NC close pool or keep pool open over winter

[h-man07]

This will be our 2nd winter with the pool. Last year I kept the pool open, while only winterizing the waterfall. I was planning the same for this year but after talking to a neighbor who used to keep his pool open but now closes his pool to save on electricity, heating & equipment wear & tear, I'm having second thoughts.

Raleigh NC is has moderate weather. If we get snow it melts in a few days time. So the weather allows for the pool to be open year round. Maintenance last year was easy but the equipment is running all the time. If I keep the pool open I was going to use the solar blankets to help with evaporation on the colder nights.

How many owners in similar climates keep their pool open vs closing? Why do you choose one over the other? Thanks,

 

[YippeeSkippy]

hey there.... You can cut down your pump run time greatly in the winter and save a ton on electricity, although I will run mine for 12 hours overnight only when its freezing just to keep the water moving in the pipes. My pool is not closed, but is autocovered. I test it occasionally during the winter and use liquid chlorine as needed, since my SWG is off during winter.

Will snow cause a solar blanket to fall in to the pool, off the surface? I dunno....never used one. I suspect it won't be enough. I think some sort of full coverage tarp would be better- protects the entire pool and keeps animals from falling in.

Maddie

 

[mas985]

I keep my pool open all year. The problem with fully closing a pool in a moderate climate is that algae would take over at some point and then you have the mess to clean up in the spring. I much prefer to keep chlorine in the pool and filter at a much shorter schedule (3 hrs/day). I also have the spa so sometimes we heat that up in the winter.

 

[Homebrewale]

I'm from the Raleigh area. I close my pool each year. That may change this year because my water is staying warmer than it would have it in the past. One reason is that I don't get the cold rain in my pool anymore due to the change to a solid safety cover. The reason I close my pool is that for 5-6 months, I just don't want to think about my pool. I don't want to have to go out each day in January and inspect my equipment to see if it is functioning properly. It may be dumb luck but I have never opened a pool with algae in the 13 years that I have closed it.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I forgot to mention that Skippy covers our equipment pad in the winter. He uses old moving blankets covered by a waterproof tarp, and under the blankets he puts an auto light hanging which hopefully keeps things just a few degrees warmer in the pipes.

Maddie

 

[h-man07]

Thanks for the replies. I hadn't considered reducing the equipment run times. I will be adjusting the run times this year and keeping the pool open. I used the technique, moving blankets & tent/tarp over the equipment during the winter.

 

[MoogMan]

I keep my pool open all year. The problem with fully closing a pool in a moderate climate is that algae would take over at some point and then you have the mess to clean up in the spring. I much prefer to keep chlorine in the pool and filter at a much shorter schedule (3 hrs/day). I also have the spa so sometimes we heat that up in the winter.

Hi there! I am in Charlotte NC, and have just had a 10000 gallon in ground pool installed, and am also thinking about keeping it open and balanced during the winter.

I have an SWG - should I leave this running or switch to liquid chlorine?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

MoogMan, in the cold the SWG will stop running after the water hits somewhere between 50-60º. That's when you turn it off entirely and go to Liquid Chlorine. The nice bit is that without the sun directly overhead, chlorine lasts a lot longer in the pool than in summer.

Maddie

 

[mas985]

My swg shuts down lower than 50f but algae is generally not an issue at such a low temp so I don't bother with liquid chlorine. Your results may vary.