applgrl
0
- May 22, 2011
- 48
After many years with an I/G pool we decided the easier path (both have work involved) is to forego the winter cover and drain every spring. (note we don't pay to drain or re-fill, that factors in heavily.)
The expense of a winter cover + water bags, then the additional step of pumping the cover, then ending up with leaves falling in ANYWAY as you remove the cover is just like herding cats.
Also as jblizzle points out, the organics on the walls are a huge problem, they cling and re-grow if you aren't dedicated to brushing. Since you are going to drain, here's a bit of helpful advice to help save you time and elbow grease. Buy regular unscented chlorine, 6-10 gallons before you drain. When the pool is empty, dilute the bleach with water, 1/3 bleach plus 2/3 water. Pour it carefully and thoroughly down the side walls from the top. Wait 10 minutes and let the Clorox do the work!!! It gets into all the nooks and crannies and kills everything on the walls. (when the bleach is dead, do a water rinse.) Then brush the chlorine down the floor to the deep spot, and pump it out. Use more bleach on the floor if necessary. This way, you don't damage plaster with a power washer, you don't have to scrub (maybe the odd spot) and you'll definitely kill the algae so it won't be as quick to re-grow.
Please note we do NOT run this waste bleach through our pool pump, we use a trash pump to get the 6-10 dilute gallons out of the pool. If you were going to run it through your pump I'd dilute it with a lot of fresh water first, so that you don't put the concentrated bleach through your system. Good luck!
The expense of a winter cover + water bags, then the additional step of pumping the cover, then ending up with leaves falling in ANYWAY as you remove the cover is just like herding cats.
Also as jblizzle points out, the organics on the walls are a huge problem, they cling and re-grow if you aren't dedicated to brushing. Since you are going to drain, here's a bit of helpful advice to help save you time and elbow grease. Buy regular unscented chlorine, 6-10 gallons before you drain. When the pool is empty, dilute the bleach with water, 1/3 bleach plus 2/3 water. Pour it carefully and thoroughly down the side walls from the top. Wait 10 minutes and let the Clorox do the work!!! It gets into all the nooks and crannies and kills everything on the walls. (when the bleach is dead, do a water rinse.) Then brush the chlorine down the floor to the deep spot, and pump it out. Use more bleach on the floor if necessary. This way, you don't damage plaster with a power washer, you don't have to scrub (maybe the odd spot) and you'll definitely kill the algae so it won't be as quick to re-grow.
Please note we do NOT run this waste bleach through our pool pump, we use a trash pump to get the 6-10 dilute gallons out of the pool. If you were going to run it through your pump I'd dilute it with a lot of fresh water first, so that you don't put the concentrated bleach through your system. Good luck!