When to close?

[Pauls234]

Well, I know I need to close before the freeze sets in ;-) But when do most of you in the North close? I am in Chicago so guessing that once mid-September hits (I have no heater) then the days where the temp is comfortable will be few and far between. I suppose delaying into October means that many more days of an organics free pool but does that even matter given the inevitable freeze? Is it best to just close up once swimming season is complete?

Lastly, I need a winter cover, will this one work for my 30 foot round? I just can't tell if it means it is for a 30 foot pool or the cover itself is 30 feet and meant for something smaller with the extra length needed for overlap/securing. I could call the manufacturer of course, but the collective pool knowledge on this site is unrivaled! Or if there is another site you like to purchase covers, lay it on me. Thanks!

http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/30 ... oduct.html

 

[jblizzle]

Living where I do ... we do not close.

But, I am pretty sure I have read here that closing after the water will stay below 50 degrees and opening before the water gets above 50 degrees lowers the chance of any algae taking over.

EDIT: oops ... I remembered incorrectly ... the temp should be 60 degrees: closing-an-in-ground-pool-t2896.html

 

[faby3003]

The rule of thumb is to close when your water temperature consistently stays below 60 degrees (below 60 it is difficult for algae to grow). Here in MN, that happens sometime around early to mid October.

Some people may close earlier so that their pool is covered when the leaves fall.

I like to leave it open as long as possible because a covered pool is uglier to look at than an open pool.

 

[Pauls234]

Great, thanks.

Jason - never closing... ahh what a dream! That 60 degree rule is missing from the Closing an Above Ground Pool article, by the way. Perhaps your mod powers allow you to add it??

 

[Swampwoman]

Pauls, I've also seen the 50 degree rule of thumb as well, so you can pretty much pick your spot, I think. I'm same climate as you and I intend to wait til very late October. But I'm new to it, so I can't reliably predict the best time yet

Hey Faby, I'm over in west Michigan and this is my first year with a pool.
The original owners (before foreclosed owners) had told me they used to wait til the end of October at least to close. They also said some years they'd just cover it and keep the filter/heater going a bit (both are in a pool house that can be heated.)

I have a lot of leaves...entire forest bordering the terrace...Do you have any tips for leaf management?
I see you have a Polaris. Are they any good for fall leaves?

And have you ever heard of someone leaving it "open" under the cover in our northern climes? Just thought I'd ask. Thanks!

 

[Durk]

I let the thermometer decide. Once it gets below 64°F I start looking for an opportunity. If leaves are beginning to come down (this takes a very warm October) I'll get on it fast. Once in a while I get stuck closing on a windy day with leaves coming down and I really hate that. Fighting the wind to get the cover on before more leaves fall is a major pain. I've never had algae in the Spring even closing at 63°F--the warmest I remember. Better that than leaves, IMHO.

 

[faby3003]

Hey Faby, I'm over in west Michigan and this is my first year with a pool.
The original owners (before foreclosed owners) had told me they used to wait til the end of October at least to close. They also said some years they'd just cover it and keep the filter/heater going a bit (both are in a pool house that can be heated.)

I have a lot of leaves...entire forest bordering the terrace...Do you have any tips for leaf management?
I see you have a Polaris. Are they any good for fall leaves?

And have you ever heard of someone leaving it "open" under the cover in our northern climes? Just thought I'd ask. Thanks!

I've never heard of anyone with our climate not closing their pool for the winter by having their lines blown out. I think you would have to keep the entire pool heated above 32oF. I would think that you would pay more in heating cost than you would to have someone close the pool for you.

As far as leaves go, my polaris does a good job cleaning leaves off the bottom of the pool. Other than that, I just use a leaf rake to clean excess leaves off the surface and make sure the skimmer baskets are emptied frequently ( by frequently, I mean check them daily).

 

[Swampwoman]

^Yeah, that's how it seemed to me too.
We haven't bought a 'bot yet...decided we'd see how this year went manually. I may change my mind about that in say, a month
Good to know the polaris can handle them.
I am no stranger to the leaf rake, so I'll be getting ready for a workout routine!

 

[MikeInNH]

I close in October before the leaves fall and the water temp is below 60 by that point. I also like to vacuum it and shock before closing. It's very nice to pull the cover off in the spring to a clean/clear pool that still has FC left.

 

[jblizzle]

That 60 degree rule is missing from the Closing an Above Ground Pool article, by the way. Perhaps your mod powers allow you to add it??

Well, I do not have the power ... but knew who to ask ... Article is updated

 

[Suziqzer]

We close shortly after we are unwilling to swim in the cool water. Saves us from chasing the leaves for an added length of time ... because there are way too many! We have yet to have any algae come spring, but haven't had an unseasonably warm fall yet either. I will take my chances vs. chasing leaves.

 

[cramar]

I'm about 11 hours directly north of you so you can't close yours before me

 

[mrodgers]

Heck, we've been ready to close the pool since about mid-July. That's around the last time we've had water warm enough to swim in. I won't get in below 80. Strange summer this year. If it wasn't 90+ degrees, it was in the 70's.

I'd love to close it now because all we are doing is using up electricity running the pump and SWG. I would though recommend doing exactly what this forum tells you to do because I have been from the moment my pool arrived and the only thing I did to the pool upon installing it was to dump bleach in for 2 days until I had enough water to start the SWG. I literally have not touched the pool once other than my testing of the water since Memorial Day weekend when I put it up This forum is absolutely fantastic!

 

[bjpeters]

Just wondering if it is recommended to use a winterizing kit for closing an above ground pool for the appropriate gallons? Any pros or cons? Otherwise, looks like the only recommendation for closing was a possible polyquat algaecide? Just curious what is recommended to close for the winter - MN pool owner so closing is not far away. Thanks.

 

[Smykowski]

Couple things from this thread....

For the original poster, buy a cover that's a few feet bigger than your pool. If the pool is 30' diamater, you want at least a 32' cover. You need a little overlap, cause those windy Chicago falls/winters will try really hard to rip the cover off (see my location, I've had this problem).

Jason said it already, but let it get cold before you close. Cold closing = super easy opening. As for electricity/chlorine costs, remember that as the days get shorter/colder, your chlorine consumption will go down significantly because the UV rays aren't as intense and algae doesn't grow as fast in cooler/colder water. This leads to your second savings, reduced pump run time. Most users who keep their cold pools open all year (think TN, GA, OK, and those latitudes) frequently report only 3-6 hours per day tops of pump run time.

Finally, closing chemicals from the pool school article: bring the pool to shock level and add a dose of polyquat. That's it. Don't waste your money on a "winterizing kit."

 

[flyweed]

I Live in Wisconsin, and we will probably keep the pool open another week or two. We do have some of our early tree's starting to drop some leaves.which is no big deal..we roll up the solar cover, and I have a couple leaf nets that my kids use to get the leaves off the water surface..I also have a "skimmer net" that attaches in front of the skimmer that catches the BIG stuff, so it doesn't get sucked into the skimmer basket..and then I have a Dolphin Diagnostic that I try and run once a day on the bottom. Once I do close and put the winter cover on..I'll run the Dolphin once a day for a week just to make sure everything is off the bottom and then I take it out for the winter. Pretty simple really.