The temperature of the water in my pool has finally fallen below 60F. It was 58F last weekend. Therefore, I'll close the pool this weekend. My closing is simple since all I will do is drain all the equipment and put gizmos in the skimmers. The solid cover has already been in place almost 2 months so I don't have any vacuuming to do. Even though a significant number of pool owners in my area just keep their pools open year around, I close mine even if it will be only around 4 months before I start it up again. I close because I just don't want to think about it for the winter. I don't want to check to see if the pump is still running or if any of the other equipment is broken or leaking. Give me a good reason why I should keep it open instead of closing it.
Closing my pool this weekend
- Thread starter Homebrewale
- Start date
If your yard is relatively open, I’d winterize the equipment and leave the cover off. There is no need for that PITA without a yard full of trees dropping debris. FC demand will be next to nothing going forward and a once a month FC test is easy enough to find the time.
I have trees and my daughter has a water loving dog that comes over every weekend. I don't want to deal with a wet dog in the house.
Riiiiiight. I knew that. 
What did you end up doing to keep them out of the pool ? A temporary mesh fence ? I forget.
I guess it’s half a dozen or six if you kept the doggie fence up or cover the pool so I’m now on team fully close the pool. Lol.
What did you end up doing to keep them out of the pool ? A temporary mesh fence ? I forget. I guess it’s half a dozen or six if you kept the doggie fence up or cover the pool so I’m now on team fully close the pool. Lol.
The temporary mesh fence was for my dog that was blind. She passed away last spring. My daughter's two dogs are much larger. They could just jump that fence.
You must have had a bad experience with a cover. I do not find them to be a PITA. I find just the opposite. The cover keeps all organics from blowing in the pool. Since it's a solid cover, it blocks almost all light. This means I open to a clean, algae free pool every spring. During the winter, I don't have to vacuum. I don't have skim the surface with a net or empty skimmer baskets. The last three weeks, I have had a ton of leaves.
I can install my solid cover in less than one hour. It is very easy if you take it off correctly in the spring. I just keep taking off the springs from the anchors one section at a time and fold as I go. Then in the fall reverse the process to put it on. It's all in the preparation. I would rather trade one hour of my time once in the fall than hours of time over the winter. I cover the first chance I can when leaves start to fall. I didn't one year and spent hours scooping and vacuuming leaves.
You must have had a bad experience with a cover. I do not find them to be a PITA. I find just the opposite. The cover keeps all organics from blowing in the pool. Since it's a solid cover, it blocks almost all light. This means I open to a clean, algae free pool every spring. During the winter, I don't have to vacuum. I don't have skim the surface with a net or empty skimmer baskets. The last three weeks, I have had a ton of leaves.
I can install my solid cover in less than one hour. It is very easy if you take it off correctly in the spring. I just keep taking off the springs from the anchors one section at a time and fold as I go. Then in the fall reverse the process to put it on. It's all in the preparation. I would rather trade one hour of my time once in the fall than hours of time over the winter. I cover the first chance I can when leaves start to fall. I didn't one year and spent hours scooping and vacuuming leaves.
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Condolences
and gotcha!!I’ve had decades of fun helping friends and families cover their pools, Both ABG and IG. At my old house I needed to with 80 oaks. I JUMPED at the chance to skip the cover after moving to an open yard.
Then there you go !! But you asked for a reason to leave the pool open.
From the sounds of it though, you will need to cover to keep the crud out like I used to have to do.I’m torn now because I won’t need the cover for the environment, but we fenced the whole yard this time instead of just the pool and the dogs have free reign out back. If I cover it, there is no doubt it will be a constant short cut as they run around. If I leave it open, it won’t be, but then I’ll have to worry for the month or so it’s frozen. So at the moment I’m thinking of a temp fence, possibly even an ugly orange snow fence for that month.
goody222
Silver Supporter
- Feb 6, 2018
- 184
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Funny I just replied to someone also in the area asking a similar question. Check my latest post. I vote for closing (Chesapeake, VA here). Also, I used to be the same way about waiting for temp to drop below 60. As others have advised me, they close with temps above 60s as long as they use Polyquat 60. The last 2 winters I opened to clear water. It stinks having to maintain a pool an extra month just for that 60 degree requirement.
There really wasn't much extra work waiting for the temperature to drop. I tested the water every 2-3 weeks. That's it. Since the pool had a solid cover over it, I didn't need to vacuum the pool. I probably don't need to wait since algae needs light and the solid cover does a good job of keeping the light out.