I am currently completely ignoring my pool.
On a more serious note, it’s been less than a year and yes, I started ignoring it (not testing/adding chlorine) once I thought the temps where low enough. I still had the pump running, and would scoop leaves once in a while. We had a warmer spell and the pool started getting a faint but definite green tint. Took it to SLAM for a couple days and it cleared up, then I ignored it again (this is all in my viewable logs if anyone is curious). Temps dropped and water stayed clear. I continued studiously ignoring it to the point I switched the pump to 24/7 running so that on nights it dipped below freezing it wouldn’t freeze the pump. I was then able to
keep ignoring it until I woke up one morning when it was like 25 out and noticed the pool surface had a thin layer of ice. The intakes were freezing (skimmer not in use) and when broke the thin surface ice and froze my hand removing ice from the intakes it started immediately freezing at the intakes again. The forecast didn’t go above 30 that day or any of the next few days, and nights dipped down almost to 10. I had successfully ignored till I could no longer ignore it
any additional length of time. I delayed going to work for an hour while I froze my hands draining the pump/filter and dragging them inside and getting a submersible utility pump and hose set up to drain the water. My wife, who was home that day, watched the water and pulled the pump out when drained enough.
Good news is after that event I have been able to ignore the pool entirely, with zero concern of any algae or other growth at the moment.
