I certainly hope your pool doesn't end up looking like mine!! I feel bad for those who shouldn't have to winterize!This might be me in the next few daysif we get the ice storm/ polar vortex whatever they’re talking about. I hope not though ...
Ignoring Pool When it's Closed
- Thread starter PoolGate
- Start date
JohnGn
Gold Supporter
- Sep 28, 2019
- 65
- Pool Size
- 18000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Core-55
I have a mesh safety cover and check the pool every 4-6 weeks. So far, crystal clear, just a small amount of sediment on the bottom. Recently tested out almost perfectly balanced, so that's good. We got enough precip (rain and snow) that I recently had to run my sump pump about 5 hours to drain it down just to the lip of the skimmer intake. Now, a month later, the water is right back to the perfect level. I use pucks in a floater for winter chlorination, but liquid chlorine all other times. My CYA level is still about 60, so I still have a ways to go before it is down in a more normal range.
I am excited like everyone else to get the pool chlorine out, drag the table umbrella, the relaxing chairs & radio (for the summer Indian BB games),, ahhhh after a long cold February spring / summer can't come quick enough
We close late and open early, but when we close the pool, we CLOSE the pool. Pretty much ignore it til spring. Solid safety cover, Little Giant pump that lives on the cover all winter. The only attention I give it, is once the leaves are finally completely off the trees (beginning of Dec.-ish), I'll brush off the cover so theres no soaked leaves, etc, hinderring the cover pump from doing its job. Going on 5 seasons now, I've opened to clear water each spring. It seems the pool is like everything else around here...the less I try to help it, the better off it is. 
I am waiting for my water temp to warm up so I can get the SWG up and runing again. But I can close my pool with FC around 7 and will usually stay around 2 or 3 all winter adding nothing else.
Just opened mine today. Only issue was two giant bullfrogs found their way in, but obviously didn’t find a way out. 1/2 decomposed piles of frog to scoop out, and matching frog shaped stains on the plaster. But haven’t lifted the cover up for 4 months.
I closed per TFP recommendations in November and opened to fairly clean water. FC was 6 and CC was 0.5, PH was off the scale over 8. So I refilled, backwashed the filter, Added some slam level bleach, acid, and salt to get things back to normal levels and once the robot cleans up a bit more, I’ll plug the SWCG back in.
gotta find a way to keep the creatures out.
I closed per TFP recommendations in November and opened to fairly clean water. FC was 6 and CC was 0.5, PH was off the scale over 8. So I refilled, backwashed the filter, Added some slam level bleach, acid, and salt to get things back to normal levels and once the robot cleans up a bit more, I’ll plug the SWCG back in.
gotta find a way to keep the creatures out.
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I do a really clean close, then safety cover, then I go hibernate for the winter. I drained below my returns and did a good blow out. We have had an extremely wet winter here in RVA,so my water level is almost back up to normal. With the warmer weather this week, I’m tempted to just go ahead and open.
Saturn94
Bronze Supporter
- Mar 11, 2015
- 1,864
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Yep, if you’re using a mesh safety cover, now is the time to open in VA.
With a solid tarp covering my mesh safety cover, I can wait until May with no issues. Before I started using the tarp over the mesh cover, I had to open by now to avoid a green pool at opening.
thefloatqueen
Bronze Supporter
I ignored mine all winter since it was frozen since early December up until yesterday. Since it is starting to warm up finally, I’m going to test the water today out of curiosity. I fully closed my pool except I don’t use a winter cover and it’s still crystal clear right now (albeit with a few leaves and some dirt/debris at the bottom), so this should be interesting. I will probably stir some liquid chlorine in and possibly run the robot. No idea why since I’m having a new pool installed next month but I don’t want to deal with draining and cleaning a green pool (I’m selling it) lol plus I’m bored!!
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It will be sooooooo much easier to remove a clean pool. You’ll be scrubbing every inch of it so you can sell it if you drain green water. And rinsing. And draining again. So yeah, well done.
goody222
Silver Supporter
- Feb 6, 2018
- 188
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Actually, purchasing an automatic pool cover sump pump was the best investment I made last year. Now every weekend I'll just walk by and take a quick peek at everything. Never had to take any action except for one relatively warm January day where I removed as many leaves as I could. I used to leave the pool open during the winter (Virginia here) but closing it allows me to take a nice 6 month pool chore break.
My pool is ignored from the first weekend in November to the first weekend in April.
Matt F 1
Well-known member
- Feb 1, 2020
- 191
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I'm new to a pool, so I day dream about it all the time.
I got somewhat concerned in February when we got the 25" of snow. I also have an auto cover so when the snow melted it was pretty full and a few leaves (from the neighbors). The pump was under 6-8" of water when I put it in the middle of the cover. Cleaned off the leaves turned on the sump pump, 8 hours later the water off. The next day I opened the cover a little crystal clear.
I got somewhat concerned in February when we got the 25" of snow. I also have an auto cover so when the snow melted it was pretty full and a few leaves (from the neighbors). The pump was under 6-8" of water when I put it in the middle of the cover. Cleaned off the leaves turned on the sump pump, 8 hours later the water off. The next day I opened the cover a little crystal clear.
thefloatqueen
Bronze Supporter
You know my OCD could never handle looking at even a slightly cloudy pool in my backyard — let alone a green one!!It will be sooooooo much easier to remove a clean pool. You’ll be scrubbing every inch of it so you can sell it if you drain green water. And rinsing. And draining again. So yeah, well done.
Whoever buys it will have a VERY clean pool. It just needs a few small patches on the bottom but I’m including them. Buyer MUST disassemble and haul it away themselves though! That is non-negotiable lol!
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Looking good neighbor (well, neighboring state that is). I took my smaller Intex round down this first year - but hope to do a bit more 'permanent' installation this spring and just leave it up. Looks like you opted for no cover at all? I'll be looking for an 'opening thread' this spring to see how it went. You basically just lowered water to below the inlet/outlets and let it sit like that?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.
Ignoring implies I'm not thinking about it. If I wasn't thinking about it, I wouldn't be here, so ...
I haven't touched it in a couple months. I did peek on it, saw that there was so much snow on the cover that the cover has sunk and some pool water overflowed through the disconnected return. But it was all frozen and there's nothing I could do about it if I wanted. It's finally warmed up this week and the snow/ice has almost melted enough that there's open water on the cover. I hope to be able to siphon some off before it gets cold again this weekend. There's a LOT of strain on the cover right now.
Other than that, I'm planning for next season. I'm hoping to pick up a SWCG for a reasonable price. Figured out how to wire it in to the existing electrical so that the SWCG cannot run unless pump is energized. Been stalking but they aren't available yet, and last year's stock is marked up 100%.
I haven't touched it in a couple months. I did peek on it, saw that there was so much snow on the cover that the cover has sunk and some pool water overflowed through the disconnected return. But it was all frozen and there's nothing I could do about it if I wanted. It's finally warmed up this week and the snow/ice has almost melted enough that there's open water on the cover. I hope to be able to siphon some off before it gets cold again this weekend. There's a LOT of strain on the cover right now.
Other than that, I'm planning for next season. I'm hoping to pick up a SWCG for a reasonable price. Figured out how to wire it in to the existing electrical so that the SWCG cannot run unless pump is energized. Been stalking but they aren't available yet, and last year's stock is marked up 100%.
Thanks. Looks terrible now that the snow has melted around it and you can see how I failed to landscape last year and it's bare dirt/crushed rock...
Yeah I did no cover, mainly cause I was ignoring it so long. However it doesn't seem to be that bad. From the edges of the melted iceburg I can see some dirt on the bottom but it looks like nothing a vacuum session won't fix once it's warm enough to refill and get the pump running again.
Yes, I just lowered the water level below the inlets/outlets and let it sit.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Opened today! Kids are virtual learning, so they will enjoy doing school poolside. I hate looking outside at a closed pool when the weather is nice enough to open, anyway.
I'm only replying to this kind-of old post because I see you're a neighbor (I'm in Mount Airy). I peel back a corner to check water level several times over the winter, check the temp (curious) and check PH. My concern is water level increase to the point of filling the skimmer. I also just got a new cover and went from solid to mesh loop-loc so any rain or snow eventually does raise the water level. I like it because it makes me check. To peek in like this takes me less than 15 minutes, and it's peace of mind to know how things look in there.
BTW your pool is beautiful in the pic.
BTW your pool is beautiful in the pic.