Close now or wait?

[Big Splash]

Hello folks.

1st, a big thanks to all the pool online community for helping me make my 1st season very successful. I just couldn't have done it with out you :bowdown:

So, this is a "what would you do" question. My pool water temp is still hovering above 60 degrees (about 65 now) and I was planning to wait until it gets below that mark before closing. Issue is, I have lots of trees dumping leaves in the pool and cleaning them up is seemly becoming more a hassle than it's worth. Last week or so, I've come home from work and skimmer is completely clogged up with leaves. This causes air to get sucked in by the pump and effectively aerating the water and the pH keeps going up. I'm out of MA and rather not have to buy more till spring.

This all is a bit of a pain in the rear considering the effort I'm putting in and the fact no one is using the pool now. I feel like I'd rather close now and deal with whatever issue(s) I may face in the spring. At least then I know the pool will get used soon there after.

Whatta ya' think? Close now or wait?

Thanks,
Splash

 

[pwrstrk]

How about a leaf net for the pool ? What type of cover do you put on it for the winter ?
If it's at all possible I'd try to wait till your water temp dropped below 60. Best chance of opening to clear water. Open before water gets to 60 also.
If you can't wait I suggest using some polyquat 60 algaecide along with bringing FC up to shock level.

 

[Big Splash]

How about a leaf net for the pool ? What type of cover do you put on it for the winter ?
If it's at all possible I'd try to wait till your water temp dropped below 60. Best chance of opening to clear water. Open before water gets to 60 also.
If you can't wait I suggest using some polyquat 60 algaecide along with bringing FC up to shock level.

I have just a basic cover with water tubes to hold it in place. I had thought about covering and / or putting the net on. I don't think the leaf net alone will work because the wind blows in smaller mulched leaf pieces left after I mow the lawn. They'd likely still get in the pool through the net. Polyquat might be the answer to do it now.

 

[samt]

Just put your cover on and run you pump a few hrs a day and keep your chlorine level up until time to blow the lines.
It's easy to unsnap one end of the cover to remove the eyeballs and plug the returns. Your chlorine dose is very small when the cover is on due to no organic material and no sun light. This time of yr. I switch to the 3" pucks for a month.
My cover has been on 2 weeks now, just waiting for the water temp to drop.

 

[Big Splash]

No snaps for me. Next year, I'm getting a mesh cover.

 

[mariane]

Great posts and ideas. samt has a great plan. We have done it that way in the past and it works like a charm.
We presently have our solar cover on (only because I've not taken the time to exchange it with the winter cover). In past years, I vacuum and clean the pool, put the winter cover on, circulate the water periodically until the temp drops to below 60, check FC level, partial drain and shut it down. Keeps the pool clear of leaves but the cover fills up. This year I will be using pool rafts/floats as winter cover pillows so it will be easier to clean and drain the cover before everything freezes this winter.

 

[duraleigh]

I face the same issue each Fall. My determining factor is the pool is simply too big to cover and handle leaf removal without the help of several people.....it's not a complex job but the size overwhelms us.

Thus, we are stuck with maintaining the pool throughout the winter just as if it were summer time. It is a lot of work and made more difficult by the fact you can't use the pool. Just seems to be the most practical for us.

One year, we tossed in the towel in September and simply ignored the pool, leaves and algae and all, until around April when we started clean-up. It was a huge chore and I would never suggest that method to anyone.

Your pool at 16 x 32 is pretty good sized but folks here on the forum don't seem to have a huge issue getting that size cover on and off.

 

[Big Splash]

For the record, I wimped out and closed it. I looked at my calendar for October and knew it was now or never.

Till next year. Thx,
Splash

 

[bdex]

Don't blame you. I wanted to close ours in central Illinois last weekend but my water was 78 with this heat wave. I have at shock level and will hold there because I believe these 49's and 50's will allow me to close next Sunday. I will still dump a gallon of algaecide and 3-4 gallons of liquid chlorine in there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mariane]

Just finished vacuuming and covering the pool. FC at shock level and water temp at 62. Waiting for lower temp then add algaecide, lower the water level, put in blow-up rafts under the cover and make this past summer a memory. :sad:
Looking forward to next summer.

 

[zea3]

For what its worth, I would rather clean up a big algae bloom w/o leaves than a big algae bloom w/ leaves! Life has been keeping me pretty busy so my pool is starting to get a little green around the gills, but it is still way too warm here to close. I will be spending my only free time this weekend cleaning up my pool (hopefully after watching JJ Watt kick some serious Cowboy butt!)

 

[Big Splash]

For what its worth, I would rather clean up a big algae bloom w/o leaves than a big algae bloom w/ leaves!

That's what I was thinking.

Next week, we're getting the "Leaf Monster" 40 foot ash tree that nearly hangs over the pool removed. I'm glad the pool is closed because I'd be spending at least 45 mins a day right now cleaning all the **** off the bottom. As soon as that tree is gone, I'll feel better.