Pool chems-had issues last year

[IASteve]

Closed my pool clean in November last year with an In the Swim kit. Around March, it had a slight tinge of green and when I opened it in late April, it had a good amount of algae. The floating non-chloine tab floater was completely empty. It also had foam for several weeks after I got it clean-im guessing from the cheap algaecide (that didn't work). I want to avoid that this year.

How do I keep chorine or the oxidizing chems in the pool to prevent algae over the winter?

It's a 30k gallon inground with a mesh winter cover in central Iowa.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Welcome to TFP, Steve.

My first bit of advice is to Close Late, Open Early! If you keep your pool managed until the water is below 60 degrees, and open it before the water warms up over 60 degees you've got the best chances of keeping the pool algae free. Algae is very slow to reproduce at cold temps.

When you close you want to close with a spotlessly clean/clear water and take the FC up to SLAM level using liquid chlorine and let it mix up good, then cover it. We rarely ever recommend the use of algaecides, and particularly never the cheap ones that contain copper (aaack!) but if you feel you *must* use some, go for the Polyquat 60 algaecides.

What is this "Non-chlorine tab floater" you wrote of? What chemicals do you use in your pool?? This isn't a Bacqua pool, is it??

Maddie

 

[IASteve]

It is a chlorine pool. The tabs are in this kit: Our Best Winter Closing Kit for Swimming Pool Winterization described as "[FONT=&quot]* 1 Time-Release Winter Pool Floater filled with 4 lbs. of non-chlorine oxidizer"[/FONT]

It was a little warm last year, but it was in November. It would of been Thanksgiving before my water temp held that temp - seems late to close. I could of opened sooner. I was hoping to shut down the pool for 6 months, but sounds like I need to readjust my expectations to only 4-5 months of downtime.