Winterising In The Summer

[john W]

I have a pool on a Greek island. This may seem idyllic, but it also means that help is strictly limited or in my case none existent. So I am hoping the collective experience on this forum will provide the assistance I need.

First a little info on my pool. It is gunnite construction, plastered and coated with epoxy paint. It has an infinity edge.

Operating conditions:

• I only use the pool 4-6 weeks each year

• The pool is filled using rain water collection as water is very scarce on the island.

• I have an automatic salt chlorinator system.

Problems:

I am not resident for 11, months of the year, so what to do about pool maintenance.

Maintenance Options:

• Leave the automatic salt chlorinator running

I need to employ someone all year round to monitor conditions, which is quite expensive and pump life is reduced.

• Empty and cover the pool.

As water is so short on the island I rely on rain water to fill the pool. This can be done but its not easy, so to empty the pool means a major challenge to re-fill. Also as I leave the island when it is still hot, I am concerned that the plaster will crack even though the pool would be covered.

• Winterise the pool

This is normally done at the end of summer, but I need to do this at the end of August. Can a pool be winterized for so long, (Aug to July the following year) would the chemical required damage the epoxy coating

If there is anyone out there with sound advise, please help.

Regards,

John W