first time Above ground saltwater pool winterisation

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D

deanofire

0
Jun 25, 2014
3
France
hi
i have an intex 4.7m round above ground pool with a sand filter pump and a krystal clear salt water cholirinator system
i have always taken the pool down and stored everything in the garage but this year i want to leave the pool up during the winter
i know i have to buy winterization liquid but it says to shock the pool first but the whole idea of having saltwater generator was to avoid cine in the water .
what would be the best way to winterize the pool ?
i intend to disconect all the pipework, pumps etc abd store in side
then lower the water to below the skimmer inlnets
and eventually cover the pool ( but i do not have an inflateable pool pillow)
i anm situates in the very south of France and akthough our winters are mild i am in the mountains so the temperature does drop below zero
any help would be appreciated.
thanks
Dean
 
deanofire said:
hi
i have an intex 4.7m round above ground pool with a sand filter pump and a krystal clear salt water cholirinator system
i have always taken the pool down and stored everything in the garage but this year i want to leave the pool up during the winter
i know i have to buy winterization liquid but it says to shock the pool first but the whole idea of having saltwater generator was to avoid cine in the water .
what would be the best way to winterize the pool ?
i intend to disconect all the pipework, pumps etc abd store in side
then lower the water to below the skimmer inlnets
and eventually cover the pool ( but i do not have an inflateable pool pillow)
i anm situates in the very south of France and akthough our winters are mild i am in the mountains so the temperature does drop below zero
any help would be appreciated.
thanks
Dean
Click to expand...

Have you read through the Pool School - Closing (Winterizing) Your Above Ground Pool?

Saltwater pools are still chlorine pools. Salt in the water is converted to chlorine by your salt water Chlorine generator. It's helpful to elevate your free chlorine level to shock level before closing so that you can maintain FC over the closed period. In a covered, cold pool, it's very possible to still have >0 FC when opening, if the pool is brought to shock level and the pool is closed and opened with the water cold (<60 F or <15.5 C).

Removing all hoses, pumps and filters and bringing them inside is best. If it's a heavy sand filter, just drain completely and leave outside. Lowering the water level below the skimmers is what should be done. Covering the pool will help immensely on keeping debris out of the pool and protecting FC from sunlight degradation. A pillow under the cover isn't necessary but they can help keep the cover clear of snow if used. Tire inner tubes can also be used in place of pillows if you can find some of those. Anything durable and inflatable.
 
JVTrain said:
Have you read through the Pool School - Closing (Winterizing) Your Above Ground Pool?

Saltwater pools are still chlorine pools. Salt in the water is converted to chlorine by your salt water Chlorine generator. It's helpful to elevate your free chlorine level to shock level before closing so that you can maintain FC over the closed period. In a covered, cold pool, it's very possible to still have >0 FC when opening, if the pool is brought to shock level and the pool is closed and opened with the water cold (<60 F or <15.5 C).

Removing all hoses, pumps and filters and bringing them inside is best. If it's a heavy sand filter, just drain completely and leave outside. Lowering the water level below the skimmers is what should be done. Covering the pool will help immensely on keeping debris out of the pool and protecting FC from sunlight degradation. A pillow under the cover isn't necessary but they can help keep the cover clear of snow if used. Tire inner tubes can also be used in place of pillows if you can find some of those. Anything durable and inflatable.
Click to expand...

hi
thanks for the speedy reply
if i do as you say and shock the pool with chlorine, will the pool not still be full of chlorine when i come to open it again next year ?
i really dont want chlorine in the pool as it affects my wife and son's eyes, that is the reason i use the saltwater system ?
thanks
again
Dean
 
Again. Salt water pools ARE chlorine pools. You already have chlorine in your pool. Your pool has a salt water chlorine generator right? It produces chlorine using the salt you put in the pool. If you didn't have chlorine in your pool, it would be cloudy, green and a mess.

If you bring the FC up to shock level at closing, you likely will have some chlorine in your pool when you open. That's what you want. If you do not have chlorine in your pool throughout the closed period, you'll end up with a green mess in the spring.

Chlorine sensitivity is actually very rare. What produces eye and skin irritation are chlorine disinfection byproducts, called chloramines. Chloramines can build up in undersanitized (under-chlorinated) pools, after a large organics dosage (someone urinates in the pool) or pools that don't get adequate sunlight, such as indoor pools.
 
Salt levels should be stable in a salt water pool. Salt is preserved in the process. Salt is split into sodium and chlorine ions. When the chlorine is consumed by organics, it recombines with sodium to form salt again. Salt levels will only decrease with significant splash out or a leak in the pool. You will likely have to add some though, because of the partial drain for winterization. You should only have to start up the SWG as normal and verify that your pH, FC, TA and CH levels are correct. Most SWG units will not operate properly if the water is too cold. Depending on your model, it is somewhere between 50-60 F (10-15 C). They're also not as efficient in lower temp water, so you may have to run them at a higher output in colder water to achieve the same FC levels.

How are you testing your water now? I would strongly encourage you to use a drop-based test kit for testing. It is important to properly test so that you can maintain sanitation. Is there a source for the Taylor K-2006 test kit in France?
 
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