Closing time question, want to get this right.

[JamesR]

Been using the methods here all season and the pool was spotless. Liquid bleach only, baking soda......no additives or other unwanted junk. Pool was sparkling.
I have waited till now to close because the temps are dropping and so are the leaves. So, what is a good recommendation for chemical levels for closing? I have a mesh safety cover, so debris and a bit of sunlight do get through.
Do I throw in some algecide? (which i had not put in the pool all year). Do I add any stain/scale preventer? Chlorine level before putting the cover on? Anything else special to do? Last year I put a winter floater in that I bought at the local pool store. Poked a bunch of holes in it, tossed it in the water. It was a combo algecide and stain/scale preventer I believe. Seemed to give me decent results upon opening as I had almost no algae for the 1st time in many years.
Right now I am at
4ppm Cl2
225 hardness
80 alkaline
7.8 pH
40 CYA

 

[tim5055]

Not that I'm not willing to answer the questions, check this out

Pool School - Closing an In Ground Pool

Glad our methods are working out for you. Don't be a stranger over the winter - that's when we have the party starts here!

 

[JamesR]

Tim,
Thanks for the link. "PolyQuat".... is Algecide-60 the same or suitable?

 

[tim5055]

I'm straying into Chem Geek's area, but Polyquat is poly[oxyethylene-(dimethylimino)-ethylene-(dimethylimino)-ethylene-di-chloride]

According to it's MSDS , te one you are looking at is Poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene (dimethyliminio)ethylene Dichloride

So, it looks the same to me, but they list the otehr 40% as "Trade Secret", so I'm not 100% sure what else is in there. I would think if it had metals or really bad stuff they would be listed.

 

[duraleigh]

Seems like over the years, we have had good success by just saying "polyquat 60". As long as it has that somewhere on the label, it is the correct stuff.

There is another, cheaper kind (I can't remember...I don't use algaecide) that if you search on this forum, you will find. The consensus has always been that the polyquat 60 is a much better product.

 

[chem geek]

The cheaper one is sometimes called Algaecide 40 or words to that effect. It's a linear quat, most commonly Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (ADBAC). It's less expensive, but can foam especially when there is more aeration. It also breaks down faster from chlorine so has a more noticeable increase in chlorine demand.

Algaecide 60 is usually Polyquat but you can check the ingredients to be sure (full chemical name given in an earlier post).

 

[tim5055]

Algaecide 60 is usually Polyquat but you can check the ingredients to be sure (full chemical name given in an earlier post).

I just want to hear you pronounce it!