Opening early with a safety cover.....

I have an IG pool with mesh safety cover. Because its mesh, the sun gets thru and creates algae if I leave the cover on too long. So I want to open the pool early this year.

However, Ive read of people just pulling half the cover off, throwing in chemicals and letting the water circulate. Is this OK to do with a mesh cover? I dont think I can leave it open like that for very long (if its windy the cover will vibrate a lot, or even worse tear from the wind or the anchors flinging against itself).

Can I just dump in some chemicals (I was thinking shock, but not too much because it wont be 100% exposed to the sun) and re-cover the pool right away? Was worried it might eat away the cover (although maybe the mesh lets it breath enough?)

Thanks!
-Chris

Hi Chris,

There's no problem with that. Lots of people pull back the cover to add algecide or chlorine.

Do you have a submersible pump? I have one with a long output hose and I used it this season to circulate chemicals. The hose moves around the pool and works quite well.

The chemicals might work their way around the pool naturally but I'd feel better if I could circulate them somehow.

Lenny

I have a mesh safety cover and live in the Northeast, too. Since, with the warm, sunny weather, the risk of water temps approaching 50 (which would allow algae to grow) is going up, I opened up my corners yesterday, one at a time, (water is still clear :) ) and put some Polyquat algaecide in, then reclosed the corners, then I added some more in the skimmer openings. With only 2 anchors open at a time, there's no risk of anything harmful happening. Lenny's idea of using a submersible pump to move the water around is a good one - I may have to try to do that sometime.

I was thinking Im just gonna hook up the normal pool pump, I dont see any harm in doing so (Ill only run it during the day so I know there is no chance for freeze up).

But Ill add a bottle of poly and maybe put some pucks in the chlorinator, just to get something circulating. Then Ill go all out on opening it in a couple weeks.

Thanks!
-Chris

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrisexv6

I was thinking Im just gonna hook up the normal pool pump, I dont see any harm in doing so (Ill only run it during the day so I know there is no chance for freeze up).

But Ill add a bottle of poly and maybe put some pucks in the chlorinator, just to get something circulating. Then Ill go all out on opening it in a couple weeks.

Thanks!
-Chris

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Chris, as you are a senior member, I doubt that I need to remind you of the CYA increase, if you use pucks. The other thing is your saying that you'll only run the pump durring the day to prevent freeze up - I'm also in Ct. and the daytime temps are well above freezing now, so perhaps you meant to say you'd run the pump only at night to prevent freezing. Your water hasn't reached 50 deg. yet ( I know, I'm just starting to open up pools and the water temps are lower than 50 ;) ) However, the water temps are a little more comfortable every day and I think you are doing the best thing for your pool by adding chems and circulating the water now - at this time of the year, a minimal dose of cl and a few hours of pump run time will save you many headaches - as opposed to waiting until the water was temperate enough to swim, and then trying to get it ready for a weekend swim party :)

I know about the CYA increase, but I had drained 50% of my pool (TWICE!) last year while trying to fix a plumbing leak, so there is very little to no CYA in my water right now. Pucks for 2 weeks shouldnt be a problem (especially if I dont have the filter on that long anyway).

As far as *when* to run it, I guess you can look at it 2 ways: 1. run the pump during the day so the pump doesnt freeze up, or 2. run the pump at night so the pipes dont freeze up. I suppose #2 is safer, because I can always replace my pump if it freezes. On the other hand, I dont think the ground will freeze again anytime soon, but I suppose you never know.

Ive tried the submersible thing before, it didnt work very well. My pump was offline for a couple days 2 seasons ago, so I used the submersible with a floating chlorinator in the "wake" of the pump, and I really didnt get much circulation of the chlorine.

Ill come up with something I guess. Or I can just wait the 2 weeks and open it completely at once. No parties here, we have a 9 week old, so about 99% of my time goes to him, the other 1% is various forms of work :)

-Chris

Actually, running the pump at night will be better for the pump as well since you'll ensure that above freezing water is running through it.

Allowing water to sit in the pump and potentially freeze is the danger.

Well, I opened her up today!

Water is crystal clear, but of course I have algae all over the bottom. But at least I can see the bottom! Every year I end up waiting until 1st or 2nd week of May to open, and every year I regret it.

Running the pump 8 hours overnight, added a little bleach for now (need to buy more). I figure its worth what little added expense because then Im not fighting for most of May to recover.

-Chris

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrisexv6

Well, I opened her up today!

Water is crystal clear, but of course I have algae all over the bottom. But at least I can see the bottom! Every year I end up waiting until 1st or 2nd week of May to open, and every year I regret it.

Running the pump 8 hours overnight, added a little bleach for now (need to buy more). I figure its worth what little added expense because then Im not fighting for most of May to recover.

-Chris

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Chris, you are definatly a candidate for a " 'poster'-child of the year award" , for following the forums advice!! :) ;) *

* ( there isn't really such an award (yet - but it might be fun to have a 'sucess stories' area on the site & don't know the feasability of awarding prizes)

Thanks!

But I like to think Ive learned from 2 seasons of taking care of our pool......sometimes its all about common sense and not much else :)

-Chris

no doubt, common sense - if practiced by all- would make this a better world

I shouldnt pat myself on the back yet!

I should have vacuumed to waste right when I had the chance last night, now some of the algae is floating around in the water. No biggie I guess, I had to have the filter running anyway to circulate the chemicals.

Tonight I hit it with massive amounts of bleach!

-Chris

My perspective is that this is making too much of it. It is now mid-April, and here, in North Central NJ it looks like the last freeze is past. I've looked under my mesh cover and the pool looks pretty good. As usual, the water is clear but there's stuff on the bottom.

In the fall, just before closing I put in a quart or two of Polyquat, circulate the water for 48 hours more, then raise the FC to 15ppm and close. I try to do this at the end of September/early October (I have solar heating) when the water goes down to the low 60's.

My plan is
1.this weekend to remove the cover,
2.hook up the pump/filter and plumbing.
3.half the solar panels (I need some replacements for the other half), and get them working.
4.test my water
5.Add what it needs--first pH adjust and chlorine.
6.When the water reaches 60, toss in the Dolphin 3 or 4 times
7. Set up the new solar reel, and attach the cover to it and cover the pool to hold in heat.

Hi, Chris,

Algae by itself will typically stay suspended in water....even undisturbed water.

You are certainly doing all the right things but, since you mentioned that your algae was "on the bottom", I think you've got some other solids in there, as well.

Running your pump and getting them "stirred up" will get rid of whatever it is.

Have you done any testing this Spring to check the status of your water? That'll go a long way towards affirming your common sense approach:)

Dave S.

Yeah unfortunately I ran out of daylight when opening it. Tonight Im going to test it and start adding bleach 3x/day until everything goes away.

Still definitely easier than what we dealt with last season (major leak in the return line, so basically I was pumping out all of the chemicals I put in).

-Chris