After searching trying multiple things I’m clueless and there’s got to be a better easier way to drain 5 gallon bucket. My plants are double scrog so it’s already a pain to slide the lid over and get a submersible pump in there it’s a pain plus these pumps need on off switch bc hate unplugging while keeping hoses in place so water doesn’t drip anywhere. I tried priming the pump first out of buckets to use as a inline pump but have to prime every bucket and I have a total 24 to do. Yes I’ve heard of rdwc and even have 4 sets but my grow area is a tight unmanageable area with rdwc so until I expand my grow room I’m limited to bubble buckets . I just can’t figure out a easy way to drain bucket . There not high enough to use the water level indicator to use as a drain unfortunately. Is there a easier way of doing this? Is just buying a self priming inline pump my only option? If so which one should I get ?
I have no idea but hopefully someone can lend a hand
@HappyHydroGrower @RockClarke @DEEPDIVERDAVE @NUG61
good luck
Scrog & plants look great
Beautiful set up… I drilled a 2" hole over by the edge of the lid and used the shop vac to remove the water and then used my transfer pump to draw from my 5gal bucket of new water to fill them back up with. I just designed a new auto feed system im going to try. i will tag you and you can see how i drained mine last grow. 
How about that. No idea. Thanks
Thanks everyone. Was thinking shop vac but was afraid of damaging some roots .
Before i started using the transfer pump with the screen on the hose, i would cut a piece of mesh or( or panty hose)and attach it to the hard tube of the shop vac with a rubber band. The transfer pump is easier, because i can stretch the flexible garden hose to the tub.
Thanks for the tag @beardless
@ThatHydroCouple I believe @NUG61 has you covered. Not really a whole lot of options as you have already found out.
I run scrogs with my system which is one of the main reason I didn’t go with dwc. Kind of hard to check and deal with everything with a net above it.
Plants look great! Good luck and keep’em growin! 
Just signed up to the forum. I’m late to the thread, but might have a tip you could try out.
I used to run a 5x5 vegetable tent (cucs, peps, toms, etc) and had both RDWC, and bubble buckets just like you have pictured.
I just used the blue indicator 1/2" hose as the drain line for an inline pump. Looked exactly like yours. Just keep the clip loose at the top so you can unhook the top of the hose, plug it into the intake on the inline pump and set the pump on the floor. As long as there’s enough water in the bucket to start running out the bent-over hose, the pump will self prime and just pump away through a long exit hose to a toilet, sink, tub, etc. Put an inline valve in the exit so you can move from bucket to bucket with making a mess.
It worked just fine for me, even with huge cucumber vines growing up a trellis on the back wall.
I also used a long skinny funnel to fill the buckets back up through the same level indicator hose. Once in a while the hose would get algae buildup, and I used a gun barrel cleaning rod to swap the hose out, then tip it and rinse it out with a little nute solution from the bucket into a cup, jar, etc.
Oh, I used a 400gph inline, but don’t get the Eco pumps. I’ve tried 2 and they both leaked. I’ve had good luck with the Active Aqua one for a couple bucks more.
Been a while since I visited this thread, but I just watched one of your vids. Those are sure some nice looking plants! Anyway, I see you’re using a straight bulkhead with an L fitting for the sight glass. I couldn’t help but wonder if you couldn’t just replace the L with a T fitting (T facing up for sight glass) and a valve (PA Hydro has some cheap ones). Even if you had no elevation, you could still lay the valve (and maybe a short stub of tubing) into the shop vac hose and suck it up right from the tube as it runs out. A longer tube leading to a stairwell, or basement sump, could be a good drain point then too.
Just random ideas that popped into my head while viewing, and I had to blurt them out, so, there it is… carry on. 
Thanks for the compliment and checking out the videos. It’s hard to grow a YouTube channel lol. I use a transfer pump to empty my buckets and I have a 33 gallon trash can I use with a submersible pump and hose to fill the buckets. I’m saving up money to add addition to my grow room I want to have another separate 12x16 room so I can start getting a perpetual grow going.
You might consider moving to an RDWC setup. I have a water pump in my reservoir that pushes water out to the other buckets. The line that carries the water has a valve and a tee with a capped hose connector. To drain the reservoir (and entire system), I just flip the valve (which lives inside the reservoir), uncap the hose connector and connect a hose to it. Then I run the hose straight into the bathtub about 12-12 feet away and turn on the pump. Buckets drain in about 15 minutes.
I did DWC with multiple, separate buckets like your setup but it was just way too much work to maintain. With your double scrog setup, you would be better off with RDWC. Gotta be a pain to visit each of those buckets daily, checking/adjusting pH in each bucket, topping each bucket up with water.
I have rdwc kits but I don’t use them there brand new to… I use individual buckets doesn’t take me long and I don’t check my buckets every day only every other day. And only ph when I’m adding water which is every other day and bucket changes once a week.