Plan on closing today, but read about polyquat dosage prior to closing...

...so why the polyquat if my pool has been perfectly clean and clear all season? I've got the Aquabug in the pool cleaning the bottom, my water is perfectly balanced with my pH a little on the high side (where I normally keep it) at 7.8 - 8.0. Chlorine usage has been normal, water has been crystal clear all summer long.

Is the polyquat treatment necessary? I tend to be a minimalist when it comes to my water and only add the bare minimum to keep the water balanced, and generally subscribe to the "if it works, don't fark with it" mindset.

Last year I had a leak in the pool and opened to a pool with about 4" of water, max. But the water was clean. We replaced the liner in the spring so I wasn't too worried about closing last year, we just shocked it, drained to below the return, and stuck the cover on. Didn't bother with the pump of filter as both were slated for replacement (and have been replaced).

This year, my plan was:

1). Vacuum the pool.
2). Shock with bleach and let recirculate for a couple hours
3). Drain to just below the return
4). Insert water pillow and cover
5). Disconnect pump, put pump and hoses inside
6). Drain filter, set to "close" and cover filter with tarp (and remove pressure gauge).

I live in North Alabama, we do get some freezing here, but never for extended periods of time. Usually just overnight, and temps most always go back above freezing during the day with very rare exceptions. In the ten years I've lived here, it has only stayed below freezing for more than 24 hours straight one time.

I'm open to suggestions, as the bug is in the pool now so if I'm going to make any changes to this procedure now is the time to do it.

Adding Polyquat at closing is not required. Some people don't. It is just extra insurance.

What Watermom said.

If you DO add PolyQuat, remember that your FC may drop drastically. My FC was 4 last week. I added a quart and 1/2 of PQ and 24 hours later FC was 0. Not a worry, I added Chlorine. Yesterday, 0 again. So I added 3 gallons of 12.5% LC--today FC was 9 (But I was aiming for 15). So since I noticed my CYA was at 30, I added Di-Chlor instead...tomorrow I'll check again.

But the drop was NOT due to algae, it was due to excessive PQ--I expected it, and so should you.

BTW, I go through this every closing--and open to clear, clean water in the spring, every year.

I also remember reading (somewhere around here) that PQ will get filtered out if you leave your multiport in the "filter" position, so set it to recirculate before you add the PQ to get it to circulate around into the water.

-Chris

So, I plan to close this Sat. If I add PolyQuat then, will I have to wait a while before the CL levels stay high enough to close? Should I polyquat tonight or tomorrow? Plus, no recirc setting on my filter (DE) so how much polyquat will I be throwing away?

Thanks . . .

I live in central Alabama, and in the four years I've been here/had my pool, I've never used Polyquat, and I've always opened to crystal clear water. For me, it's a superfluous/unnecesary expense. I just bring it up to shock level one time.

But then, I also don't officially close my pool, just cover and run pump when temps drop below freezing. In the Spring when it starts to warm up, but I don't want to open until first week in May at the very earliest because of all the stuff that rains down from the trees, I will run the pump for several hours a day to keep the chlorine circulated, so maybe that makes a difference, too.

CarlD:
I added a quart polyq last night to the pool (24K gals). CC was around 2. I will be adding 5-6 galls bleach tonight, with more on hand for tomorrow. Is it reasonable to presume I'll be able to close by Sunday (CL levels high enough)? Should I have it at shock level to close? CYA is at about 30.

THANKS.
(I always dread closing - so draining on me - our solid safety cover weighs a ton).

Last, H2O below skimmers only or skimmers PLUS wall returns?

Last, H2O below skimmers only or skimmers PLUS wall returns?

Kirsten, the amt to drain is up to you. If you have 'flooding' problems by the pool area, it's best to keep the water higher. If you can reasonably expect a few feet of rain/ melted snow (10" of snow ~= 1" of water), and your cover allows water to pass through it, you'll probably want to drain a little more out at closing, ie - to below the returns. If you are using a 'shop-vac' on 'blow', the lines will be easier to clear if the water is below them. In short, the amount of water to drain is dependent upon your particular pool (which is why making an all encompassing 'sticky' for IG pools is so hard - though Al did a good job of it- it would take a pamphlet at least to cover all the different types of filters, pools, covers and local conditions (weather, drainage, etc)) Go with the stickied info and, as you have, ask pertanent questions when your situation differs.