“The pool cover will block out the light, and kill the algae, right?” Closing a pool that is green with algae, or dirty with debris or with water that is unbalanced, leads to heavy staining and saturation of the water with dead algae cells, which makes it easier for subsequent generations to grow.
Cleaning your pool before closing for the winter prevents algae and makes your spring opening even easier. Make sure to thoroughly brush the sides and floor, skim the surface and clean out the skimmer and pump baskets after vacuuming the pool.
A pool can only be safe for swimming without a pump for a few days and a maximum of one week. The definite number of days the pool will be safe will also depend on the temperatures of the water, the weather at that particular time, the level of chlorine, and how clean the pool was before the pump stopped functioning.
Without proper maintenance and care, a dirty pool can cause recreational water illnesses (RWIs). These illnesses include diarrhea, ear infections, respiratory infections, rashes, and/or inflamed eyes and lungs. That may sound alarming, but a well-maintained pool leaves nothing to fear.
If your pool has been green all season you're probably super excited to close it. While it seems like the easiest option – it's not! It's much smarter to close your pool as clean as possible. Algae can grow in water as cold as 50 degrees.
Closing a pool that is green with algae, or dirty with debris or with water that is unbalanced, leads to heavy staining and saturation of the water with dead algae cells, which makes it easier for subsequent generations to grow.
Closing a Pool with Green Water
Because closing a pool when its green is going to give you an even bigger problem in the spring or the next time you open it. When you are experiencing cooler, fall like temperatures, it takes longer for the chlorine and other chemicals to evaporate.
The most commonly reported recreational water illness is diarrhea — often caused by germs such as E. coli, norovirus and Cryptosporidium (also referred to as Crypto). When a person with a diarrheal illness enters the water, the entire pool can become contaminated.
Shocking your pool is easy: Use a shock treatment to bring your 10 to 12 PPM. Then, wait a day or two for the chlorine to come down to its normal level, about 1.5 to 3.5 PPM. Pro tip: For best results, shock your pool a few days before you plan to shut it down.
"But that smell is actually chloramines, a substance that results from a mix of chlorine and bacteria, urine and sweat." So that strong chemical smell actually signifies that the pool's water is exceptionally dirty and should have its chlorine and pH levels tested and adjusted, Ostrowski told Life's Little Mysteries.
Maintenance is critical when it comes to the quality of your pool water. Well maintained pool water can last up to 5, maybe even seven years before you need to replace it. This means weekly cleaning, functional filters, and checking ph levels every day. Usage is a huge determining factor.
First, if the draining is done at the wrong time or under the wrong conditions, you can actually risk damaging your pool structure and liner. All the water from your pool needs to go somewhere when it's drained, and that usually means the ground.
(Use chemicals as labels indicate.) Use 1 gallon of liquid chlorine per 10,000 gallons of pool water. Clean liner above the water line with Swimway Tile & Vinyl Cleaner or another product.
Lower the water level to just below the mouth of the skimmer. This removes the water from the throat of the skimmer, which could easily sustain damage should water left there freeze. Also remove the water from the plumbing lines using a shop vac. Be sure to plug the empty lines to prevent them from refilling.
It is best to close your pool when the temperature of the water is consistently below 60 degrees. Once the water temperature drops below 60 degrees, microorganisms and algae cannot grow and become dormant for the winter season.
Which disease could be spread via swimming pool contamination? Swimmers can inadvertently become exposed to a number of potentially dangerous waterborne pathogens that can contaminate pool water including E. coli, Salmonella, Camplobacter, Legionella, Pseudomonas and norovirus.
Symptoms of gastrointestinal illness from contaminated water can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. Those symptoms can take 24 to 48 hours to develop, says Forni, so you might not get sick for a day or two after drinking bad water.
Crypto is the most common cause of diarrheal illness and outbreaks linked to swimming pools or water playgrounds because it is not easily killed by chlorine and can survive up to 10 days in properly treated water.
Keep it covered.
Covering the pool is a good way to prevent algae growth. The right cover keeps algae from entering the pool, but it also keeps leaves, bugs, bacteria, and dirt from decomposing in the pool, providing algae with food.
A: Algae can be tough little buggers. An estimated 72,500 algal species exist worldwide, and some of them can thrive in inhospitable conditions, including areas with ice and snow. With a handful of nutrients and a little bit of light, they're able to grow – even in the 39 degree water under the ice in your lake.