2 of the 2 people I know that I work with that do their own pools here in Las Vegas say they don't put chemicals in their pool in the winter time because "algae doesn't grow". Discuss.
Not putting chemicals into pool all winter?
- Thread starter Enzman
- Start date
Algae can grow in colder water, albeit more slowly. If someone keeps their pool open/operational in winter, they will need to add chlorine from time to time in order to keep the chlorine in the proper range for the pool's stabilizer (CYA) level. Granted, during the shorter days and colder temperatures of winter, the chlorine demand will be reduced considerably. However, if the pool water is ignored long enough, that will eventually set the stage for an environment that is conducive for algae to gain a foothold and grow.
Las Vegas is full of gamblers.
Algae growth slows waaaaay down when the water gets cold. So long as they get some chlorine in there before the water gets above about 55, they'll probably beat the odds. Or they'll get to spend big $$ on "pool opening" and dump tub after tub of various chemicals in the water to get it clear. Maybe they do anyway. I know a certain prominent national chain sends out flyers and has big sales for the beginning of the season. Like it's normal to have to use extreme measures and mass quantities every Spring.
If you maintain the pool year-round, you won't have that worry or that big hit to the wallet. And even better: Chlorine consumption goes waaaaaaay down in the winter, so it hardly costs anything. Your climate is not significantly different from mine this time of year - this year especially - and I use about half a gallon a week these days. And the water is still so clear you can toss a quarter in the deep end and call heads or tails from the deck. It's your choice.
The only thing I could add, both posts above are spot on IMO, is its a lot easier to keep up with the water balance now than to deal with a mess in the spring.
My pool has been froze over since mid-December, until yesterday. I can see a slight greenish tinge all across the bottom. It did the same thing last winter, between freezes I brought the pool up to shock level by slow pouring around the perimeter and a good brushing to stir it up. That cleared it up until opening about a month later. I suspect the ground temp is just high enough that over the winter algae can grow at a slow pace. If I covered my pool it would probably slow things down a bit, but I don't mind a bit of extra work for not having the hassles of a cover. Of course I don't have much of leaf problem or I'd be covering it.
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