Is it a problem to not open the pool this summer?

[DIY]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 10-year-old IG white plaster pool with a solid safety cover. Pool was winterized/closed in September 2017. Due to much going on, we have not yet opened it for season, and realistically, will not be able to use it until at least mid-July even if we did open it soon/this weekend. Since we have a short season anyway here in South Eastern PA, we are considering not opening at all for this year, but we don't know anyone who has ever done this. Water is always crystal clear when opening, b/c of solid cover.

Is it a problem to keep is closed? That means it would be closed for about 20 months total (September 2017 to May 2019). If we leave it closed, do we need to do anything to it through the summer? It gets hot/humid here, even if only for a short time.

Appreciate the help always from this forum!!!

Thanks,
Jen

 

[Mendy48]

This is an interesting question..I'll await for the experts to chime in. I, too, would like to know. But to put my two sense into it, I don't know if it would be a good idea to leave your pool closed all year round. Only if you are okay with algae growing or your pool being very "sick" upon opening it. I think that a pool needs TLC once in a while, and especially during the "hot" weather. Also, I'm not sure if leaving your pool closed all year-round would have a negative impact on your plaster. There's just so many "unknowns" for me. I can't wait to hear the answer to this one. I learn something new every day.

 

[HiddenRiver]

I am not an expert but I think the weather will warm up and the algae will bloom so you
you will open up a problem next spring. When we bought our house the pool had been covered and unopened for two years. It was not a pretty site, and all the algae that had bloomed and died the previous season was very problematic especially relative to our DE filter. Once I killed all the algae, it took three weeks of almost constant attention to filter it all. My pump pressure would go very high because of all the fine material straining through it. I will post a photo....

 

[GOONiE]

No sun light. Minimal algae is my theory. You should be fine.

 

[DIY]

The key point that I tried to emphasize here is that I have a solid cover (with a pool pump on top) -- no mesh, not even the center hole. As Goonie said, no sunlight at all, and every year we open, it is sky blue/crystal clear. I'd never even consider keeping it closed if I had a mesh cover.

All that said, I'm trying to determine if I'm creating a witches brew by leaving the cover on for 20 months -- or if any other problems with the stagnant water, plaster, etc.

Looking forward to hearing if anyone has experience with a similar setup.

Thanks!!
Jen