Pumping water off of winter cover...

[heatherc]

does anyone recycle that water back into the pool? ...if its still reasonably clear of algae etc? I live in Ontario and its just starting to warm up, so the water on my cover looks not too bad...I was thinking this since we are charged a 100 percent "sewer charge" on top of the water we use, I hate to waste a drop...especially at the start of the summer.I figure if algae does get into the pool water, it will be cheaper to buy bleach and algicide than the water bill. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[DerekM]

I live in PEI, and have always done just that -- I never pump off the cover (and my water is free!) - I just net off most of the leaves (I also do this in the fall, so there are few), yank the corner of the cover and pull it off. I generally open just after the temp stops dipping below freezing at night, so the algae doesn't get a chance to start. I then start the pump, pour in the bleach, and run the Kreepy Krawley for a few days to cleanup the needles and small leaves that have fallen off the cover, making sure to clean out the basket and backwash the filter frequently. In a few days the water is crystal clear. If I am opening later, as I am doing this year (waiting for someone to install a new pump) I pour some bleach on top of the cover at regular intervals to keep the algae at bay.

[DerekM]

Report: New (2-speed) pump installed Thursday. I added a gallon of bleach to the water on the pool cover that evening, and took the cover off Friday after work, started the pump, drained water down to skimmer level, and fired in the chlorine and the Kreepy Krawly. The pool is almost completely clear this morning (except for some needles that the KK didn't get to yet). The winter cover is a little slimey in places, so I may need to wash it off with some bleach and water (and/or a gallon of that cheap foamy algaecide) before storing it.

[Watermom]

I'd use some diluted bleach water to clean it instead of algaecide. Algaecide is more of a preventative thing rather than something to kill algae.

[heatherc]

well, i cleaned most of the leaves off the cover today and added a bunch of bleach to top of winter cover......tomorrow hopefully will get the cover off! If it looks like there is algae settled on cover, I am planning to pump the "top" water under the cover and then once the level on the cover gets too low, will pump it out to the sewer.......I think I can pump most of the water into the pool though...and save a small fortune in water charges!.........lets see how it goes!

[heatherc]

...it worked great!....I only had to pump the last of the water to the sewer...pool looks great! Will get pump running tomorrow and get the chemicals going!!! My 3 yr old is ready to swim in it today...........no concept of TOOO COLD!!!!!!