Fort Worth Texas pool owner wanting to close the pool in winter

[stawberryred68]

Hi! I live in Fort Worth TX and I would like to close my pool like I did in winter when I lived in Grand Rapids Michigan. Who wants to care for a pool when it’s too cold to swim. I have asked neighbors with pools and the guy that resurfaced my pool and neither were helpful and reported - no one closes their pool down here in winter. I had a pool with a “liner” up north, we would drain below the returns, we would empty the lines with a shop vac to suck out the water, put in freeze plugs, fill the lines with antifreeze. In Texas I have a plaster pebble Tec pool with a hot tub attached.
1) is closing the pool the same process for a liner pool and pebble tech pool?
2) how do I keep water in the hot tub that’s attached to the pool after winterizing? Do I get drain plugs, unscrew the covers in the hot tub and put plugs in them?

 

[Texas Splash]

Old habits are hard to shake huh? Yeah, a total pool closing like you are accustomed to up north doesn't happen too often in this part of the country. Of course the Texas freeze of Feb 2021 was an odd exception due to power outages, but in general we get-by just keeping the system running. No muss no fuss. Requires very little chlorine in the cold water and some owners like to see the pool all year long or sit around it on a cold winter's night. But to each their own as they say. Whatever works best for you, we can help.

Closing is closing, so the material isn't the driving factor really. Same protocol as what you're use to. You would prep the spa lines and plug as well. Nothing you aren't already familiar with from MI. Below is our closing page if it helps.

Closing an In Ground Pool

Winterizing a pool is essential for keeping your in-ground pool protected during cold-weather months. This Pool Repair guide will show you how to do it.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[thefloatqueen]

Hi! I live in Fort Worth TX and I would like to close my pool like I did in winter when I lived in Grand Rapids Michigan. Who wants to care for a pool when it’s too cold to swim. I have asked neighbors with pools and the guy that resurfaced my pool and neither were helpful and reported - no one closes their pool down here in winter. I had a pool with a “liner” up north, we would drain below the returns, we would empty the lines with a shop vac to suck out the water, put in freeze plugs, fill the lines with antifreeze. In Texas I have a plaster pebble Tec pool with a hot tub attached.
1) is closing the pool the same process for a liner pool and pebble tech pool?
2) how do I keep water in the hot tub that’s attached to the pool after winterizing? Do I get drain plugs, unscrew the covers in the hot tub and put plugs in them?

I would honestly just keep it open all winter, only run the pump for a few hours a day, add a little chlorine as needed and avoid the closing process and the mess come opening season! I’m in central Ohio and wish I could keep my pool open year-round even when the water is cold just to avoid the hassle in the spring. As soon as your water temperature gets cold, you will rarely need to add chlorine or worry about organics growing. However, you likely WILL open to a green pool if you were to close in Texas for the winter the same as you would up north. If you’re worried about scooping leaves, you could always get a leaf net until they stop falling.

 

[anthonypool89]

I’m in central Ohio and wish I could keep my pool open year-round even when the water is cold just to avoid the hassle in the spring.

Yeah I'd go for that also! Plus, there's the occasional really warm days (increasingly so) in late fall / early spring when, if tolerating cooler than normal water temps, would be great for even a quick dip! Hate closing the pool..always have.

 

[thefloatqueen]

Yeah I'd go for that also! Plus, there's the occasional really warm days (increasingly so) in late fall / early spring when, if tolerating cooler than normal water temps, would be great for even a quick dip! Hate closing the pool..always have.

I close as late as possible and open as early as possible. In the past, I closed the first week or so of November lol lots of leaves to deal with, but I don’t use a winter cover so I have to deal with them regardless. I did buy a leaf net for this year, though. So we shall see how that works out lol

 

[anthonypool89]

don’t use a winter cover

how does that work out come spring? Also with snow / ice during the winter?

 

[thefloatqueen]

how does that work out come spring? Also with snow / ice during the winter?

I drop the water about a foot or so lower (probably more like 18”) than those who use a solid winter cover and just use the rain and snow as free water! If the water level gets too high, as long as there’s no ice, I’ll drop my submersible pump in and drain it more. Leaves, dirt, and little sticks find their way to the bottom of the pool but I can scoop the leaves out with a mesh skimmer net thing (when water is not frozen, of course) lol. When I open my pool in VERY early spring, water is crystal clear other than the debris on the bottom which is easily picked up by the robot. Zero algae!

Also, I’ll add very small amounts of bleach (I know you can’t do this because you use Baqua, so I’m not sure how you would handle this) and swirl it around the entire pool just for reassurance a few times throughout the winter. This sounds like a lot more work than it actually is lol. The testing is very infrequent (monthly) and even with the sun, as long as my chlorine level was at SLAM level before closing, I would barely lose any because the water was so cold. I was surprised how slowly the FC was used despite exposure to the sun and having a lot of trees behind my property. I probably didn’t even need to add the extra doses of LC and still would’ve had some FC come opening time.

I have found that it is easier than dealing with a cover. Keep in mind though that my pool is above ground, so the covers are a lot more annoying to deal with than the in-ground ones lol. Pretty much the key to not opening up to a green swamp is to close as late as possible (even when pool is not in use — make sure water temps are consistently below 60 degrees), and open as early as possible (before water reaches 60 degrees). Again, I don’t know the protocol for closing a Baqua pool. But to answer your question regarding water level from rain and snow, just drop it an extra foot or two than you would if you were covering the pool with a solid cover. There are other members up north and in the Midwest who do not use a cover. There’s pros and cons lol. Do you usually open to a green or clear pool?

 

[anthonypool89]

When I open my pool in VERY early spring, water is crystal clear

I think this is the key to it. Unfortunately for us it never seems to work out due to travel plans. Somehow hate to get it open and then have to leave for even a week or so. I never leave the DE grids in when we go away (if a summer trip) so by the time we get back the water's not so good that way either. I'd be worried about the filter pressure while I'm not home. So I've always just run it without the grids in the tank. I know that from taking off my cover part way periodically during the off-season to check the water chemistry the water looks almost as good as when I closed. So then I'm always optimistic that it'll be that way when I open. However, those last few months - April and May - changes the entire situation. So I wind up opening to a green swamp. And, of course, spring weather is coming earlier and summer weather lasting longer so that doesn't do me any good on either end relative to water temp and algae growth. Fall trips generally preclude the idea of waiting till November or so to close. Somehow goes against me to be running the pool if the water is really too cold (60s-low 70s) to swim anyway.

small amounts of bleach (I know you can’t do this because you use Baqua, so I’m not sure how you would handle this)

I'd say probably just some oxidizer - have never done this before. Maybe should have been. It'd be an interesting experiment to see if the water is less green when opening, although the water was only 66 when I opened on June 1. It was 79 when I closed last year on Oct. 6. This year have to close earlier. Thing is, I could let it drop down further but I have the heater set at 80. I like to be able to swim right up till the end.