Closing SWG AGP

[armedmetallica]

So I left my SWG on for weeks on end... and my FC rose and rose. Been too cold to swim for over a month, so very ready to close this pool. The leaves fall in faster than I can reasonably keep up with by running pump and pool vac.

My readings are below:

pH = 7.8
FC = 15
CC = 0
TA = 70
CH = 80
CYA = 40

I got a little confused with shocking and closing - some posts mentioned dropping the FC to 1/2 of shock (I'm pretty much at shock now, unless I raise my CYA). Another thing I don't get is the reference page/chart for SWG starts at CYA much higher. Do I need to add CYA prior to closing (thereby adding chlorine to get back up to shock)?

I'm using a vinyl solid cover - Nothing fancy.

Last year I had a few issues: my Gizzmo wasn't threading right, so I had water leaking out of the skimmer. botched the closing royally last year (didn't measure levels of anything. Drained a LOT of water, to realize it was too low, so just added more water from hose). So needless to say opening, I was at green. Would love to avoid that this year.

 

[armedmetallica]

Pulling to cover over today. do most people here use Polyquat - or only as a last resort after many failed closings?

 

[linen]

I don't use polyquat, but my pool freezes solid.

FYI, we don't recommend closing before the pool temp is consistently lower than 60F, and open before the temp goes above 60F.

Here is the pool school article on closing an agp: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/winterizing and closing your above group pool

 

[armedmetallica]

I don't use polyquat, but my pool freezes solid.

FYI, we don't recommend closing before the pool temp is consistently lower than 60F, and open before the temp goes above 60F.

Here is the pool school article on closing an agp: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/winterizing and closing your above group pool

Thanks linen! - i actually 'attended' pool school... the temp thing I can appreciate but dang it the leaves were choking up the skimmer basket. If I run it at night, by the time I wake up the pump is whining (I can almost hear a pitch difference). If I run it during the day, it's whining by the time I get home (gone for 12 hrs most days). I have a timer that's busted, but I just don't trust my setup enough to run it via timer. IF/when there's a problem (like a leak on a line or blown o-ring, etc) it always shows up when the pump fires up.

I saw somewhere on here the leaf catcher thing, will shoot for that next time. Water temp was at about 68 degrees when I closed.

I also couldn't drop my water to 6" below lowest return... that would make the cover incompatible (cover warns not to drop more than 12" below rail/deck). I dropped below skimmer, and plugged the return. plugged skimmer with a not so great gizzmo.

How can you tell that the entire pool is frozen solid?

 

[linen]

Yeah, leaves can be a challenge...If I leave my solar cover on, then almost all the leaves just sit on that and cause no problem with circulation. Then if I roll that up slowly, I catch most of the leaves and can spray them off outside of the pool. My pool gets a lot of leaves (and shade unfortunately).

I also couldn't drop my water to 6" below lowest return... that would make the cover incompatible (cover warns not to drop more than 12" below rail/deck). I dropped below skimmer, and plugged the return. plugged skimmer with a not so great gizzmo.

To deal with this, when I buy a cover, I get it quite oversized, usually 6 ft larger in diameter than the pool.

How can you tell that the entire pool is frozen solid?

Well I am slightly north of the Twin Cities in Minnesota and the average low temp in the dead of winter is ~2F and we don't get above freezing with our average high for ~3.5 months.

 

[armedmetallica]

i'm replying to this - because most of the info is the same as last year and the opening was pretty flawless.

BUT this year my readings are slightly different. Should I drop FC? ? I know i need to fix pH, and i'm thinking increase the CYA?

ph = 8.0
FC = 29.5
cc= 0
TA = 90
CYA = 40

I'm planning on closing today, in a couple of hours... do I need to add stabalizer and let it circulate for a couple of hours? Or do I need to wait 24hrs? Same for Muriatic - should I add and wait 24hrs? or Can I just let it go for a couple of hourS?

 

[n240sxguy]

I wouldn't add cya until next year. FC level above 10 will cause a false ph reading. I have trouble with a lot of leaves too. I'm just going out every day or two, checking FC, and getting all the leaves out then. Rinse and repeat until below 60.

 

[armedmetallica]

my annual closing thread - i might as well keep updating this to remind myself

pH is at 7.5
CYA < 20
FC = 10
TA = 80
CC = 0.5

This year, i think i'm going to have to raise the CYA, right??

 

[pooldv]

I would add it in the spring when you open.

 

[armedmetallica]

I would add it in the spring when you open.

wow really - even with it being that low? So that would mean i'm technically at shock then right? Or should I increase the FC a bit? or leave it at 10?

 

[pooldv]

10 is ok. Yes, at shock level now. CYA protects chlorine from the sun and buffers it for comfort during swimming. Neither is needed while the pool is closed. You will lose some CYA over winter also.