Drain pool hose
Updated: 21 October 2026
You are emptying an above-ground pool at the end of the season, or you are sending sand-filter waste somewhere, and a 10 m hose looks like the whole job. A drain pool hose only moves water you are already allowed to discharge, and a lay-flat hose only moves it while the bore stays open. Reaching the rain gully in the street is not permission. If the pool is staying up, the circulation fittings are on [how to connect a pool hose](/hub/pool-care/pool-hose/sub/pool-hose-how-to-connect). The rows themselves are on the [pool hose comparison](/hub/pool-care/pool-hose). There was no discharge test.
You are emptying an above-ground pool at the end of the season, or you are sending sand-filter waste somewhere, and a 10 m hose looks like the whole job.
You are emptying an above-ground pool at the end of the season, or you are sending sand-filter waste somewhere, and a 10 m hose looks like the whole job. A drain pool hose only moves water you are already allowed to discharge, and a lay-flat hose only moves it while the bore stays open. Reaching the rain gully in the street is not permission. If the pool is staying up, the circulation fittings are on how to connect a pool hose. The rows themselves are on the pool hose comparison. There was no discharge test.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Job | Length | Listed weight | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Amazon Basics Amazon Basics 9.1 m pool vacuum hose | Vacuum hose | 9.1 m | 2.18 kg | 8.2 | about £26.80 | View offer |
| Alternative |  TAIANJI TAIANJI 10 m pool discharge hose | Discharge hose | 10 m | 1.5 kg | 6.8 | about £13.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Zephanor Zephanor 10 m lay-flat pool hose | Discharge hose | 10 m | 103 g | 4.0 | about £9.99 | View offer |
On this page
Where the water is allowed to go
NetRegs says pool water needs authorisation before it goes to sewers, surface waters, or groundwater. Chlorine usually has to disperse first. They cite at least five days, depending on volume. That is not permission to wait five days and then tip it in the drain. Authorisation still sits on top of the wait. Backwash should go to a public foul or combined sewer if the water company agrees. Septic tanks are called unsuitable. England's permit guidance treats polluting discharges to surface water and groundwater as permit territory. Clean rainwater is the example that may not need a permit. Pool water is not that example.
In Scotland, a SEPA permit applies above 10 cubic metres a day. That is not permission for a smaller pool, and it is not a figure for England. Wales and Northern Ireland have their own regulators. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers a hose that is not as described. It is not the discharge law. If the only outlet is a septic tank or a watercourse, stop before you buy another length. The hose comes after the permission.
Lay-flat hose in this set
Zephanor and TAIANJI are both sold as 10 m lay-flat hose with a claimed 32 mm bore and two clips. They are not the same hose. Zephanor is about £9.99, with clips sized 32–44 mm, listed at 103 g, and no star line. TAIANJI is about £13.99, listed at 1.5 kg, at 4.3 from 18 reviews. UK reviews call it tough and easy to store.
The same reviews are the skip condition. One says it works in a straight line and folds shut. Another says a 90 degree drop into a drain stopped the flow. A buyer switched to solid pipe. If the run turns sharply down into a gully, lay-flat is the wrong tool. Do not copy TAIANJI's 4.3 onto Zephanor. Maximum pressure is not stated on either listing.
A spiral hose used to waste
Amazon Basics is a spiral vacuum hose, 9.1 m in the title, item length 30 feet, swivel cuff, bullet bore 3.8 cm, about £26.80, and 4.4 from 158 reviews. UK reviews call the wall crush-resistant, which is why some owners also send water to a drain with it. It folds less readily than a woven lay-flat hose. The head is not included. Filling it until it sinks is a priming step, not a disposal consent. One UK review needed an adapter for Intex pumps and heaters. About £26.80 is the highest price in this set. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. If the water is not allowed into that drain, a stiffer wall only delivers it more reliably to the wrong place.
What a short filter hose will not do
The 150 cm pairs, Bestway's 3.00 m filter hose, and Intex 29060 at 150 cm are circulation spares. None is a 10 m discharge. Separate the jobs on the pool hose buying guide. When the route is straight, the water company has agreed a foul or combined sewer, and you can keep a lay-flat hose from folding, TAIANJI is the reviewed 10 m option. When the route drops 90 degrees, believe the review that switched to solid pipe, or use a spiral hose that connects, and still ask before you open the valve.
Common questions
Can I run pool water down the street rain gully?
Not as a default. NetRegs says pool water needs authorisation before it goes to sewers, surface waters, or groundwater. A rain gully is not the foul or combined sewer they name for backwash, and that sewer still needs the water company to agree. England's permit guidance uses clean rainwater as a discharge that may not need a permit. Pool water is not that example. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.
Why does a flat hose stop when it bends?
The bore closes. Two UK reviews of the TAIANJI 10 m hose say a fold, or a 90 degree drop into a drain, stopped the flow. One buyer switched to solid pipe for that drop. The same reviews call the hose tough and easy to store, so the limit is the bend. Keep a lay-flat run straight if that is the hose you use, and do not treat a kink as a seal you can ignore.
Is the 103 g hose the same as the 1.5 kg hose?
No. Zephanor is listed at 103 g and about £9.99, with no star line and no review text. TAIANJI is listed at 1.5 kg and about £13.99, at 4.3 from 18 reviews. Both claim about 10 m and 32 mm, with two clips. The same stated length and bore do not make the two listings one product. Do not copy a rating onto the listing that has none.
Can I use the 9.1 m spiral hose to empty the pool?
Some UK reviews use the Amazon Basics spiral hose to send water toward a drain, and they call the wall crush-resistant, so it folds less readily than a lay-flat hose. It is about £26.80, the head is not included, and one review needed an adapter for Intex pumps. The priming line is for suction. It is not permission to discharge. The cuff still has to fit the outlet you have.
Does a 1.5 m filter hose empty the pool?
No. The pairs around 150 cm, and Bestway's 3 m filter hose, are circulation spares. The 10 m lay-flat listings are the length sold for a discharge run. A short Intex thread does not become a drain hose because it has thousands of reviews. Buy length only after the water has a discharge point you are allowed to use, and after you know the run will stay open.
Related pages
Sources
Public sources from the research digest. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.
- Intex Support — hoses and connecting to other Intex products (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Intex Support — connecting an Intex filter pump to another brand of pool (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK — General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK — accepting returns and giving refunds (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- NetRegs — swimming and exercise pools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK — discharges to surface water and groundwater (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Automated Environmental Systems — above-ground pool connection guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)