I’m so lost I don’t even know what I don’t know. I have been dreaming about a pool for years, following TFP for ideas and advice, and finally got it done. In November in Oklahoma. The 16x36 fiberglass pool was finished five days ago. The concrete folks will be here next week to start plans. Hopefully the next week they will do the work for the deck. Then the concrete needs to cure for two weeks before the Loop Loc cover can be installed. I bought a $100 pool cover from a pool supply to cover the pool in the meantime because we live on 40 acres of pasture land and have LOTS of blowing grasses all winter. The pool has been uncovered for five days, and the skimmer basket is filling up every 4-5 hours with tumbleweeds basically. So the $100 cover should help that. My question is about winterizing. Right now we are running the pump and filter because the PB told us we needed to sump pump water from under the pool several times after the install to be sure the water used during the install is removed. That’s why we didn’t just winterize it immediately after installing. Also, the concrete folks will create a cantilevered edge for the pool, so we figured we would need to clean that up before we winterized. So now we anticipate have a pool running for several weeks during freezing weather. Our days are low to mid-50’s; nights are mid to high 20’s. Maybe we are doing all this wrong. We need advice on ALL of it. Can we remove plugs, let the water drain out of the pump and filter, cover the pool and leave it for a week or two until the deck and edge is done? Or do we have to do a full winterize, including blowing out lines, lowering water levels, etc.? Should we just keep running the filter and pump nonstop for the month (approx two weeks for concrete to be done; then two weeks for concrete to be ready for the Loop Loc cover to be installed)? We are overwhelmed. Thanks for any advice snd for reading my saga. Our pool builders said “Pull the plugs so the water drains. Float a plastic bottle of salt water in the skimmer. That’s all you ever have to do.” But from reading here that doesn’t sound like all we have to do.
New Fiberglass Pool in November
- Thread starter JessM
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP.
You never want to lower the water in a fiberglass pool without special precautions. There is very little weight other than the water holding the pool into the ground. It is easy for a fiberglass pool to be poped out of the ground and damaged if full water is not kept in it.
If you need to winterize then you main the water level, blow out and plug the lines, and winterize the equipment. Don’t get confused with procedures that work for plaster or vinyl liner pools and don’t apply to your fiberglass pool.
Some folks choose to keep their pools open year round and rely on the pump running in freezing temperatures to keep water in the pipes from freezing.
Some things you may find helpful...
www.troublefreepool.com
www.troublefreepool.com
www.troublefreepool.com
You never want to lower the water in a fiberglass pool without special precautions. There is very little weight other than the water holding the pool into the ground. It is easy for a fiberglass pool to be poped out of the ground and damaged if full water is not kept in it.
If you need to winterize then you main the water level, blow out and plug the lines, and winterize the equipment. Don’t get confused with procedures that work for plaster or vinyl liner pools and don’t apply to your fiberglass pool.
Some folks choose to keep their pools open year round and rely on the pump running in freezing temperatures to keep water in the pipes from freezing.
Some things you may find helpful...
Fiberglass Pools - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Preparing Pool for Cooler Months - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Closing Pool for Winter - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,798
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome! 
If your project is like mine, it will be good to keep the system running until the concrete work is done because more than likely they will make a mess and get junk in the water. You'll want to clean it out when they are done. At that point, you have the option of closing completely (lines blown out, etc) or just leaving the pool operational like we do a bit more down south. The pump doesn't need to be on 24 hrs a day, maybe just a few hours. Those links above should give you some ideas on what is best for you. The pump and filter plug removal you mentioned above would apply to closing the pool completely, so you won't do that just yet I wouldn't think. For now, just maintain the proper chemical levels. The link below is a great place for everything to get you started. You can post a full set of test results with your TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit and we can help you with that portion as well.
www.troublefreepool.com
If your project is like mine, it will be good to keep the system running until the concrete work is done because more than likely they will make a mess and get junk in the water. You'll want to clean it out when they are done. At that point, you have the option of closing completely (lines blown out, etc) or just leaving the pool operational like we do a bit more down south. The pump doesn't need to be on 24 hrs a day, maybe just a few hours. Those links above should give you some ideas on what is best for you. The pump and filter plug removal you mentioned above would apply to closing the pool completely, so you won't do that just yet I wouldn't think. For now, just maintain the proper chemical levels. The link below is a great place for everything to get you started. You can post a full set of test results with your TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit and we can help you with that portion as well.
Pool Care Basics Archives
Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!
www.troublefreepool.com
Thanks guys. I read all the articles you shared (and several others to boot).
I also decided to run the pump all night for the month it takes to finally get the Loop Loc cover installed, at which point I will pay someone to winterize it for me. I do not have a timer installed yet that could switch on the pump for me about the time our temps drop 32, so I will just have to run it all night. Otherwise, it’s a long, cold, dark walk out to the power pole. The wind is gusting at 30 mph today, and my makeshift tie-downs for the temp cover don’t work. So now I’m out to buy $100 worth of water bags. And it rained last night, so now I need a pump to get the water off the temporary cover. What a mess!
So far I’ve needed a $100 temporary winter cover, $100 worth of temporary water bags, another $100 on a temporary pump, and I spent $230 buying calcium hypochlorite and cyanuric acid that made my water cloudy. Sheesh! I am regretting this pool so much. I know it will get better. I wish I had known about how hard these winter growing pains would be! Thanks for your time and advice.
I also decided to run the pump all night for the month it takes to finally get the Loop Loc cover installed, at which point I will pay someone to winterize it for me. I do not have a timer installed yet that could switch on the pump for me about the time our temps drop 32, so I will just have to run it all night. Otherwise, it’s a long, cold, dark walk out to the power pole. The wind is gusting at 30 mph today, and my makeshift tie-downs for the temp cover don’t work. So now I’m out to buy $100 worth of water bags. And it rained last night, so now I need a pump to get the water off the temporary cover. What a mess!
So far I’ve needed a $100 temporary winter cover, $100 worth of temporary water bags, another $100 on a temporary pump, and I spent $230 buying calcium hypochlorite and cyanuric acid that made my water cloudy. Sheesh! I am regretting this pool so much. I know it will get better. I wish I had known about how hard these winter growing pains would be! Thanks for your time and advice.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,798
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
This being your first year is probably stressful. It WILL get better. You will look back and shake your head about all the panic. While you are limping along until closing, chemicals should not be difficult at all. Proper testing cannot be overemphasized. I'm not familiar with the kit you have in your signature, but we can vouch for the accuracy of a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C. If you post a full set of water results, we'll gladly assist so that you don't waste time or $$$. CYA, FC, and pH are probably your most important at the moment, but we'll help with them all if you like.
FC
CC
CYA
PH
TA
CH
FC
CC
CYA
PH
TA
CH
The test kit I have now came with the pump. It doesn’t test everything. I have ordered a Taylor K2006 (no C), but Amazon says it won’t be here forever another week. Just another thing I’m limping by with. Right now I have the pic attached. I was foolish enough to listen to an assistant manager at a pool store. Sigh..... I know it can be fixed. I know. 
Attachments
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,798
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
No problem. While your CYA may be questionable right now until the K2006 arrives, you seem to have a good FC level. Liquid pool chlorine and/or regular (plain) bleach is your best FC product in the future, Cal-Hypo adds calcium which can be troublesome over time, so use it sparingly. The pH looks to be a little dark, but anywhere around 7.8-8.0 is fine this time of year. Reading the pH shades can be a little tricky, so if in doubt, ask someone else to give you their opinion. That page Linked above in post #3 is gold. The ore you refer to that the better you'll be prepared. Don't forget to start using the PoolMath APP as well. You can select the option to let us see your test results as well.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
If you can cancel the K-2006 and get the K-2006C you will find it will be a better value. The K-2006 has small bottles of reagents and you will quickly use them up. The K-2006C reagents will last a lot longer. See Test Kits Compared
The best value is the TF-100 Test Kits
The best value is the TF-100 Test Kits
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