The routine for years, to date:
Drain the pool in the fall (late-Oct) below the jets. Snow (mostly) refills it, some years too much. Open in April, about the same time the ice goes out on the local lakes. If lucky, lots of dirt but not green. Other years I waited even a bit too long and it is bright green. Lots and lots of chlorine and vac to waste/backwashing over 3+ weeks and all is good. Then comes the pine pollen. Followed by elms/cottonwoods/maples. All of that extends through June. More waste/backwashing, deep sand filter cleaning. CYA at most about 10. Temp between 40-60 as the spring progresses. 3" tab feeder ineffective until temps rise enough to actually start dissolving tabs. And it is usually plugged and needs a new check valve. Finally by Memorial day it may be good to go, with some help from the heater for that weekend. By the 4th, usually very good, unless I was inattentive and it got away from me... July/August very good and stable and needs no heat. CYA from the feeder climbs as time goes on. Tab feed on its own maintains FC at about 3, so augment with liquid Cl, rather than turn up the feeder. Weakish SLAM when CC gets to .5 Can take a week if FC is 15-20, CYA 40-50 , to drop back to around FC 6-8. Only issue is a big thunderstorm adding 2-4 inches, and killing the Cl levels....plus the dirt it introduces., which can happen a few times. Finally Labor Day, when temps begin to cool and weather/pool get too cool for use unless I turn on the heat. Stays good until shutdown, with CYA climbing to 60+, but as long as algae doesn't show, who cares - even the dogs stop using it as it is getting too cold. Have to shutdown/cover before Halloween as we are known to get snow, even blizzards (rarely) then....
So - would a SWG help at all, especially in the early season when temps are cool and dirt loads extremely high? Likely will need a good bit of salt replacement due to all the filling/cleaning. Is plugging due to all the junk a concern? I discharge to a back corner of my lot - will salt build up be bad for the plantings in that area over years? (For the big fall lowering, I pump to a street storm drain) Or will it primarily be of benefit only over the Memorial Day to Labor day period? Cost to install/have could buy a lot of tabs and liquid Cl. Having a well regulated Cl/CYA level would reduce workload and is very appealing, but would it really reduce it much, give my abbreviated pool season?
Drain the pool in the fall (late-Oct) below the jets. Snow (mostly) refills it, some years too much. Open in April, about the same time the ice goes out on the local lakes. If lucky, lots of dirt but not green. Other years I waited even a bit too long and it is bright green. Lots and lots of chlorine and vac to waste/backwashing over 3+ weeks and all is good. Then comes the pine pollen. Followed by elms/cottonwoods/maples. All of that extends through June. More waste/backwashing, deep sand filter cleaning. CYA at most about 10. Temp between 40-60 as the spring progresses. 3" tab feeder ineffective until temps rise enough to actually start dissolving tabs. And it is usually plugged and needs a new check valve. Finally by Memorial day it may be good to go, with some help from the heater for that weekend. By the 4th, usually very good, unless I was inattentive and it got away from me... July/August very good and stable and needs no heat. CYA from the feeder climbs as time goes on. Tab feed on its own maintains FC at about 3, so augment with liquid Cl, rather than turn up the feeder. Weakish SLAM when CC gets to .5 Can take a week if FC is 15-20, CYA 40-50 , to drop back to around FC 6-8. Only issue is a big thunderstorm adding 2-4 inches, and killing the Cl levels....plus the dirt it introduces., which can happen a few times. Finally Labor Day, when temps begin to cool and weather/pool get too cool for use unless I turn on the heat. Stays good until shutdown, with CYA climbing to 60+, but as long as algae doesn't show, who cares - even the dogs stop using it as it is getting too cold. Have to shutdown/cover before Halloween as we are known to get snow, even blizzards (rarely) then....
So - would a SWG help at all, especially in the early season when temps are cool and dirt loads extremely high? Likely will need a good bit of salt replacement due to all the filling/cleaning. Is plugging due to all the junk a concern? I discharge to a back corner of my lot - will salt build up be bad for the plantings in that area over years? (For the big fall lowering, I pump to a street storm drain) Or will it primarily be of benefit only over the Memorial Day to Labor day period? Cost to install/have could buy a lot of tabs and liquid Cl. Having a well regulated Cl/CYA level would reduce workload and is very appealing, but would it really reduce it much, give my abbreviated pool season?
