New to the forum

[PoolDoc]

Post your pool info -- pool size, type, pump size, filter size type -- and we can give some beginning doses.

[AnnaK]

Ben's comment above, where he says the air is literally yellow fogged with pollen right now, is a good reminder that you don't need trees anywhere near your pool to be a beneficiary of the yellow haze. In our area, when the spruce, fir, and pine trees pop everything gets covered in yellow. The pool surface is like a magnet for pollen.

We've never had the pool thawed this early. In past years it was the end of March/beginning of April before all the ice was gone, and the end of April before the water got warm enough to support algae growth. We're a month early this year. I want to get the equipment hooked up to make cleaning the pool possible because I just do not want to deal with the mess created by stagnant water.

Adding bleach and stirring it in with the skimmer net works fine for a little while but in the absence of a proper chemical balance it's a less than ideal solution. Right now I have no CYA, the pH is at the bottom acceptable value and I'm not entirely convinced it's an accurate reading, the TA is only 40. Must get water balanced!

We have cheap electric rates at night. Running my 2-speed pump on low doesn't even make a dent in the bill. I agree with Ben: having a pool open and needing to maintain it long before you can use it will get old fast but the alternative is watching it get greener by the day. I'd rather not.

[Sheila2e]

We haven't even taken the cover off yet... Being that last fall was our first ever close up of a swimming pool, it's kinda like a trial & error situation for us. I'm hoping we did everything properly and won't have a huge nasty mess. But after reading on here about the fact we didn't have much of a freeze & algae may be a huge problem if we don't start now.... We've made up our mines to be brave, hope for the best and get the cover off this weekend, then go from there. I will definitely keep you all posted on our experience. And I am certain I will be on this forum a million times through out the spring/summer looking for advice and tips!

[Watermom]

. And I am certain I will be on this forum a million times through out the spring/summer looking for advice and tips!

[AnnaK]

Pooooool Forum is the place to be . . . sung to the tune of Green Acres.

[BigDave]

Greeeeeeen water is no place for me.
or
Cleeeeeear water is the life I seek.

[CarlD]

Sheila, Hi and welcome!
Ben, Lisa and Janet are all in Southern climates, you are more like me, in NJ. I would hold off till early to mid-April, when you are pretty sure you are past the last snow. I've opened to blooms in the last couple of years, but being a mod here, I'm pretty fearless about hammering it with liquid chlorine and getting the algae dead in 24-48 hours. I think you should wait.