Closing pool after refinishing

[easy-e]

Refinished our pool earlier this summer with SGM DiamondBrite exposed aggregate quartz finish. New tile and coping as well but I don't know if any details on that are relevant.

As I expected, I've had to battle rising pH a bit, but its been manageable.

I have a company closing the pool, mostly because the cover is huge and my kids are too small to provide free labor.

I do not have the company do the chemicals. So in terms of closing/managing pool in off-season, anything special I need to do/add to address potential scaling issues? Should I plan to monitor pH to some degree?

The pool gets closed in about 10 days. Please let me know if additional information would be helpful.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Here ya go! The Basics:

Closing Pool for Winter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Maddie

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Here is advice from one of the OG's here at TFP- (due to you having new plaster)

*Don't winterize now, wait until the water is below 50 degrees, preferably well below 50. You also need to open in the spring as early as possible. Colder water will slow down the curing process, which will reduce the rate of PH drift. Even so, it is still a good idea to check the PH occasionally through the winter if doing so is practical. Monitoring is most important when the plaster is applied in the fall. You have a couple of months already, so you will probably be alright as long as you wait until the water is as cold as possible before closing, but monitoring the PH is safer.*

 

[easy-e]

Here is advice from one of the OG's here at TFP- (due to you having new plaster)

*Don't winterize now, wait until the water is below 50 degrees, preferably well below 50. You also need to open in the spring as early as possible. Colder water will slow down the curing process, which will reduce the rate of PH drift. Even so, it is still a good idea to check the PH occasionally through the winter if doing so is practical. Monitoring is most important when the plaster is applied in the fall. You have a couple of months already, so you will probably be alright as long as you wait until the water is as cold as possible before closing, but monitoring the PH is safer.*

Thank you! Monitoring pH should't be an issue, just pop part of the cover open.

Let' say pH is high in off season - would you treat as normal with muriatic acid, even with pump off?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Thank you! Monitoring pH should't be an issue, just pop part of the cover open.

Let' say pH is high in off season - would you treat as normal with muriatic acid, even with pump off?

ONLY if you had a way to circulate the water.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

@ajw22 . @mknauss How would you handle this? Being new plaster and closing almost immediately.

 

[easy-e]

ONLY if you had a way to circulate the water.

Right that was my concern. At this point we are scheduled to close next week. I guess I could push that off while temps drop.

 

[mknauss]

Allen would have better advice for winter conditions. If it is possible to add chemicals you need to use a sump pump to mix it in.

 

[easy-e]

Allen would have better advice for winter conditions. If it is possible to add chemicals you need to use a sump pump to mix it in.

I do have the pump I keep in during the winter in case the water level gets too high - perhaps I could use that to recirculate water by just putting the hose back into the pool. Is that what you mean by sump pump? Popping off part of the cover is no big deal.

 

[mknauss]

Is that what you mean by sump pump?

Yes. Sub pump is another term for it.

 

[easy-e]

Yes. Sub pump is another term for it.

The more I thought about it the more it made sense.

 

[easy-e]

Yes. Sub pump is another term for it.

So I finally got around to check the ph this month, it’s quite low. Nothing near where is during the season and definitely not high. Very very light pink, for reference. Nothing that’s actually on my test chamber.

So I think that’s good news? I do plan to open very early for the season to monitor.

 

[mknauss]

Low pH on your comparator block is yellow. So pink is right around 7.5

 

[easy-e]

Low pH on your comparator block is yellow. So pink is right around 7.5

It definitely wasn't yellow, but it was much lighter in pink than anything actually on the block. Wasn't sure if maybe my block faded but I do keep it stored inside. Either way, 7.5 would be within my normal range, so I don't think anything to worry about? I'm still planning to open it early so I can easily keep an eye on everything.