Pool opening questions...

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kris77

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May 27, 2014
335
Clarksburg, WV
So the wind got the best of my cover the other day and today I decided to take it off. My pool is crystal clear and about 6" below the skimmer. Its supposed to pour the rain the next few days.

My question is this. If I leave the cover off and let the rain fill it up, what are the chances of the sun destroying all my FC? Should i put the solar cover on it to try and keep what little FC I do have in there?
I'm not sure how to cover the pool with the winter cover and still let the rain fill it up.

I'm talking like 5" of rain is on its way according to the lying weatherman. So I would hate to pay to fill it up when mother nature is going to do it for me.

I'm just concerned about losing all my chlorine over the next week before i get the pump and filter hooked up.

Any suggestions?

I still have 4 gallons of 12% left over from last year. I'm sure its down to 8% or so by now, but could I walk around the edge and just dump a gallon in every few days till I get my stuff hooked up?
 
You could, and brush it well every day. You have a recommended test kit correct? I can't say how much Sun related FC you'll have without knowing Cya.

I would take full advantage of the rain if I thought I could use it, and needed it. Run a set of numbers, post them for help if you want too and then decide what to do.
 
If the water temperature is below 50 degrees I would take the risk of leaving it uncovered and running out of chlorine. But with warmer water you will run out of chlorine and odds are good you will get algae.

Using a solar cover should work, helping to maintain a chlorine level. The rain will pool on the cover to some extent, but most of it will head to the sides and go into the pool.
 
You don't want to dump chlorine into a pool without being able to circulate it. It can bleach out an area in your liner if it's not mixed in well. Plus it's not going to be mixed in well anyway.

I would not worry about it, let it rain, hook up the pump after the storm, test and balance your pools chemistry.
 
Sam, while that isn't bad advice, you could overcome that with a good brushing if you needed the addition in a pinch. A good brushing in a pool like that would easily mix it well enough to prevent any damage at all.
 
Patrick, yes I don't disagree a bit and I have done that. I just thought since his pool is clear and most likely his water temp. Is still cool, rain on the way, don't get over concerned and don't worry about it. The 2 missing bits of info. is present water temp and FC #. Also they want see the sun until next Sat.

I was a fanatic about keeping my FC levels up once when my pump was out for 2 weeks, to the extent of dispersing chlorine with my 3 gal garden sprayer and mixing with my kayak paddle. Everything helps.
 
So, I cant circulate the pool to get a good set of numbers because the water is well below the skimmer. I hooked up the hose and let it run in there for about an hour today and very slowly poured some bleach in front of the hose while it was on.

I'll brush it tomorrow and try and get a good set of results. And yea, i'm sure the water is well below 60 right now.

EDIT:

I went ahead and brushed the pool this afternoon. So I think it is mixed up pretty well.

Just did a full test.
FC - 9.5
CC - 0.5
PH - 7.5
TA - 90
CYA - 25, maybe 30.

I didnt do a Calcium test. And my thermometer died over the winter....So I have no clue about water temp. But it feels colder than my tap water, so i'm guessing 50-55 degrees.
 
Great, Now maybe you can get some nice rain water in there. I have no idea how hard your water is, but that would always be welcome in my pool. I'm right there with you Sam. I'm a fanatic just like that.

Good luck with everything Kris, and let us know how it pans out. :cheers:
 
Thanks guys. Think i'm just gonna take my chances over the next few days with all the rain coming. Then once it gets full, i'll put the solar cover on it and tend to it for the next month until it gets warm enough to swim. I'm guessing i should take the solar cover every few days over that time period just to let it breathe too.

While the storm is hitting us, i need to figure out how to grease the seals on the pump and filter. Any recommendations for that? This is my first year doing it and i'm not exactly sure where the gaskets are that I need to grease.
 

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When we had an above ground, we always lubed the gaskets that made contact with the sides of the pool. So the skimmer, and the return pipe. I'm no expert though so take it with a grain of salt. It always worked, and never leaked.
 
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