Pool Closing - Birds, Liner Fade, and other stuff

[phonedave]

So, I closed my pool this weekend.

I had mentioned before that birds like to live in one of my uprights.



They do pack a pretty good nest in there. This is the third season they have done so



People have been asking how to take care of hard plumbed pipes. This is what I do, they are self draining, and the hardware cloth over the ends stops the chipmunks from making them a home.



And finally, is it me, or does this liner fade seem to be a tad excessive? (look at the square in front of the brown step). That area was under the stair mat. This liner went in new about three and a half months ago. SLAMmed once at opening, and my CL levels are not more that 6.0 ppm, and more likely around 4.0 ppm. It just seems like a lot of fade to me. I do get a lot of sun, but how much UV can be left at 4' deep.



It was a good season, with a lot of use, sorry to have to cover it up (my wife hates the way to cover looks, and whishes we could keep the pool open all year long).

-dave

 

[Texas Splash]

Great pics Dave, and good info about the way you prep your plumbing. Those birds, they sure are persistent buggers. Once they find a nice spot, the come right back each year. As for your liner, I can make-out the area of the steps. I would tend to doubt the fading is anything related to your chemistry as long as you had the correct CYA level appropriate for that FC level. Once in a while, some owners forget that stabilizer is not only to protect the FC from the sun, but also to protect the swimmers and pool from the sanitizer. That's why we have to be cautious to remind new pool owners to give the CYA a chance to register before they go nuts adding too much bleach on day 1 with new water. I suppose fading could also be dependent up on the workmanship of the liner itself, or how much is considered an acceptable amount (by the mfr) to fade when first put into use. All-n-all though, your pool and water look fantastic. I can see why your wife doesn't want it covered up.

 

[phonedave]

Great pics Dave, and good info about the way you prep your plumbing. Those birds, they sure are persistent buggers. Once they find a nice spot, the come right back each year. As for your liner, I can make-out the area of the steps. I would tend to doubt the fading is anything related to your chemistry as long as you had the correct CYA level appropriate for that FC level. Once in a while, some owners forget that stabilizer is not only to protect the FC from the sun, but also to protect the swimmers and pool from the sanitizer. That's why we have to be cautious to remind new pool owners to give the CYA a chance to register before they go nuts adding too much bleach on day 1 with new water. I suppose fading could also be dependent up on the workmanship of the liner itself, or how much is considered an acceptable amount (by the mfr) to fade when first put into use. All-n-all though, your pool and water look fantastic. I can see why your wife doesn't want it covered up.

Thanks - yeah, my CL is in line with my CYA levels. I did start to add borates in the form of Borax this year, but I took it slow. Box of Borax, appropriate amount of dry acid to counter, wait a few days, and then do it again, so nothing in the water chemistry got too far out of whack all summer.

Honestly, I was happy with the way the liner looked until I pulled the stairs, and then I was surprised. As long as it does not totally fade out, it will be fine.

Now the pool looks like a giant green fried egg out in the yard.

-dave