No cover for our pool ?

[duckduckgoose]

Is there anything I need to do to prepare our AGP for a blast of winter with no cover? We had it closed and covered and tried everything to get the cover to stay put but the wind shredded it a week ago. It's now strings and chunks of wire in a pile. It is getting replaced by warranty but I'm waiting on confirmation from where I ordered it on when the new one will ship. Forecasting 4-6 inches of snow and highs in the 20's all week so it will be frozen over in a few days and I don't want any damage done to it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[woodyp]

My biggest concern would be if you have any major leaf issues when the "freeze" hits. Gotta keep that skimmer from compacting with them so you can circulate pool with the pump. You can rig a screen in front of it ( I use a sink strainer mesh thingy with retractable arms on both sides hung in front with aluminum wire over the top rail). Consider tarping the filter/pump/ equipment pad. You'll survive!

A small generator is your friend too if power fails. Used mine last year.

 

[duckduckgoose]

Our pool is drained down and winterized, it'll be frozen over all winter so no circulating for us. The pump/piping is all in our basement. I just don't have a new cover yet and don't know if I need to do many thing special to keep the ice from wrecking the sides of the pool mostly. We have very few leaved trees by the pool so leaves are at a minimum thankfully.

 

[woodyp]

I assumed "rural central south" didn't mean-------- South Dakota! (when I checked your profile). It's gonna be frozen with a cover or not! I'll let some of our Northern contributors chime in for advice.

 

[duckduckgoose]

Hah, thanks! It's coooolllld up here!

 

[pooladdict]

No issues at all, that is I close all AG pools up here in frozen canuck land. In fact, I wont close a AG pool for a client if they insist on a cover. Its asking for trouble. Drain below return, plug return, take lines off skimmer so any excess water can flow out of there and you are done for the winter. Up here AG pools freeze totally solid to the bottom. One big ice cube for drinks lol

 

[Patrick_B]

No issues at all, that is I close all AG pools up here in frozen canuck land. In fact, I wont close a AG pool for a client if they insist on a cover. Its asking for trouble. Drain below return, plug return, take lines off skimmer so any excess water can flow out of there and you are done for the winter. Up here AG pools freeze totally solid to the bottom. One big ice cube for drinks lol

A cover can be managed quite well, and many of us want one to keep out winter nasties like dirt and leaves. We don't have the rain or snowfall like many places, so that makes it quite easy. Then, there are covers that can handle all the snow and rain nature has to offer. Having a cover doesn't mean trouble as a given. There are many people who have great success with them.

 

[pwrstrk]

I agree ^^^^^. I cover mine with no issues. I don't need all the leaves and other debris in the pool. ?

 

[Smykowski]

Same here. My main goal is to keep the sunlight out over the winter. I want to preserve my FC to do its work over the winter, and so far every spring I've opened to FC above the minimum for my CYA level. The water is hazy with debris that gets in over the winter or during the opening process, but I know there's nothing living in it. In less than a week of filtering, I'm back to crystal clear and sparkling.