Closing a pool for the winter in Florida; CYA question

[kri5tian]

Hi Guys,

Thanks in advance for any advice. I live near Tampa, Florida, so it doesn't get too cold down here. How do you guys in the south close your pools? [My pool is green right now from neglect, because it hasn't been warm enough to swim these past few weeks. Anyway, I know how to get the water to look blue again, and I'm going to do that in the next few days.] Do you guys continue to run your pump for 12 hours or reduce it to 6 hours? Do you continue to chlorinate and balance chemicals throughout the winter? I have to put at least 2 (more like 3 or 4) gallons of 10% bleach in my pool every week in the summer. If we have to continue to keep up with chems throughout the winter, it's going to be expensive. Also - is it necessary to cover the pool if we have a screened-in enclosure?

One last question - is there an easier method to measure cyanuric acid levels besides where you use the Taylor kit and 'keep adding drops until you no longer see the black dot' at the bottom of the cylinder? I swear that method gets on my nerves, because I think I can still see the dot no matter how much liquid I put in the cylinder, despite me having adding an adequate amount of cyanuric acid to the pool.

Any advice on how to maintain during the winter in the cheapest (but non-detrimental way) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I'm in Georgia and we don't close our pool at all. Of course the cold water will still need occasional testing (like every 3-4 weeks in the coldest part of the winter) and we have the pump timer set to run about 2 hours a day so it helps keep the water skimmed and circulated. Our salt water chlorine generator doesn't work in water under like 55 degrees so we use liquid bleach when it does need something. Because of the way the sun is lower in the sky now, and not burning down on the water, you'll find your chlorine lasts a lot longer.

We'll use Sheldon, our robot, to brush the pool as he doesn't care how cold the water is apparently.

I wouldn't cover my pool if I had a screened bird cage over it, I like the look of the water too much. I open my autocover routinely just to enjoy seeing the pool and of course letting it breath now and then.

As for the CYA test, one trick is to fill the test tube to the first line (100, I believe?) and glance away and back. See the dot? If so, go ahead and fill it to the 90 line and again glance away and back. The trick is to not stare at the bottom of the tube, just quick glances. And filling the vial to each line makes it go easier.

Maddie

 

[bobandsherry]

Hi Guys,

Thanks in advance for any advice. I live near Tampa, Florida, so it doesn't get too cold down here. How do you guys in the south close your pools? [My pool is green right now from neglect, because it hasn't been warm enough to swim these past few weeks. Anyway, I know how to get the water to look blue again, and I'm going to do that in the next few days.] Do you guys continue to run your pump for 12 hours or reduce it to 6 hours? Do you continue to chlorinate and balance chemicals throughout the winter? I have to put at least 2 (more like 3 or 4) gallons of 10% bleach in my pool every week in the summer. If we have to continue to keep up with chems throughout the winter, it's going to be expensive. Also - is it necessary to cover the pool if we have a screened-in enclosure?

One last question - is there an easier method to measure cyanuric acid levels besides where you use the Taylor kit and 'keep adding drops until you no longer see the black dot' at the bottom of the cylinder? I swear that method gets on my nerves, because I think I can still see the dot no matter how much liquid I put in the cylinder, despite me having adding an adequate amount of cyanuric acid to the pool.

Any advice on how to maintain during the winter in the cheapest (but non-detrimental way) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

Not warm enough? I'm just south of Tampa and swam in the pool last week, no heater on it, just southern facing. With the cool weather that came in this week it looks like swimming season is now over.

I do not close my pool. I keep it running and can enjoy time sitting outside at the pool with descents and bubblers running to provide background sounds. My pool is enclosed.

I stick with my testing routine, every Wednesday and Saturday. I reduce time for my pump and SWG as well.

 

[kri5tian]

Thanks to all for your replies. Sorry it took a while for me to acknowledge. Work, kid, etc. I don't have a creepy crawler but it looks like I might as well bite the bullet and invest in one. I dumped 7 gallons of 10% bleach in my pool on Saturday and it's still green. Maybe my CYA is high. Anyway, I'll test and knock this green algae out for the count.

By the way - I'm a native Floridian but I can't stand to swim unless the water is close to 80F.

 

[BasicTek]

By the way - I'm a native Floridian but I can't stand to swim unless the water is close to 80F.

With a simple bubble solar cover for probably under $100 you could be swimming till december and starting back again in March if 80 is all you need

My pool was almost 90 today I have a bubble cover and solar, just FYI If you use the methods of caring for your pool around here you may want to extend your season....

 

[PebblePool]

I live in Seminole (Pinellas County), and I never close our pool. Like Yippie said earlier, I plan on using liquid chlorine if our pool gets under 60 degrees, but unless we get another hard freeze like 2010, I don't forsee my temps getting below 60.