Treating Pool In Winter To Prevent Miserable Opening Every Year

[chessie6]

Last spring using a mesh safety cover for the first time, we opened to a neon green pool. What a mess and not wanting to go through that again, I bought a "cover-mate" which is a black heavy-duty cover that is just like a solar cover except it's solid and doesn't let light go into the water. This cover floats on the water under the mesh cover. We opened the pool today (it was closed in the end of September here in CT) and no algae except for a small amount on the top step where there was a gap that let light through. The water was slightly murky but I'll take that any day over the green monster from last year.

 

[Swampwoman]

Excellent tip, chessie. We'll pass that one along.

 

[twodogs02]

This is my 14th year opening and closing our 30,000 gallon in ground pool with vinyl liner. I use a loop lock safety cover and have never opened to a green pool.

I'm in Upstate NY and close right after Labor Day when day time temps are in the 50s and nights in the 30s.

I shock the pool with Cal hypo and hold FC at 15ppm for two days.

Vacuum and run another day taking borates to 30ppm, FC 15ppm.

Blow return lines out and cap, gizmo in skimmer with 1 gallon of anti freeze added. Blow drain out, creating air lock.

Add 32 ounces of liquid chlorine around perimeter of pool then cover.

Just opened this weekend, water was clear, bottom full of worms, 1 ppm FC when tested. Vacuum to waste and then started up.