First open

[SirSwimAlot]

I used TFP last year with our new pool and it worked great. I took a peek under the cover and I can see the water is green. Not a dark green but more of a light green but hard to tell until I take the cover off.

We are leaving for five days on Friday and I am not sure if I should try to open it today/tomorrow and let some chlorine start working or wait till we get back. I want to have it opened as soon as possible when we get back.

I had some questions.

Is it possible to open a pool in New England (~3 months usable a year) and not have some degree of green? I am wondering if I did something wrong or this is just normal. It is far lighter than the pictures other have posted.

I did a backwash before I closed the pool but didn't tear down the filter. I assume after getting it back to normal the filter will need to be fully cleaned?

How do you test cya (and other tests) when the water is green, would think it would be difficult to see. It's hard to tell how green mine is until I fully remove the cover but it seems on the lighter side.

Should I get it started now or wait till I get back when I can babysit it. I suspect no matter how much chlorine I add, the algae will tear through it if I am not around to maintain it.

How long can I expect the process to take? I know this varies but we talking 2-3 days, week, multiple weeks?

Thanks!

 

[domct203]

I used TFP last year with our new pool and it worked great. I took a peek under the cover and I can see the water is green. Not a dark green but more of a light green but hard to tell until I take the cover off.

We are leaving for five days on Friday and I am not sure if I should try to open it today/tomorrow and let some chlorine start working or wait till we get back. I want to have it opened as soon as possible when we get back.

I had some questions.

Is it possible to open a pool in New England (~3 months usable a year) and not have some degree of green? I am wondering if I did something wrong or this is just normal. It is far lighter than the pictures other have posted.

I did a backwash before I closed the pool but didn't tear down the filter. I assume after getting it back to normal the filter will need to be fully cleaned?

How do you test cya (and other tests) when the water is green, would think it would be difficult to see. It's hard to tell how green mine is until I fully remove the cover but it seems on the lighter side.

Should I get it started now or wait till I get back when I can babysit it. I suspect no matter how much chlorine I add, the algae will tear through it if I am not around to maintain it.

How long can I expect the process to take? I know this varies but we talking 2-3 days, week, multiple weeks?

Thanks!

I would wait until you can devote some time to the SLAM. Once you take that cover off and the algae is exposed to sunlight, it is going to reproduce like rabbits, and most likely get a bit greener. The first couple of days are the most demanding, but once FC starts to hold it becomes less intrusive.

Every pool & every SLAM is different, so there is no way to answer 'how long will this take'. Remember. Your pool didn't go green overnight, so it is not going to clear overnight.

I also live in New England, and I have opened to a clear pool every spring for the last three seasons. The trick is closing it cold (<60F), and opening it cold (same). The colder the better. I have already opened my pool, when it was still in the 50'sF. When I close I raise and hold the pool to SLAM level for 48 hours, then lower the water and cover right away to block the sunlight. When I open, I top off the pool and hook up all plumbing with the cover still on. Once the pump is running properly I pull the cover. Last year the pool was closed at FC 18.5ppm/CYA 40ppm, and when I opened this year it was FC 7ppm/CYA <30ppm, water was crystal clear.

 

[run53]

Also from New England and I typically open to a crystal clear pool, year after year. As domct says, the key is opening early and closing late. I usually close first weekend in October and open first weekend in May with great results. Other than some leaves, worms and dirt (if a windy winter with little snow cover).

As far as opening before your trip......don't do it. You will need to SLAM and that is impossible to do when you are not there and it will get worse with the cover off. Not only that, but if you have trees, this time of year leaves lots of debris in the pool and if you are not there to mind it, you chance the skimmers becoming clogged and losing prime to your pump. I always like to be around the first few days after opening my pool just to see what little surprises await after the long winter. Let's face it, you will have to SLAM either way, now or when you return. Your trip will be much less stressful not having to think about what is happening with your pool while you are not there.