Covering/Closing for long period of time

[Homerraas]

Hi all,

As the title says I will (already have) closed the pool for a few months.
This is at the house in France.

There will be nobody there for months at a time.

Pool is 22k with Quad 60 DE filter, the pump (now single speed) runs 8 hours (12am-8am) and 2 hours in the PM.
Chlorinator is off now as the water temp is below 15c (60ish)
It's covered with pool cover on top of the water (plastic about 4-5mm thick) on top of that it's covered with a "shade cover" to keep debris out of the pool and off the cover (pine trees close by)

Water level stays the same, it gets cold but doesn't really freeze (or very lightly)

Will be installing a Intelliflo VSF pump in 2 weeks (and it will run 24/7 then) and therefor opening the pool up and adjusting chemicals to correct levels, I will be adding liquid chlorine (maybe to a higher level then normal)

What should I maintain as turnover rate in this scenario?
What are the best ways to keep it as clean as possible so opening it up in spring doesn't result in a week of "working it" to get the pool clean.


Thanks for the tips!

Merci

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.
Turnover is meaningless.
Run the pump for a reason. With a VS pump, you can run at very low rpm (sufficient to achieve what you need), be that run a SWCG to generate chlorine, erode trichlor pucks in a feeder, skim the surface, etc.

Best way to keep from a big job in the spring is to maintain your FC/CYA Levels so that you do not get algae.

 

[Homerraas]

Thanks for the reply.
If you read my message you can see that I can't use the SWCG due to temperature and that the pool is covered for months without someone being there.
Running at low RPM I understand not sure what I need to achieve besides filtration

 

[mknauss]

If the pool is covered and you are not adding chemicals, turn the pump off. No need to run it.

 

[Homerraas]

Then the pool is dark green in spring, trying to prevent that

 

[mknauss]

The pump does not prevent the pool water getting algae. Chemistry does. So you are adding chlorine during the winter?

 

[Bperry]

I’d second that. Pumping water for months without anyone to notice a leak can result in water damage or a dry intake can lead to pump failure. If it’s too cold to chlorinate then close it until it’s warm enough to do so.

 

[Homerraas]

The pump does not prevent the pool water getting algae. Chemistry does. So you are adding chlorine during the winter?

Yes when we are there we will add liquid chlorine.

Running the pump in winter and leaving the SWCG on (I know...) did result in a pool that was relatively clean when opening it up.
A good shock was all it really needed.

When we are there we usually have a week, trying to prevent working on the pool and not enjoying.

I’d second that. Pumping water for months without anyone to notice a leak can result in water damage or a dry intake can lead to pump failure. If it’s too cold to chlorinate then close it until it’s warm enough to do so.

It's been doing that for the last 8 years so far so good

ALSO forgot to mention leaving the pump on during winter is a fail safe for potential freezing

 

[Bperry]

It's been doing that for the last 8 years so far so good

ALSO forgot to mention leaving the pump on during winter is a fail safe for potential freezing

You’ve bet on black for 8 straight years, better hope you don’t hit red.

Why not just winterize it if there’s a freeze risk?

 

[Mdragger88]

I am assuming it is winter there?
If so just close the pool following this guide.

Closing an In Ground Pool

Winterizing a pool is essential for keeping your in-ground pool protected during cold-weather months. This Pool Repair guide will show you how to do it.

www.google.com

With a solid cover & opening before the water is above 60 degrees F you should have no issues.
One less thing to worry about.

 

[Homerraas]

Pool is "closed" in September and "opens" in may or june so it closes well above 60 and opens above 60

Between September and June pool isn't used or opened

 

[mknauss]

Your view of 'open' is different than this forums. Your pool is 'open' all year. You run the pump and need to manage chemistry.

 

[Mdragger88]

Pool is "closed" in September and "opens" in may or june so it closes well above 60 and opens above 60

Between September and June pool isn't used or opened

If you scootch those times up to when the water is 60 degrees you could then fully winterize & actually relax for 5 or 6 months.
Basically carry on with the “soft close” as we call it (cover on but pool operational on a reduced schedule & being chlorinated) until the temp is right then raise to slam level & button her up (winterize).
In the early spring before the temp rises above 60 do the same but in reverse- get the pump & chlorinator going (on a greatly reduced schedule) but keep it covered until the spring debris has passed.

 

[Homerraas]

Mdragger88 Thank you for the tips ​

 

[Homerraas]

Your view of 'open' is different than this forums. Your pool is 'open' all year. You run the pump and need to manage chemistry.

Don't get me wrong here but how does a comment like this help? Bcs I got the lingo wrong? Uncovered a better word then?

 

[Mdragger88]

Mdragger88 Thank you for the tips ​

Many of us here do the “soft” close & open thing because the debris from Mother Nature in the fall & spring tends to make caring for the pool no one is using a bit of a headache- but nobody likes algae either
It also makes for a pretty quick process when it comes to actually dealing with the plumbing part. Breaks the arduous job up a bit.

 

[Bperry]

Don't get me wrong here but how does a comment like this help? Bcs I got the lingo wrong? Uncovered a better word then?

He wasn’t being snarky, there’s just a huge difference between the two. Lots of people cover their pool all year. A closed pool is one that’s not operational and so it’s important to make the distinction clear. You can try the soft close thing and see if that helps, but if the water is over 60F then you’re kinda stuck having to maintain the chlorine if you don’t want to “uncover” it in the spring without it being green. There’s no way around it.

 

[Homerraas]

This is a response explaining what I got wrong Thank you for clarifying.

As it's a vacation home the pool is only really used for 2 months a year, the rest of the time it's covered with an automatic pool over that is over at the deep end.
Just looking for tips to keep the pool in as good as condition as possible, that is why I don't want to drain the pool a bit for winter and don't mind to run the pool pump all year long (at low GPM) although the freezing possibility is slim I choose to run the pump 4-6 hours a day just to keep the flow going and preventing potential damage.

I changed the subject to covering/closing

 

[Mdragger88]

This is a response explaining what I got wrong Thank you for clarifying.

As it's a vacation home the pool is only really used for 2 months a year, the rest of the time it's covered with an automatic pool over that is over at the deep end.
Just looking for tips to keep the pool in as good as condition as possible, that is why I don't want to drain the pool a bit for winter and don't mind to run the pool pump all year long (at low GPM) although the freezing possibility is slim I choose to run the pump 4-6 hours a day just to keep the flow going and preventing potential damage.

I changed the subject to covering/closing

The deal is that If you wish to continue this covering only plan you’ll need to ensure your fc doesn’t fall below minimum for your cya while you’re away or algae will happen. Whether you’re running the pool equipment or not.
When fully closing a pool this is achieved by raising fc to slam level for your cya. When the pool is covered with a solid cover & the water is below 60 degrees that fc will generally last throughout the winter & early spring without falling below minimum.
Example: I raise to slam level (28ppm for my cya of 70) around Halloween & upon opening in late March/early April I still have target fc levels FC/CYA Levels. We get several warm spells throughout that time but so far I’ve never had a problem.

 

[Homerraas]

Great info thank you so much (and HNY!)

I will add liquid chlorine (be there to install pump in 2 weeks) and cya (after checking) and see how that works over the next few months.

Do you have any idea where to buy test strips that show fc above 4ppm?
My current tester (with tablets) only goes to 4

Will only run the pump a few hours a day at low speed just to keep flowing when it's colder (and has potential freeze danger) going to be 25f the next few days at night but sun during the day (50ish)

Will be adding a new salt cell in march that has cover mode, flow sensor and temp shutdown so that will help to keep it somewhat up to levels.