HELPFUL INFO > Pool Info > Closing Your Pool

CLOSING YOUR POOL

If you live in a Northern clime, you know how harsh winters can be. Exposure to severe winter weather can be especially tough on your pool. Just as you prepare yourself for the winter climate, there are steps you must take to prepare your pool for the winter months.

Algae and other problems can start even when the weather is cold. By the time spring comes around, you may open your pool to a green mess that can be expensive to fix. Therefore, it is important to properly winterize your pool to prevent these types of problems. Proper winterization protects pool surfaces, equipment, and makes spring start-up easier.

Winterization not only involves balancing the water and adding preventative chemicals, but cleaning surfaces and equipment preparation as well. Use the following as a guideline for thinking about proper winterization:

1. BALANCE YOUR POOL WATER:

Have a sample of your water professionally tested by a pool professional. Most pool and spa companies offer water testing as a free service and can offer expert advice on water balance.

If needed, adjust the pH to 7.4 - 7.6 and make sure the other balance factors are within their proper range. Proper chemical balance is very important if you expect to have a clear pool in the spring.

If you would like to do an online water test, click on the following link:
Water Test   Do the test -then click your back button to come back to this site and go to the top of this page and click on products to order what you will need for your pool. You will be able to choose from a variety of brands, but to insure the best results choose "Generic" when doing the test which will include any brand.

2. CLEAN YOUR POOL:

Brush all pool surfaces and vacuum if needed. This includes the walls, bottom, and steps. It also is a good idea to clean along the water line with a pool SURFACE CLEANER. See also: CHEMICAL ALTERNATIVES for surface cleaners.

Clean out the skimmer and the hair and lint trap.

Backwash the filter and use FILTER CLEANER to remove the body oils and grime that build up in your filter. This ensures proper operation in the spring.

3. ADD WINTERIZING PRODUCTS:

Add winter shock to your pool at a rate of 1 lb. per 10,000 gallons. Scatter the product evenly over the surface of your pool. Use a pool brush to mix and dissolve any granules that settle on the bottom. See WINTER CLOSING KIT.

4. PREPARE YOUR EQUIPMENT:

Proper winterization may include equipment removal and storage, partial draining, and/or blowing out and plugging of all lines. POOL ANTIFREEZE is an essential preventative measure, but be sure to use pool antifreeze. Other forms of antifreeze are not appropriate for pool use (i.e. automotive antifreeze).

Equipment preparation is an important step that, if completed correctly, can help prevent damage to your pool equipment. Trapped water in your filter or return lines can freeze and lead to broken lines and damaged filter parts. If you're not sure what to do, contact a local pool professional for further instructions on proper winterization for your type of pool or schedule a winter closing. For residents of Southwestern Michigan or Northwestern Indiana, see our POOL CLOSING SERVICES.

5. COVER YOUR POOL:

There are many well-designed WINTER COVERS that will keep your pool protected and free from dirt, leaves and other debris during the winter season.

Covers should be free of holes and held in place securely with WATER TUBES or CABLES. Proper anchoring is especially important. There is nothing worse than a cover that falls into the pool during the winter. Moreover, improper anchoring, for example with cement blocks, can lead to pool damage.


HELPFUL TIPS TO CONSIDER:
  • Solid Covers— a couple inches of water added onto the top of the cover will hold it into place.

  • Mesh Covers— it is a good idea to apply an additional treatment of winter shock and winter algaecide about halfway through the winter to keep the water clean of bacteria and algae spores that may enter with the precipitation that leaks through your cover. Try our Natural Chemistry products: POOL MAGIC SPRING & FALL and POOL MAGIC SPRING & FALL + PHOSfree.

  • Partially Drained Pools— we recommend using air bags under the cover to help support the weight of winter precipitation.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS it may be worthwhile to invest in some products that make pool opening easier:

  • LEAF NETS are a great way to avoid drudging the leaves off your cover in the spring.

  • SIPHON PUMPS help remove water from your pool cover during the winter months. Siphons help prevent your cover from getting too heavy and falling in.

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