Closing a "unique" IG pool

[rickily]

Hi again all...

It's been a while since I posted here because the info that I have learned here as enabled me to maintain my IG pool for the last 3 years with very little trouble.......and I appreciate that info... as this is the first pool that I have owned.....

But.....I think I have a unique situation (problem) when closing my pool that I hope someone here might be able to give advise about...

First let me explain my pool .....I'm guessing the pool is approximately 20 years old ....it is a 17' X 32' X 9' IG.....the bottom is concrete (gunite...I think).....the concrete slopes up to within 3' of the water surface, then flattens out horizontally onto a 4 inch ledge around the entire circumference of the pool...

Into this 4 inch horizontal ledge of the concrete....there are inserted (and caulked) stainless steel panels 3' tall X 6' wide that continue up to the pool deck.....

I can only assume that the original owners of this pool liked the looks of the stainless steel verticle panels and decided not to install any tile whatsoever to the upper panels during pool construction........(I kinda like the stainless look also....)

Now, the problem during closing the pool....

My normal closing routine involves: clean...shock... polyquat... cover pool... shock... drain below outlets...remove/store pump...drain/cover sand filter...blow out lines...install noodles in skimmer...etc.

Well it seems that high chlorine levels in a covered pool and stainless steel do not go well together...because when I opened the pool this spring... the stainless steel panels had rusted (bad)...but the rust only formed from the water line up to the pool deck....it took me and my wife a lot of scrubbing with scotch brite pads to remove all the rust that had formed over the winter...

So my delima is how to effectively winterize my pool without creating an enviroment for rust to form on the stainless steel panels....??

Any advise would be appreciated....

 

[zea3]

I'm no expert, but I was noticing just yesterday that the top rails of my above ground pool behind the ladder where the chlorine floater used to get stuck had rusted a little. I figured the out gassing of chlorine caused the rust, but since I ditched the floater it should not be a problem anymore. If you want to use chlorine, get a cover that will breath, like the mesh covers or leave the pool uncovered and be prepared to muck it out in the spring. I don't know if a non-chlorine shock would work for you or not. I don't suppose you can find out who built the pool and ask them for advice?

 

[rickily]

I wouldn't have any idea who actually built the pool but the previous owner said she always had trouble keeping the pool clear......so I'm pretty sure she used pool chemicals and not BBB...

In the 3 years that I have owned it, I have not had trouble keeping the pool clear with the BBB method that I found here...

The first winter I used a cover that sat on the water's surface with water bags holding the edges...I didn't like fighting the leaves that collected on top of it...

The second winter I left it uncovered....I, again, didn't like fighting the leaves....

The third winter I built a raised cover that would't collect leaves.... but it created the problem I mentioned in my original post of the rust on the stainless steel panels from the water line up to the pool deck....solved one problem (leaves)...created another (rust)....

I wonder if it would be feasable to eliminate the second shock (after polyquat) at closing and close this way: clean...shock...polyquat....cover....drain below outlets...remove/store pump...drain/cover sand filter...blow out lines....install noodles in skimmer....??