Preventing a swamp with a mesh-covered pool with a lot of close trees

[poolnewbie4]

Our pool is surrounded by trees that are making my life miserable right now because I have no pool cleaning robot to get the leaves out. I can't keep going outside 4 times a day to get leaves out of the pool with a net so I found someone who can come winterize it on Monday afternoon and put the mesh cover on. I'm going to get the pool ready for closing on Sunday by vacuuming out the pool and adding polyquat 60 the night before. I know that a SLAM is recommended before closing but FC will be too high in 4 days if I do this for adding the polyquat since I'm losing very little chlorine right now. I passed a OCLT yesterday and we are only losing 1 ppms of chlorine per day or less because of the colder water. The water looks clear and water temperature is 62 degrees but there is a dirty substance on the floor of the pool that is worrisome. It is probably just dirt or leaf residue but I'm afraid it could be algae. Because of this unknown substance, should I add extra Polyquat 60 to my pool? I normally add 24 oz to my 19000 gallon pool at closing but I could add more if that might help without decreasing the FC too much.

I also need to know if it would help to lower the phosphate level like my pool guy recommended since there has been so many leaves in the pool during the past few weeks and our phosphate level is 400. I know that TFP doesn't normally recommend phosphate removers if you are keeping your pool clean and balanced but there has been a lot of leaves in my pool this month and I know from experience that leaves will blow past the cover and get into the pool over the fall and winter. When I called to schedule the closing, my pool guy suggested that I add phosphate remover before closing because he knows that my pool has lots of close trees so I wanted to see if this might help.

Any other advice that might help me prevent opening to a swamp with this mesh-covered pool would be appreciated. I intend on adding some chlorine in late winter with a sump pump and was thinking about doing a "soft opening" in late March after the threat of freezing weather has passed by unwinterizing the pool equipment and returns, adding chlorine regularly, and running the pump with the cover on until the trees stop dropping seeds and pollen in early May. I'm wondering if it would also help to add some chlorine to my closed pool in the late fall if ends up being warmer than usual or if this would be discouraged since it will interact with the polyquat. Last year, I had a terrible time clearing up our swamp when we opened it so I'm open to any suggestions on how I can prevent this from happening again.

 

[Bperry]

Our pool is surrounded by trees that are making my life miserable right now because I have no pool cleaning robot to get the leaves out. I can't keep going outside 4 times a day to get leaves out of the pool with a net so I found someone who can come winterize it on Monday afternoon and put the mesh cover on. I'm going to get the pool ready for closing on Sunday by vacuuming out the pool and adding polyquat 60 the night before. I know that a SLAM is recommended before closing but FC will be too high in 4 days if I do this for adding the polyquat since I'm losing very little chlorine right now. I passed a OCLT yesterday and we are only losing 1 ppms of chlorine per day or less because of the colder water. The water looks clear and water temperature is 62 degrees but there is a dirty substance on the floor of the pool that is worrisome. It is probably just dirt or leaf residue but I'm afraid it could be algae. Because of this unknown substance, should I add extra Polyquat 60 to my pool? I normally add 24 oz to my 19000 gallon pool at closing but I could add more if that might help without decreasing the FC too much.

I also need to know if it would help to lower the phosphate level like my pool guy recommended since there has been so many leaves in the pool during the past few weeks and our phosphate level is 400. I know that TFP doesn't normally recommend phosphate removers if you are keeping your pool clean and balanced but there has been a lot of leaves in my pool this month and I know from experience that leaves will blow past the cover and get into the pool over the fall and winter. When I called to schedule the closing, my pool guy suggested that I add phosphate remover before closing because he knows that my pool has lots of close trees so I wanted to see if this might help.

Any other advice that might help me prevent opening to a swamp with this mesh-covered pool would be appreciated. I intend on adding some chlorine in late winter with a sump pump and was thinking about doing a "soft opening" in late March after the threat of freezing weather has passed by unwinterizing the pool equipment and returns, adding chlorine regularly, and running the pump with the cover on until the trees stop dropping seeds and pollen in early May. I'm wondering if it would also help to add some chlorine to my closed pool in the late fall if ends up being warmer than usual or if this would be discouraged since it will interact with the polyquat. Last year, I had a terrible time clearing up our swamp when we opened it so I'm open to any suggestions on how I can prevent this from happening again.

I have a mesh cover, have never used polyquat, have a pool surrounded by trees, and have never opened to anything but clear water after following TFP. I think you are catering too much toward the polyquat and not enough toward chlorine.

I have kept a floater of pucks in the water under the cover. They last quite a while when the water is cold.
You can also do an OCLT to find out if the stuff on the floor is algae or not.

 

[Mdragger88]

+1 What @Bperry said
Raise to slam level, do an
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to prove you’re algae free & button her up.
Once the mesh cover is on try to keep the debris blown off of it so it doesn’t decompose. I am a little south of you & I usually do fc checks around Christmas before major freezing & late feb after the thaw. I close at slam level for my cya & have never needed to add fc even with our warm spells. I have a solid cover though. I also open in late March/early April and leave the cover on as the water temps increase but the sky is still falling lol

 

[jark87]

Another vote for maintaining consistent level of FC throughout the winter. I have the same issue - lots of trees and a mesh cover. Compounding the problem are cedar elm trees that produce small seeds that can get through the mesh. I try to keep it clean, but usually open to a “dusty” pool, which is just from dirt and the aforementioned seeds that fall through during the winter. It doesn’t take much to get the pool sparkling clear upon opening, though.

My plan of attack is vacuuming, brushing and bringing FC to SLAM level prior to putting the cover on. I then keep FC in the 7-9 range all winter, which may be overkill, but it works for me. Cooler water temps make it easier on the SWCG, but I may try pucks this year. When I pull the cover off, I vacuum, brush and raise FC to SLAM level again and then maintain FC in the 8-10 range all summer.

I’ve heard of polyquat, but have never used it. I don’t even know what it does.

 

[Mdragger88]

My cya around closing is usually 70 so slam level is 28ppm - I close around Halloween & generally open to 12-14ppm in late march/early April with a solid cover.
@jark87 do you lose that much fc with the mesh cover that you have to add lc often in the off season?

 

[jark87]

My cya around closing is usually 70 so slam level is 28ppm - I close around Halloween & generally open to 12-14ppm in late march/early April with a solid cover.
@jark87 do you lose that much fc with the mesh cover that you have to add lc often in the off season?

No, I rarely add LC during the off season. I closed early this year (mid-September) because we had heavy rain forecast and with our drought, I knew it would knock tons of leaves into the pool. We had a cool spell for several days and FC was holding high, so I ignored it for a while. Of course, it got hot again and I lost quite a bit, due to the heat and cedar elm seeds that got knocked down from the rain. Got everything cleaned up, used LC to get back to SLAM level (just in case), and hopefully will cruise through the winter. The only reason I’m thinking of using pucks this year is because my CYA was low when I put the cover on. I can also give my SWCG a little breather. It’s 6 years old, so I’m not sure how much gas it has left in the tank.

 

[SJPoe]

We just wait for the pool to freeze into a solid lump. That prevents the algae regardless of cover choice Welcome to Michigan !

 

[poolnewbie4]

I'm surprised to see so many recommendations to skip the polyquat and close at SLAM level since my water temperature isn't below 60 yet and have a mesh-covered pool with lots of close trees. I thought that polyquat was recommended when closing before water temperature is below 60 degrees and you have a mesh cover? The forecast is calling for temperatures in the 70s the week of closing so I worry that the water temperature is going to rise above 62 degrees where it is now. We also tend to have warmer falls and mild winters here. Would I likely have better results if I use polyquat at closing since the water temperature isn't below 60 yet and add liquid chlorine with a sump pump in the late winter and do a soft opening in late March? Or would I have better results if I close at SLAM level and add chlorine with a sump pump later this fall and again in the late winter? I just worry that adding chlorine with a sump pump isn't going to distribute the chlorine very well so the idea of skipping the polyquat worries me. I also don't understand how I'm going to get an accurate FC reading to see if I need to add the chlorine since the pump won't be on. Using triclor pucks in a floater to add chlorine to my pool isn't something that I'm willing to try since floaters always tend to get stuck in the corner near a step in my pool.

 

[Newdude]

and close at SLAM level since my water temperature isn't below 60

It's close and UV loss will plummet once covered.

Many have had the dillema picking a side and I honestly believe they all chose correctly.

I would reccomend the PQ on a super early close, like the people that close on Labor day, no matter what.

add chlorine with a sump pump later this fall and again in the late winter?

There shouldn't be a need but it never hurts to test. The water stratifies however and I took samples last year while draining and the FC was 0 at the top, 2 at 2 ft and 13 at 7.5 ft. (Or something like that).

So when I drain during the off season, stirring it up real good is now part of the process. After draining enough, I tossed the discharge hose on the cover and ran it for 20 minutes each on the left, right and center. From now on I'll try to drain top water and not sink the sump pump to the bottom like I used too. The hope is to drain mostly rain rater with no FC / salt / CYA / CH. Maybe it helps a little, maybe not. Lol.

 

[Bperry]

I'm surprised to see so many recommendations to skip the polyquat and close at SLAM level since my water temperature isn't below 60 yet and have a mesh-covered pool with lots of close trees. I thought that polyquat was recommended when closing before water temperature is below 60 degrees and you have a mesh cover? The forecast is calling for temperatures in the 70s the week of closing so I worry that the water temperature is going to rise above 62 degrees where it is now. We also tend to have warmer falls and mild winters here. Would I likely have better results if I use polyquat at closing since the water temperature isn't below 60 yet and add liquid chlorine with a sump pump in the late winter and do a soft opening in late March? Or would I have better results if I close at SLAM level and add chlorine with a sump pump later this fall and again in the late winter? I just worry that adding chlorine with a sump pump isn't going to distribute the chlorine very well so the idea of skipping the polyquat worries me. I also don't understand how I'm going to get an accurate FC reading to see if I need to add the chlorine since the pump won't be on. Using triclor pucks in a floater to add chlorine to my pool isn't something that I'm willing to try since floaters always tend to get stuck in the corner near a step in my pool.

I’d recommend putting the cover on but don’t close yet. I’m in the same boat cleaning the skimmers every 4 hours. It’s a big pain and I may try and put a cover on.

 

[poolnewbie4]

I’d recommend putting the cover on but don’t close yet. I’m in the same boat cleaning the skimmers every 4 hours. It’s a big pain and I may try and put a cover on.

Unfortunately, the pool closing is already scheduled so I have to go ahead and close. Next year, I'm going to more proactive and put the cover on during the first week of October so I don't have to deal with all of the leaves. I think I'm try doing a soft opening in late March or early April and operate the pool with the cover for 6 weeks so I don't have to deal with all of the seeds and pollen that clogs the skimmers in April and early May.

 

[Bperry]

Unfortunately, the pool closing is already scheduled so I have to go ahead and close. Next year, I'm going to more proactive and put the cover on during the first week of October so I don't have to deal with all of the leaves. I think I'm try doing a soft opening in late March or early April and operate the pool with the cover for 6 weeks so I don't have to deal with all of the seeds and pollen that clogs the skimmers in April and early May.

Not a bad plan.

 

[poolnewbie4]

It's close and UV loss will plummet once covered.

Many have had the dillema picking a side and I honestly believe they all chose correctly.

I would reccomend the PQ on a super early close, like the people that close on Labor day, no matter what.

There shouldn't be a need but it never hurts to test. The water stratifies however and I took samples last year while draining and the FC was 0 at the top, 2 at 2 ft and 13 at 7.5 ft. (Or something like that).

So when I drain during the off season, stirring it up real good is now part of the process. After draining enough, I tossed the discharge hose on the cover and ran it for 20 minutes each on the left, right and center. From now on I'll try to drain top water and not sink the sump pump to the bottom like I used too. The hope is to drain mostly rain rater with no FC / salt / CYA / CH. Maybe it helps a little, maybe not. Lol.

I wish I had posted on here before purchasing the polyquat, since it cost me $40 and can't be returned. Do you think I should go ahead and add it since it is going to be in the 70s the week I close and the water temperature isn't below 60 yet or would I likely have a better outcome if I close at SLAM level instead? If I notice that the water looks a bit cloudy when I peel back the cover to drain water out or the weather has been unseasonably warm, can I add liquid chlorine if I close with polyquat since polyquat consumes chlorine? Is there any risk of bleaching out the gelcoat if I add liquid chlorine in the off season with a sump pump? I've never added chlorine to a closed pool before but I'd be willing to try it if it might be useful.

 

[Mdragger88]

Up to you which way you decide but in general if stored properly (temp controlled) the polyquat won’t really go bad- it has a pretty long shelf life.
To clarify- the polyquat is there as insurance for when the fc gets too low- if you don’t let that happen then it doesn’t matter.

 

[Newdude]

I would not save it for 'maybe one day'. It will be the same dilemma then.

While it may not be critical that it's added right now, it's not hurting anything either so go for it.

 

[Mdragger88]

I mainly mention it because I bought some a while ago but then never used it for closing. In the early spring I plan to do an ascorbic acid treatment for metal stains and so I will use it then.(I didn’t know this was going to be a thing when I bought it).
In my instance my someday is coming lol but yes, otherwise i’m just a hoarder of pool things

 

[Newdude]

but yes, otherwise i’m just a hoarder of pool things

Remember that time you got rid of that vehicle, only to have the same vehicle some time later, needing lots of spare parts ?

We can't have a repeat of that. No ma'am.

 

[Mdragger88]

Remember that time you got rid of that vehicle, only to have the same vehicle some time later, needing lots of spare parts ?

We can't have a repeat of that. No ma'am.

I was just looking at broken boogie boards in the deck box in the way this morning and asking myself- why do I keep this junk!! Its an illness… I’m torn

 

[poolnewbie4]

Up to you which way you decide but in general if stored properly (temp controlled) the polyquat won’t really go bad- it has a pretty long shelf life.
To clarify- the polyquat is there as insurance for when the fc gets too low- if you don’t let that happen then it doesn’t matter.

If I don't use the polyquat now, I will never use it because I intend on putting the cover on before the leaves start falling next year and close in mid November at SLAM level. Its going to be in the mid-upper 70s for the next 7 days so I think I will feel better about closing with polyquat in case this warmer weather is a sign of things to come. If we end up having a warmer fall and winter than usual, can I add chlorine to my closed pool to ward off algae or should I trust that the polyquat will do its job and ward off algae? Does anyone know how long polyquat is supposed to protect a pool from algae in the off-season? I have a hard time believing that it is designed to last 5 months since I have opened up to green water every time I have used it.

 

[Bperry]

If I don't use the polyquat now, I will never use it because I intend on putting the cover on before the leaves start falling next year and close in mid November at SLAM level. Its going to be in the mid-upper 70s for the next 7 days so I think I will feel better about closing with polyquat in case this warmer weather is a sign of things to come. If we end up having a warmer fall and winter than usual, can I add chlorine to my closed pool to ward off algae or should I trust that the polyquat will do its job and ward off algae? Does anyone know how long polyquat is supposed to protect a pool from algae in the off-season? I have a hard time believing that it is designed to last 5 months since I have opened up to green water every time I have used it.

Every situation is different. No way to predict. I assume the container must say something about it?