How do I close my pool?
Step 1. Clean Your Pool
Clean-up next Spring will be greatly reduced if your pool is thoroughly cleaned before closing it in the fall. Be sure to vacuum the bottom and skim the surface before proceeding to the next step.
Step 2. Balance Your Water
Balance the components of your pool the same way you would if you were maintaining your pool for the swimming season. All components should be within their desire ranges; add the appropriate corrective chemicals to bring levels into the required range.
Step 3. Shock Your Pool and Add Algaecide
Lithium
Shock or
Chlorine-Free
Shock is recommended when closing a swimming pool. Chlorine Pool Shock may
also be used, but is not recommended for a pool with a vinyl liner because the
chlorine shock may bleach or stain the liner.
Algaecide
is recommended for preventative maintenance of algae growth over the winter months.
Add the recommended dosage of algaecide and shock treatment while your pool filter
is circulating the water.
Step 4. Winterizing Kits
To make winterizing simple and economical, we suggest
Winterizing
Kits. Kits come complete with Winterizing Inhibitor, Winterizing Stain-Away,
Chlor-Free Shock and a float containing a non-chlorine oxidizer. (You may skip
Step #3 if you’re using a Winterizing Kit )
Step 5. Lower The Water Level
Lower the water level in your pool to 4-6 inches below the skimmer. We suggest
taking all above-ground pool filter equipment indoors for the winter to prevent
cracking from freezing water. In-ground pool filters require that the lines be
drained, plugged and filled with anti-freeze. Be sure to follow manufacturer’s
guidelines and instructions for protecting your underground pool lines.
Step 6. Drain and Plug Your Lines
(For In-Ground Pools Only!)
In-ground pools require the lines to be drained, plugged, and filled with anti-freeze.
First, the valves must be closed. The next step is to drain or blow out the lines.
Plug them with
Winterizing
Plugs. Proceed to fill the skimmer line with
Anti-Freeze.
In the Spring,
Anti-Freeze
can be vacuumed out or drained into the pool since it is a non-toxic formula.
Be sure to follow manufacturer guidelines and instructions for protecting in-ground
pool lines.
Be sure to place a
Skimmer
Guard into the skimmer to prevent costly damage from ice. The
Skimmer
Guard acts as an ice compensator, and will prevent your skimmer from cracking
once the rain/snow water accumulates in the skimmer.
TIME-SAVING TIP - After you’ve drained your pool equipment and plugged
all your lines, place all the drain plugs, return jet fittings, light screws,
etc. into your skimmer basket. Store your skimmer basket filled with these items
next to your other pool supplies over the winter and you won’t have to look for
them next Spring!
Step 7. Covering Your Pool
Taking the time to correctly cover your pool is the single most important step
to opening a clean pool in the Spring.
Winter Pool Covers
With a Winter Pool Cover, your properly treated pool water is as clean in the
Spring as it was when the pool was closed in the Fall. Debris, snow and rain accumulate
on top of the cover, but cannot contaminate the pool water below.
Winter covers are available in many sizes to fit standard pools, or can be custom-made
to fit unusually shaped pools.
TIME-SAVING TIP - In the Spring, drain as much water from the cover as
possible a few days before removing it. This allows the last inch or two of water
to evaporate completely by the time the cover is to be removed. Remember, a couple
of inches of water on a solid winter cover can weigh hundreds of pounds, making
removal difficult.
Safety
pool covers perform the same function as a standard Winter pool cover,
by protecting your pool from harsh weather and debris, but also offer the added
benefit of preventing drowning accidents and keeping animals and intruders out
of the pool. A safety cover is installed tight over the surface of the swimming
pool using a unique anchoring system, and can safely support many times the weight
of a person. There are several Safety Cover options available.
