How to drain my paddling pool from the patio ...

[Turniphead1]

Ok this is not gardening per se. But, I finally relented and bought a paddling pool. Always resisted putting it on the lawn because they wreck the lawn and ours has recently been laid...

So, ours is on the patio. But any ideas how to drain it. Pulling the plug just floods the patio. Ideally I would like an attachment whereby I can drain it off into the flower beds/lawn and not waste the water. Does such a thing exist (have googled to no avail) or have I just had a Dragon's Den moment (and posted it on a public internet forum??).

Any thoughts weclome.

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

You could probably just siphon it off with a bit of hosepipe (be careful not to get a mouthful of water and dead flies!). From some of the gardening catalogues you can buy a siphon intended for reusing bathwater - like this - but I guess you'd need to check that it would work if there's not much height differential between the paddling pool and the rest of the garden.

How old are your children? Mine always liked watering the garden with a miniature watering can filled from the paddling pool, which killed two birds with one stone.
Failing that, you could invent a gadget of your own and win fame and fortune!

[JillJ72]

I fill the watering can from the pool and water the flowers.

[Turniphead1]

Thanks all. It's quite a big pool, so doing it by hand isn't feasible. But MadBad that siphon looks just the ticket, our patio is higher than the main garden. Have ordered it! Thanks so much. S x

[morningpaper]

I have a 10-foot paddling pool but generally do about 20 trips with a bucket and then DRAG it with DH's help to the veg patch and then FLOOD the veg

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

Turniphead1 - you're very welcome. Hope it works!

[Turniphead1]

Gosh no - on my lawn/patio be it! Will let you know. It has been dispatched!

[pbbb]

You can siphon the water out of the pool without sucking the water out through a hose with your mouth; and it works with a long hosepipe which might be useful if the drain is some distance from the pool. Put one end of the hose in the pool water and position it so the hose lays on the bottom, then connect the other end of the hose to a tap. Turn the tap on until you are sure water is coming out the other end of the hose. Disconnect the hose from the tap and put the end of the hose down a drain or lay it down on the ground wherever you want the water to go. It may take a few days to empty the pool but it works :o)