to work it down with lower PH while you shop for a deal on the sump pump. Do not use your pool pump to drain. It will ruin it. Be careful and refill pool ASAP!! There is a danger of gunite pool shell float up.
Pool calulator will tell you how much water you need to drain out.

[rficalora]

Thanks - but I'm confused. If I get a sump pump to drain some water, where will the water go? Seems like it'd have to go down the storm drains as I can't imagine it's ok to pump that much water into the septic system all at once?

Also, can you tell me more about how to check the CSI Calcite Saturation Index and when I measure it what would indicate lowring the PH might work?

Some additional info... I've not been testing the water; taking samples to my local pool supply. 1st time they said cyanuric acid was hight & to add 3/4 gallon of muratic acid (which I'm assuming was to lower PH?). Week later cyanuric acid still too high; they had me add water for 4hrs (letting the excess go out the overflow drain which dumps on the street); brought them another sample -- still way too high. Now they're suggesting 8-12hrs of adding water.

[cpo2go]

I'm not sure why czechmate would say that using your circulation pump to drain water would ruin it. I would just recommend putting a hose on that hose bid that's plumbed in above the pump, yes. It will drain to wherever you lead it with the hose. There are different ways to do it depending on where you live and how your municipality views it and I'm not familiar with your area. Look into that and follow their instructions.
The advice you're getting from your local pool store seems random. What is the volume of your pool? What is your level of Cyanuric Acid? It's fairly simple math, if you had a level of 100ppm in a 20,000 pool and you wanted to reduce it to 50ppm, you would drain half (10,000 gallons) and you would be there. Their recommendation of using "hours" to reduce it doesn't add up. Some of that water you're adding would be among the water draining as well. Drain first, then re-fill.
If czechmate can't give a good reason for his statement about the pump, I wouldn't worry about it.

[rosalind]

While draining the pool, ensure that you're regularly tracking it, else you're going to keep the pump on even when there's no more water to be cleared. This can cause harm not only to the pump, but also to the bottom of your pool.