Water getting darker

[Envieddesigns]

Hey all, still not time for me to open until maybe end of next month. Meanwhile water is looking like the photo attached. You can see the floor drain on the shallow side some but on the deep side it’s not visible.
Should I do anything to the water or let it be until start up. Also when I’m ready to start up should I remove some water and replace to avoid having to dump a lot of chlorine in?

 

[duraleigh]

Can you start by sharing a complete set of test results?

Are there leaves accumulated on the pool floor?.......I can't tell

 

[ajw22]

Is your pool running with your pump and filter?

You cannot get good test results until you circulate your water for a day or two.

 

[Envieddesigns]

Can you start by sharing a complete set of test results?

Are there leaves accumulated on the pool floor?.......I can't tell

Yea, there are a some leaves at the bottom of the deep end, I cannot tell exactly where but I know they are there. My pool is not running it’s currently shut down for the winter as I don’t have a heater. I usually open end of April.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Unfortunately you are behind the 8-ball already. You can’t open and close a pool based on a calendar date, at least not if you’re talking about sanitation. Once the water temps are consistently above 60°F, algae starts to grow and it has a doubling time of 4-8 hours (depends on the diurnal light availability). That water is already starting turn and you probably have significant algae. It’s time to fill the pool up, get the equipment running, and start a SLAM. If you do it now while the water is cold, it will be quick. If you wait two months until the end of April, you’ll have a swamp on your hands.

 

[Envieddesigns]

Thanks, I’m in NJ though and the way the weather is these days I cannot gauge whether or not we’ll have temps drop to freezing again and I’m afraid if I have the system running wouldn’t I run into pipes freezing?

 

[ajw22]

I open my pool in NJ around April 15.

Don’t do anything to your water until your pool is open and pump and filter are running.

 

[Envieddesigns]

For future Should I be adding more algicide during the winter as I see the water turning?

 

[ajw22]

For future Should I be adding more algicide during the winter as I see the water turning?

Do you use a pool cover?

What algaecide have you used?

We had an exceptionally warm winter that did not have the pool go dormant as much as it usually does in the winter.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Freeze protection will depend on your local weather conditions. If you don’t believe you will have anymore “hard freezes” (air temps consistently below 28F) that last longer than overnight hours, you can usually get a pool running. Flowing pool water will not generally freeze for a long time under the right conditions. Freeze protection is covered in-depth in this thread -

Thread 'The Physics of Freezing and Freeze Protection'

The Physics of Freezing and Freeze Protection

Your pool has algae growing in it. It will only get worse over time. Once you feel you can safely hook up your equipment and get the pump and filter running, the sooner you tackle the algae the better off you will be. I grew up in the northeast and I know that no one likes to open a pool before Memorial Day as the water is usually unswimmably cold. But if you leave it until “it’s convenient” to open, the algae will take over the pool. Then you’ll be in for a long SLAM with lots of chlorine use. The price of chlorine is already historically high, it will only get higher as we get closer to the summer. So it’s just a matter of gauging what is more inconvenient - opening a cold pool or spending lots of money on chemicals later.

 

[Envieddesigns]

Do you use a pool cover?

What algaecide have you used?

We had an exceptionally warm winter that did not have the pool go dormant as much as it usually does in the winter.

No cover. I use Polyquat 60.

 

[ajw22]

No cover. I use Polyquat 60.

A cover, especially a solid cover, protects the chlorine and PQ60 from the suns UV. Especially when you have a warm winter.

You need a cover to not develop algae some winters.

An algaecide is not a substitute for chlorine.

Open your pool in mid-April and buy about a dozen gallons of 10% liquid chlorine. The SLAM Process will be over before the weather is good enough to swim.