Leaving an AGP covered all summer

[JamesR]

A friend in NE PA has an above ground pool that she says she does not have time to open or maintain this year due to work travel and other commitments. What steps should she take to leave the cover on all year long until next summer? It has not been opened yet, no pump or skimmer hooked up....and we have had some brutally hot days up here in PA already.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I don't think there is much you can do. Without any kind of circulation, adding chemicals to the pool will be a waste or, worse, damaging to the liner.

I would suggest just leaving it covered and making sure the water level remains in an adequate spot. Then, next year, if she does decide to open it, the earlier the better to clean up what will most definitely be a very green swamp.

[EDIT]

She'll still need to make sure rain water is kept off the cover to avoid collapse. So even if the pool isn't used, there's still going to be maintenance work involved.

[END-EDIT]

 

[woodyp]

Once that water temp breaks 60-----it's game on for algae if there is zero chemicals and zero circulation. Leave it covered to keep any extra crud out and deal with it next year.

 

[JamesR]

Will algae still grow without direct sunlight getting in there? It has the basic dark/black cover on it.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The short answer is - yes, algae can reproduce in limited light conditions (no black cover is perfect).