How To Remove Your Above-Ground Pool Without Ruining Your Yard
There are many reasons to remove an above-ground pool from your backyard. Perhaps it just sits there now that you and your partner are empty nesters, or maybe you don't have the time to maintain it anymore. Or, you might be looking into getting a newer model or installing an in-ground pool. Whatever the reason, you can rest assured that a safe removal method does exist and doesn't involve flooding your lawn with chemically treated water. That's the good news. The not-so-great news is that you'll need to carve out a couple of days or an entire weekend to complete this project, per Den Garden.
However, we have some insight into this task that may help keep your yard intact. All you'll need is a pump, a hose, a wet-dry vacuum, and some tools for removing panels, like a drill or screwdriver. The liner might be challenging to place in a container, so a sharp knife or scissors would also be needed. Plus, you might have some containers on hand to store the parts until they can be recycled.
Use a pump to drain the water
As you may already know, patience is key to draining a pool. This part might go into multiple days depending on your pool's dimensions and the method you choose. Either way, a large pool will take around three to four days to drain completely. For the easiest method, you can use a pump that can be placed inside the pool, according to Pool Research. You will need to connect a hose to the pump and move the other end to an area where the water can drain out without disturbing the surroundings too much (per Den Garden). Allowing the water into the gutter might be okay if it doesn't create massive puddles.
Also, you can attach the hose to the pool drain and siphon the water out, again allowing it to drain in a safe area. This may take a few days as well. Once you get down to those last few inches, you might consider using your wet-dry vacuum to suction out the rest of the water. Otherwise, if you're comfortable with the water level, you can wait and drain the remaining water once you start removing panels.
Disassemble a piece at a time
After bringing out the container or boxes you kept on hand, you can start taking off the liner using scissors or a sharp knife to cut along the perimeter. You'll need to move the liner away from the frame and toward the center of the pool, where it will stay in a pile while you disassemble the structure, as noted by Den Garden.
For the frame, examine the tops of the panels for bolts or screws so that you can start loosening them with the drill or screwdriver. Your best option is to loosen one panel at a time. Another factor to keep in mind is that not all bolts or screws will budge. Thus, you might keep some strong metal cutters on hand. As you take the panels apart, start placing them in boxes or containers of your choice for your community's waste disposal site or metal recycling center. Most likely, the liner will have to go to the disposal facility unless your community has a waste pick-up service.