Winterizing BBB method

[CarlD]

When you add the Polyquat, let it circulate for 24 - 48 hours. Whatever your chlorine level (FC) was, it will drop to or near zero--that's what happens when you add a lot of Polyquat. Then you add chlorine again to get FC back up. That's all.

[jagwire22]

Will the chlorine level stay high enough all winter without adding more? And if it is necessary to add more, how do you do it with no pump for cirrculation?

Thanks for any help!

[CarlD]

Once the water gets really cold, there's no chance for algae growth, or need for more chlorine. Algae has alot of trouble growing in water below 60deg, and is more and more inhibited as it gets colder. Rule of thumb is that algae doesn't grow AT ALL below 50 deg. Since I'll get a foot of ice or more on my pool, I know the water is in the 30's--no algae growth there!

The idea is to keep algae from starting between the time you close and the time it's too cold to grow. The heavy dose of PolyQuat further inhibits algae growth and the shock level kills anything there. The covered pool tends to hold chlorine levels far longer because there's no ultra violet getting to the water. Even the mesh covers work very well at this (I have a mesh safety cover).

Once I close, all I do is check the water level once a month and syphon off water if it's too high.

[Poconos]

As for algae growing in cold water...read my post (#3) in this thread.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=327

I can't explain it.

Al

[Jakebear]

Thanks to all for your comments.

Jagwire, My experience (4 winters) has been checking the FC level monthly as long as there was no ice on the pool. I have a LoopLoc Cover. Over a month period I was almost always real close to zero Free Chlorine.

Understand --- this is all before I knew any better (this forum).

Looking at my past records I used CalHypo to do a “double shock” (Raise FC to ~ 11 ppm) and circulate 12 hours with a sump pump --- cover up and wait another month. I never had algae doing it this way (maybe just lucky), just lots of calcium dust and other fine debris on the bottom + a few worms and spiders.

This year will be a bit different using the Quat and Bleach rather than a KIT, but I will probably continue with the monthly (or more often) test, circulate and add bleach to maintain a FC level which will be consistent with Ben’s Best Guess Chart.

[karrde97]

It got cold in central Illinois quick and I don't have a heating system either. We were pretty much done around Labor Day. I shut the pump off and before I knew it, the pool turned green. I don't plan on putting a cover on since I don't have a lot of trees around.

Do I need to put something in and circulate? I use BBB. I'm confident that I can get it all clean in the spring with no problem. Am I wrong?

Our electrical rates are going up by 55% next year. It'll be uneconomical to run a pool soon. I switched to running pump ~8hrs/day.

[CarlD]

As for algae growing in cold water...read my post (#3) in this thread.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=327

I can't explain it.

Al

It's the ice-fishing!