Southeast Missouri Pool Opening

[aftrshok99]

I'd like to open my pool in a few weeks, depending on the weather and no rain on a free weekend. Only thing I keep thinking about is all the catkins that are going to be falling from our two big oak trees. I bought a mesh cover when I closed the pool and let me say the water looks pretty nasty. I did look in the skimmer one day with the sun at my back and could see the bottom of the pool but the water was green. The inside wall of the pool feels slimy and last night when I checked the water temp it was 62 degrees. Right now the air temps have been 70's during the day and anywhere from 45-60 at night.


I do have a couple of things I need to do first though. Need to pour a concrete pad for the pump/sand filter (all the rain we've had so far this spring has washed out the soil under my pavers). I also need to get some river rock around the pool so it's not a muddy mess all the time.

Any thoughts on if I should wait for all the oak tree catkins to fall off? I'm just afraid that algae might get bad fast since the water is above 60 and right now the pool is getting sun almost all day long (since my neighbor trimmed a tree of his) and will be in the full sun until summer is over.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Yeah, I gotta say each day you wait that algae is reproducing and multiplying like crazy. You could start pulling debris out of your pool in advance of the SLAM you will need to perform. SLAM Process

I'm dealing with a lot of those catkins too... they're everywhere!

Perhaps next year a solid cover and preparing the pool at SLAM level and doing all this after the temp drops below 60 as you close will help you open to a cleaner pool.

 

[aftrshok99]

Yeah, I gotta say each day you wait that algae is reproducing and multiplying like crazy. You could start pulling debris out of your pool in advance of the SLAM you will need to perform. SLAM Process

I'm dealing with a lot of those catkins too... they're everywhere!

Perhaps next year a solid cover and preparing the pool at SLAM level and doing all this after the temp drops below 60 as you close will help you open to a cleaner pool.

Would you suggest pulling the cover off and getting all the leaves, etc. out before I get the pump and filter all hooked back up?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

After yesterday's and today's upcoming storms, I bet your pool is chock-a-block full of stuff now!

You can do this either in stages or wait to do it all at once. I'd get the cement pad down, then open, and lastly worry about river rocks around the base. The pool is going to need a SLAM, and you really can't filter out anything without the pump/filter hooked up.

Yip

 

[aftrshok99]

Got the pump/filter pad poured yesterday. Planning on hooking it up Friday since I'm off work and I'll start my SLAM on Saturday......eeks...LOL

 

[lmnconn]

I just opened mine today. Water temp already 68 degrees. That's warmer than I normally like to open, but my water is clear and 0 CC. Now I will just need to watch my skimmer baskets because they fill with debris rather quickly. I'm in Missouri too, so I've had close to the same weather as you. How is yours coming along?

 

[erockplan9]

i have oaks that drop those (stringers) thats what we call them, and i bought that same mesh net and the stringers disintergrated right it through it and actually made the mess even worse, in my case i had the pool cover underneath thought i would just pull the net with all the leaves and stingers out easy no mess, i was so wrong all of it just "melted" right through. if that happens in your case with no cover underneath you would have a hugh mess on your hands, i wound up throwing the whole net in the garbage. but thats just my personal experience. just thought i share it.

 

[aftrshok99]

I just opened mine today. Water temp already 68 degrees. That's warmer than I normally like to open, but my water is clear and 0 CC. Now I will just need to watch my skimmer baskets because they fill with debris rather quickly. I'm in Missouri too, so I've had close to the same weather as you. How is yours coming along?

It's been a mess for sure and I'm not doing this again, next year will open clear not a swamp. I've got a new thread called Swamp Fever if you want to see how my journey is going.

i have oaks that drop those (stringers) thats what we call them, and i bought that same mesh net and the stringers disintergrated right it through it and actually made the mess even worse, in my case i had the pool cover underneath thought i would just pull the net with all the leaves and stingers out easy no mess, i was so wrong all of it just "melted" right through. if that happens in your case with no cover underneath you would have a hugh mess on your hands, i wound up throwing the whole net in the garbage. but thats just my personal experience. just thought i share it.

Mine is a micro mesh cover but still caused a big mess because any twigs, leaves, or stuff from the trees just stayed on top of the cover under water just breaking down all fall and winter. I like a challenge but would much rather open to a pretty clear pool then one that is nothing but a swamp.