pool filter question
 

We were given a 16 foot above ground pool by my brother in law when they moved, and I just set it up over the weekend. It's 4 feet deep, but I'd like to keep it filled just halfway, so our 2 year old can play in it, without the water being over her head. Problem is, the filter inlet and outlet are about 6 inches from the top, so only filling it half full means the water level doesn't reach them. Is there any reason I can't just run a couple hoses down the pool wall so that they can pick up and return water at a lower level? My thought is that the pump might not be strong enough to pump the water from such a low level, fighting gravity. I'd really rather not cut new holes in the side to install new inlet/outlets.

Does anyone know these units at all?

My wife bought a 15' round pool and the pump is kind of wimpy. I doubt that it could lift the water over the side of the pool, but if you can get it to siphon down to the pump it might work.

Pum would be on the ground, so yes, there would be gravity aiding it down from 3.5 feet. In fact, the pump would sit lower than the bottom of the hoses at just under 2 feet off the ground, so it would be more a case of pushing the water back into the pool, as getting the water out would act as a syphon.

Sounds like we have the same pool.

You'd be better off just filling with 2 ft. water and not even running the pump. Skim out an debris and toss in a cup or so of chlorine every week.

I'd try and run the hose down. Priming might help. To a certain extent it uses the weight of the 4' water column to help push the water. The pump will push the water back in just fine, it doesn't "feel" where the water discharges other than the lift over the top.