Pool Cleaning Day

Today was "clean the pool" day. Every year we say that this will be easier than last year but it never is. . .until. . .today.

We always say that we will run chlorine through the winter to make today easier. That doesn't seem to happen. It gets cold, the water stays clear, we don't see the need for chlorine, we have a warm winter day, and then BAM! the pool is green. I know it is hard to believe but it can get green overnight and then we realize that we don't have any chlorine and so it stays green. It doesn't help that we have trees in our backyard. Trees mean leaves that fall in autumn and many fall or blow into the pool. The chlorophyll leeches out of them into the pool water.

In the past we have spent a lot of money on chemicals to finally get the pool water clear and ready to swim. This year we got smart-we drained the pool. We realized that it might cost us $100 extra on our water bill but that was cheaper than all the chemicals that we have bought in the past.

It took almost all day to drain the pool. We had removed the leaves through the day to keep the drain clear so when the last water was sucked out we finished rinsing the sides and started filling it up. Easy, easy, easy.

Of course now that the water is clear we can see how badly it needs to be replastered. That will probably have to wait until next spring. My theory is that it holds water and I can swim.

Now if we can just remember to keep the chlorinator full this winter we won't be in this predicament again.

Liz