New Pool installed - what to do with water?

[xfilegirl]

Hi guys - we finally replaced our 20+ year old pool with a new one. The guys came and installed it yesterday and had us do a half fill (NYC tap water via a hose ). They are going to come back this week to set up the skimmer box and return.

So it's not yet pool weather in NY and won't be for a couple of months. What should i do with this half-full pool? It has no chemicals in it whatsoever at the moment. Do I fill it all the way once they finish with the setup and then do all the treatment? Can i leave it half full until the summer starts and should I put anything in it to ward off the algae even though it won't be circulating?

Thanks so much!
-Jaime

 

[woodyp]

I'd pour a half gallon of bleach in it and stir it in with a pool pole brush. Test every other day and maintain 3 or 4 ppm of FC till you can CIRCULATE, add cya and balance everything else. No reason to leave it half full or not circulating once the skimmer is in.

 

[xfilegirl]

I'd pour a half gallon of bleach in it and stir it in with a pool pole brush. Test every other day and maintain 3 or 4 ppm of FC till you can CIRCULATE, add cya and balance everything else. No reason to leave it half full or not circulating once the skimmer is in.

Ok thanks. Forgot to ask - so you don't recommend covering it then until the summer?

 

[Nectarologist]

Ok thanks. Forgot to ask - so you don't recommend covering it then until the summer?

Congratulations! It wouldn't hurt but I don't think it's necessary. The only thing is later in spring you'll get a lot of pollen. If you have trees in your yard maybe a lot of springtime debris so it would help cut down on the work your filter needs to do. Also shielding the water from the sun will allow you use less chlorine. If we get freezing temps after the filter is in just run the pump at night. Not sure about you but I'll still get a few nights below 30 (I'm in Rockland county). Without a heater I assume you won't swim until end of May or even early June so a cover may save you some work. You never know how much stuff drops from trees or blows in from the neighborhood until you get a pool.

 

[xfilegirl]

Not sure about you but I'll still get a few nights below 30 (I'm in Rockland county). Without a heater I assume you won't swim until end of May or even early June so a cover may save you some work. You never know how much stuff drops from trees or blows in from the neighborhood until you get a pool.

Thanks! Yep, we still get a few of those below 30 nights in Queens too. Actually this morning i had some ice patches on the top of the pool! And now we're expecting more snow tonight or tomorrow! I can't wait until this weather makes up its mind! I did luck out because my neighbor cut down their tree last year and that's where all of the leaves were coming from. Once that tree was gone the only thing i had to clean out of the water were the bugs. It was wonderful lol. So maybe we will leave it uncovered and just run it at night when necessary...my neighbors may think we're crazy but it's probably nothing they don't already think!

 

[richierich]

Hi guys - we finally replaced our 20+ year old pool with a new one. The guys came and installed it yesterday and had us do a half fill (NYC tap water via a hose ). They are going to come back this week to set up the skimmer box and return.

So it's not yet pool weather in NY and won't be for a couple of months. What should i do with this half-full pool? It has no chemicals in it whatsoever at the moment. Do I fill it all the way once they finish with the setup and then do all the treatment? Can i leave it half full until the summer starts and should I put anything in it to ward off the algae even though it won't be circulating?

Thanks so much!
-Jaime

Hi - I would not leave it half full until the summer. Once they cut out the skimmer I would fill it and add a little bleach and stir with a brush. I usually wait until mid april when the threat of freeze is gone before I hook up the pump & filter. Then you can get all your levels correct. Right now with the water temp in the 40s algae won't really grow. I closed my pool with almost 16 FC and with all this rain and snow I have 0 FC and my water is clear.

Regarding covering the pool once you add the water then cover the pool. Don't cover it with the pool half full as the rain will put pressure on the sides and rails. But living where we live, you want to cover with the amount of pollen coming in april & may.

Good luck