Draining an above ground pool is fairly easy with the proper equipment on hand.Step 1 ( do not skip)While pool is full remove with net as many leaves from bottom of pool as possible. It's easier removing wet leaves than the dried muck that will be on the bottom once it is empty.Step 2 (Of course unplug existing pump)Rent a good submersible sump pump. I don't recommend buying one unless you let your pool go green often. Renting can get expensive but if only renting once in a while it's definitely the route to go.Step 3Find a 5 gallon bucket and drill several holes on bottom of bucket. Not to big to let debris in but only water. This bucket will serve a few purposes.It will keep pump in one spot without it moving from side to side.It will keep large debri from glogging the intakeIt will protect the ever so easily puncture prone linerIt will drain the most water as close to the liner as possible. Most sump pumps have legs that can be removed. I recommend removing so sump sits directly on bucket bottom.Step 4 ( safety)Plug your sump pump to a ground fault circuit interrupter. ( GFCI) This could save your life. Most sump pumps are 110 volts. This is the hugging kind of electricity. Deadly! By the way, we learned this the hard way one fine day. Getting zapped by 110 while trying to remove it or letting go is quite a challenge. Your helpless cause no one can touch you. Careful out there!Step 5Drain as much as possible. The more water you get out the easier it will be to clean once empty. Once empty you can spray and clean the inside with some mild soap. Use sparingly. A dab of soap goes a long way.Step 6Don't loose heart if you don't get %100 of water out. Aim for %95 to %98 and call it done. Whatever water is left when you refill pool you can always manual vac. On a side note, if you do need all water out a good shop vac and a good mop come in handy. Especially with the help of a friend who owes you a favor. One mops while the other rings out. Works like a charm if you, of course, have a few beers during the process along with your favorite jams playing on Bluetooth.This is how we do the job when called upon. Of course, these are just suggestions but they have been tried and perfected over the course of our business over the many years.Cheers!!