Manage my chlorine levels during the winter?

[mskovrinskie]

Can someone educate me on how to manage my chlorine levels during the winter? This is my first year with an IG and I was not here when the pool company closed it. It appears I already need to pump out some extra water due to a rise from lots of rain and early melted snow. I'm looking to understand more on the following:

- how often and how do I check to see if I need to shock
- what to add to shock
- what level is acceptable for the water level (nother post on this recently said that it should remain below the returns with some room to spare)
- best way to get access to the pool for chemicals, pumping

More info:
- 38x24x8' irruglar/coral shaped pool, vinyla liner, w/ steps in shallow end
- loop loc safety cover (allows water to drain through so I need to watch the level

Throughout the year I used my SWG so I never had to add chlorine - just watch the levels - so shock is new to me.

 

[JasonLion]

Re: More shocking after winter closing?

If your water temperature is below 50 degrees you don't normally need to add any chlorine at all. If the pool is not covered you might want to add 2 ppm of chlorine once a month, but even that isn't required.

 

[waste]

Re: More shocking after winter closing?

Hi y'all

Here's my take on winter care (it's not always in line with what others suggest, so use your own judgment).

Whenever you don't have a block of ice in your backyard (ie., the pool is fairly liquid), it's a good idea to pull back a corner of the cover and test the cl in the water once a month (I'm assuming that the water was balanced when you closed the pool). If it's a little low, use a cover or sump pump to provide some circulation and use bleach (regular unscented) to raise the cl some. If you have a solid cover, keep the water pumped, or siphoned off of it and scoop out any debris (~ 1" of water will help keep the cover from blowing off but don't let it get much higher). If you have a safety cover, keep the water from getting so high in the pool that it comes up through the cover and use your pool brush or a leaf blower to keep large debris from sitting on the cover (anything that sits in the water will eventually rot and cause a potential algae problem in the spring)

On the question of how far to keep the water down, ice can 'play nasty' with the return plugs so it's probably best to keep the water below them, HOWEVER some pools are in areas that have high water tables which could float the pool or liner if there is not sufficient water in the pool to counteract that force! in which case keeping the pool filled with more water is better (You need to know what the normal ground water level is and take into account that spring snowmelt and heavy rains can temporarily raise that level in the spring - especially if your pool is located in a valley or near the bottom of a slope or if the ground has clay in it which will slow the passing of melted snow or heavy rains to the ground water level!

If anyone has any questions, comments or complaints on what I've said, bring 'em on

 

[waste]

Am I crazy or wasn't this discussed here :? ?? I answered msk's ? and discussed other parts.

Oh well, as long as the question is answered....

I split this topic off of that one. Presumably you were posting right as I as doing the split. I brought your post from over there into this topic. JasonLion