Pool Opening Procedure Questions ?

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zooba72

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May 19, 2017
26
New York
Hi Everyone, curious if someone can provide their thoughts on my opening procedure. I grew up with a pool that I maintained for 20 years and it had a solid cover with the pillows - I would open it and literally be able to jump in the same day, it was easy. The pool that I've been dealing with for the last 12 years has a loop lock and has much more shade and leaf litter. When I open it, it's a swamp - water is black. Here is what I usually do:

I start the pool with an old set of filter grids to begin without any DE - >
Get the PH right - not always easy given condition of the pool - >
Leaf Rake bottom of the pool to get stuff out ->
Vacuum on waste for as long as I can to get the water to the right level - I usually have the hose filling the pool while I'm doing this. I usually get more of the big stuff out.
Switch grids - this is usually a couple days later - > Add DE
I then add liquid chlorine -> Here is my issue, my CYA is always high (between 80 & 90). I use an automatic chlorinator and I do use the 3" trichlor pucks
In order to reach breakpoint chlorination based upon my CYA, I sometimes need to add 50 gallons of chlorine over a several days. My pool is 43k gallons

So my question - Is there any other way of doing this ? I suspect I'm going to hear to stop using the pucks and lower the CYA, but I'm just curious if there might be a better method given the current circumstances. If a pro service came to my home to open my pool, what would they do differently ?

Appreciate the responses as always ! Thank you !
 
I close late on Thanksgiving weekend and open early on March first. That can be helpful in having less swamp situation to deal with. My pool stays clear between November and March. No swamp. And no chlorine is added in those months. Then it's just maintaining chlorine from March to memorial weekend which is when I heat it up for swim season, until mid to late September.
 
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MITBeta said:
What does this mean?
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It's actual science, misapplied by the poolstore by not factoring CYA into the equation.

So we SLAM Process instead, using the full equation.

Pucks are unsustainable zooba. Plain and simple. It's up to you if you wish to create your own headaches. :)
 
Yes, there are better ways using different methods.

A pro service would view you as a good customer and charge you a lot of money. They like customers who use methods that create large jobs for them.

Have the pool free of algae before you close, get a better cover, close later and open earlier, stop using tabs, get your CYA under control, and your pool can be easier to maintain.
 
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Newdude said:
It's actual science, misapplied by the poolstore by not factoring CYA into the equation.
Click to expand...
I thought the breakpoint chlorination idea was based on CC level, not CYA. Googling "breakpoint chlorination", which is a concept that's discussed in the manual that came with my Taylor K-2006C, is what brought me to TFP in the first place.
 
MITBeta said:
I thought the breakpoint chlorination idea was based on CC level, not CYA.
Click to expand...
I'm not even gonna try to butcher it with my laybrain. :ROFLMAO:

But yes, the CYA will be relevant upon treating in the end.

Breakpoint Chlorination

I work at a large (860,000 gallon) high use pool and have had high levels of chloramines the last couple of weeks which started in the middle of a large swim meet with approximately 860 swimmers. We are coming up on another large swim meet and my combined chlorine is still running at .7 ppm...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
Appreciate the responses. I'm in NY and close in late October and open in April - March would be pushing it given the storms/weather we ordinarily get. Closing any later is problematic as the leaves fall, I've done it in November and it's a pain. My cover is definitely in need to replacement, but I feel like all of the mesh covers let leaf litter and other particles filter into the pool and that contributes to the mess I deal with in the Spring. That said, I have no desire to maintain a solid cover, replacing pillows and pumping water off the cover all winter.

As for getting the CYA under control - is that possible with a automatic chlorinator using the trichlor pucks ??

Thank you
 
zooba72 said:
I have no desire to maintain a solid cover, replacing pillows and pumping water off the cover all winter.
Click to expand...

My solid cover has no pillows and the cover pump is automatic and runs when there is water on the cover. There is little to maintain with a solid cover and a lot less work then fixing a green pool on opening.
 
Exhibit A and B that a little fall effort goes a long way.

Screenshot_20240501_063120_Gallery.jpg

Screenshot_20240503_160951_Gallery.jpg

People want to close early, or they don't want to mix it over the winter and possibly add some FC. And I get that. But I had a plenty busy fall and off season and easily found *some* time to make opening a breeze.
 
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ajw22 said:
My solid cover has no pillows and the cover pump is automatic and runs when there is water on the cover. There is little to maintain with a solid cover and a lot less work then fixing a green pool on opening
Click to expand...

I agree that solid cover have advantages when opening in the spring, but I'm not switching at this point. I had thought about putting a solid cover over the loop lock as an experiment.

With regards to timing, I definitely do not close early and I'm usually open before the pool companies even start. You do not want your pool open in the NorthEast in November and while opening in March might save a hundred dollars+ in chlorine, I probably make up for it in extra electric.
 
zooba72 said:
You do not want your pool open in the NorthEast in November
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The last 2 years were warm late, and i closed in November. October was plenty cool enough but we like looking at the pool so I stayed open longer than I needed to.

If we ever get real winters back, the last week in Sept or the 1st week in Oct would be fine to close.
 
In the Northeast it depends on the trees you have around you. I need to close before the last week in October when leaves begin falling. Any later and there is too much to cleanup in the pool.
 
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I agree, depends on the pools surroundings - My neighbors have large Maples near our border and if I leave my pool open past Halloween, it becomes a real mess and constant work for me. I've tried November, but it's difficult to keep it clean
 
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