Is it ok to wait until July to open pool?

[rio]

Hi all,

I have quite a bit of traveling planned in June. Would it be ok to leave the pool closed until after? I peeked under the cover and the water looks ok right now - a little murky but not green.

The way I see it, I will have to SLAM no matter what. Maybe it will take a bit longer if I wait until July. But I'm relatively new at this. Is there any big reason NOT to leave it closed that could turn into big headaches? My alternative is to open it now and get it balanced, then pay someone (sigh) to come once or twice a week to look after it.

I read somewhere that I could open it, get it balanced, then cover it up again and have the pump running 2-3 hours a day. I would rather not do that if I don't have to.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[PoolGate]

Lots of people never SLAM. I have never SLAMmed. It is not a regular part of proper pool care. You can open whenever you want but I would suggest you get some chlorine in the water and a way to circulate it. Does your cover block UV? Can you fill out your signature line with pool specs? Do you have a proper test kit like the TF-100 that you can take and post a full set of testing results? Do you have a SWCG? Overall, if it was me the pool would have already been opened. You are asking for a swam opening this late.

 

[rio]

Yes, good call. I'll create a signature.

I have a LoopLoc mesh cover - so I don't think it blocks UV. I do have a TF-100. I'll test it today and post the results. No SWG, that's a project for next year. I use an in-line chlorinator for now, which I know is not ideal and increases my CYA. I have never SLAMmed, but for some reason I thought that's what people recommended around here. I used that term loosely - to simply mean to shock if needed. Last year I opened it in late May and it came to balance rather quickly.

 

[CJadamec]

The term SLAM refers to the process we use to free a pool of algae and get the water clear. It is not something that we plan on doing to our pools on a regular basis. You only SLAM a pool when you need to based on your testing. There are many of us here, myself included, that have never needed SLAM our pools.

The term "Shock" that is thrown around in pool stores refers to simply putting a lot of chlorine into the pool one time with no regard for any of the other water quality issues that may exist. Pool stores recommend regular "shocking" of the pool some as often as once a week to over come and mask the water quality issues that are often generated thru pool store water treatment routines. It also helps pools store generate income by selling you lots of chemicals you need over and over.

When we say SLAM Process here at TFP it refers the process of Shock Level And Maintain. The "And Maintain" is the big difference. Not only do we bring the FC levels up much higher we prescribe that you keep them at that level until all signs of algae are gone.

As for your dilemma of opening now or waiting till later. I would say open and get things clean now. Dealing with the pool in July will be MUCH easier than if you just let it sit this whole time. A couple days of effort now could save you weeks of dealing with algae later.

 

[ajw22]

Do you have the pool to use and enjoy or keep you busy over the summer as a fixit project?

I like to open my pool early and find the inevitable problems to fix. So that when we get those rare perfect hot swimming days I can enjoy the pool and take my hundred dollar swims.

If you are lucky you will not have any problems when opening the pool. If you find problems you will be glad you found them when you did.

 

[rio]

Thanks for the responses. Just a point of clarification: I have been reading these forums for quite some time and, with the resources found in here, I have been fairly self-reliant with pool maintenance. I now understand the distinction between SLAM and regular shock. With due diligence and regular testing and adjustments, I haven't had to do either. I bought myself a TF100 test kit last year and kept my pool balanced the whole summer without setting foot in a pool store, and without having to shock once. This forum has been an amazing learning source.

I guess the reason I brought up SLAM in this post is in thinking that if I wait until July (or late June) to open, I assume there will be a good amount of algae.

It sounds like the general advice is to open it now and get it balanced before traveling, and that any problems associated with leaving an open pool unattended for a few weeks will not be as bad as potential problems arising from leaving the pool closed in the heat of the summer. The longest I will be gone for is 11 days, so maybe it won't be that bad. I can leave enough chlorine tablets in the in-line clorinator (I know, not good for CYA... I'm doing SWG next year). But my biggest concern is debris and dead animals clogging the skimmer, which in my pool can happen within a week. What do people generally do when they have to leave home for 1-2 weeks?

 

[CJadamec]

Open the pool and balance things.

Before you leave for your trip put the mesh cover back on the pool. The cover will keep the debris out of the pool and slow FC consumption.

Chances are over 11 days if you leave some tablets in the feeder adding enough to maintain FC you will come back to a clear pool that you just have to take the cover off. You can also reduce pump run time to 30 minutes to an hour. That's all the time you need to mix up the water and disperse chemicals.

A lot of people use floating tab feeders for vacations up to two weeks or so to maintain FC while on vacation. I know there are some people here who have left a SWG pool on autopilot for 2 months and come home to a clear pool.