How To Drain Basketball Hoop: 2 Ways with Maintenance Tips

Last Updated on September 26, 2022 by

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You might fill your portable basketball hoop with water to make it stable. But once the game is finished, you need to drain the water to move it from one place to another. So, how do you do that?

In simple words, you need to open the stopper of the hoop and tilt it on the sides to drain the water. You might also need to tip the goal completely to drain all the water. Or, you can also use a hose to suck the water out.

We will show you how to drain basketball hoop in simple steps. Let’s get started.

You can also fill sand to make the hoop base more stable as an alternative to water. But it is very difficult to remove the sand from the base.

Besides, there are other reasons for choosing water as the most suitable filling.

Why Do You Need To Fill Water In a Basketball Hoop
  • Filling and draining water is much easier than other materials. It will also take less time compared to sand or something else.
  • You don’t need to spend much to fill the basketball hoop with water.
  • The hoop will still be portable when you fill it with water.

How To Fill A Basketball Hoop With Water

Before we get into draining process of basketball hoop base, you must know how to fill it with water before your game. Here is the easiest method of doing this.

  • You first need to take out the stopper. Use your garden hose to fill the hoop base with water. Make sure you have filled the water up to the rim of the base.
  • If it is cold outside, you may use antifreeze to prevent the water from freezing. This will also keep the base from damage.
  • Put the stopper back in place and tighten it so that no water comes out.

2 Different Ways To Drain A Basketball Hoop

The hardest part now is how to drain water from basketball hoop? Well, you can do it in two ways. We will break the ways down into simple steps so that you can empty the basketball hoop easily.

The First Way - Tipping the Hoop Base

Check this method if the hoop base is lightweight.

  • The first thing you need to do is remove the stopper from the hoop base.
  • Tip the hoop base gradually to drain the water.
  • You might need to tip over the hoop to empty it. 

The Second Way - Sucking Water Out

You can follow this method if you can’t tip the hoop base because it is quite heavy.

  • You will need a garden hose to drain the water in this way.
  • Take out the stopper and insert the hose into the hoop base. You might suck the hose with your mouth and keep the other end lower to drain the water.
  • But if you use antifreeze in the water, don’t suck the hose with your mouth.
  • You might use a small pump to drain the water from the hoop base in such cases.

How To Prevent A Basketball Hoop From Freezing

Besides knowing how to get water out of basketball hoop base, you should also know how to prevent the base from freezing.

If you directly fill the base with water in cold climate areas, the water can freeze. This is because most basketball hoops aren’t insulated. So, how do you deal with the situation?

Well, there are several ways. Let us take you through the ways.

Preventing A Basketball Hoop From Freezing

1. Buy an Insulated Basketball Hoop Base

If you have the budget and don’t want to bother about freezing water, you need to buy an insulated basketball hoop. This way, you can prevent water from freezing inside the hoop and damaging the base.

2. Drain Basketball Hoop Regularly

This is the most economical way to maintain your hoop base. You can simply drain water out of the hoop after the game is over for the day. This will keep the base from algae growth and damage caused by freezing.

3. Using Antifreeze

You might have heard that antifreeze decreases the freezing point of water. As a result, the water inside the hoop won’t freeze even under extreme conditions. But you need to have some knowledge about the process. So, here will be a quick overview of how to use antifreeze with water to fill the basketball hoop.

  • Take half a cup of antifreeze to one gallon of water.
  • Mix the solution and use it to fill the basketball hoop base.
  • Close the stopper, and the base is ready to use.

Tips to Maintain Basketball Hoop

Just knowing draining out water from basketball hoop isn’t enough to maintain the base properly. You will need these pro tips.

Tips to Maintain Basketball Hoop
  • Whenever you move the base, you do it with care. Be gentle while tilting or tipping the hoop base; otherwise, you can crack it.
  • Antifreeze is harmful to the environment. While using antifreeze with water to prevent it from freezing, don’t go with a high concentration like 50%. Using a 10% solution will also work.
  • The growth of algae inside the hoop base is a common incident. You can use a bleaching solution instead of regular water to clean them.
  • If the weather is too hot, water inside the base might evaporate. Check it regularly.

Final Words

Having a portable basketball hoop is great because even your kids can move them around and set up for a game. But to add stability to the hoops, you need to fill them with water. And that water needs to be drained out of the bases when the game is over to prevent freezing.

We hope you have found the answer to the question, how to drain basketball hoop? The article should also help you with the care and maintenance instructions you should follow to keep the basketball hoop in good shape.

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