How to
Close And Winterize A Swimming Pool
(Inground And Above Ground Instructions)
Pool closing time is usually a sad time of year.
The weather is getting cold, the leaves are changing color and the
warm memories of summertime fun are fading away. This is not
usually the time of year that people like to think about their
swimming pools, but this is really the most important time of the
year to pay attention to the pool to avoid unnecessary problems
and costly repairs come Springtime.
The following are generalized instructions on
how to properly close an Inground and an Above Ground pool.
Please note that all pools are somewhat different and your pool may
need specific care not mentioned here. If you have any doubts
about how to properly close your particular pool, either give us a
call or contact a local pool professional. Remember...better
safe than sorry !
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How
to Close an Inground Pool
How
To Close an Above Ground Pool
Commonly
asked Questions about Pool Closings
Winter
Pool Care Instructions
- Locate all your winterizing supplies.
This should include the cover, the water tubes, the plugs for
the skimmers (gizzmos) and return jets and your winterizing
chemicals. You will also need an air compressor or a
powerful shop vac. You need these items for proper
winterization. If you are using the green Gizzmos to plug your
skimmers, check them out and make sure that they are not
cracked. This is very important when dealing with
gizzmos. Gizzmos with holes or cracks will not work !
- Backwash the filter very well to clean it
out. Drain DE filter tanks and leave backwash valve
open. On sand filters, unplug the filter drain plug and
leave off. Put drain plug with other removed items in the pump
basket. Make sure multiport valve has no water in it. Blow it
out with a compressor or shop vac if necessary. Please note that
it is not recommended to "acid wash" DE filters at the time of
the pool closing. This is best to do in the Spring so that
you can immediately run pool water through the system. It
is not good to use muriatic acid on a DE filter and then just
rinse it off and put it away. The acid may degrade the
filter parts over the winter.
- Disconnect your pump and filter. Make
sure that pump is totally drained out of any water. Turn pump
upside down once to make sure ! Remove any drain
plugs from the pump. It is a good idea to store any small
plugs or parts in the pump basket. This way you will be
able to find them easily in the Spring.
- If there is a heater, drain it and make
sure there is no sitting water inside. Blow it out with a
compressor or shop vac. Drain heater totally and remove all
drain plugs (if any). Put drain plugs in the pump basket for
safe keeping. We do not recommend to remove the heater
tray. You can remove it if you want, but you may have
trouble putting it back in the Spring. It is not necessary
on most units.
- Unscrew and loosen any quick disconnect
fittings or unions at your pump and filter system.
Remember, the name of the game is "no freeze cracks". If
the water is all drained out of your pipes and fittings, it
cannot freeze and expand and crack.
- Remove all return jet fittings ( the entire
fitting ! ). If you crack a fitting while removing it, don’t
panic!! You can get a replacement come Spring. Remove all
skimmer baskets. Put fittings and any other items that you
remove in one of the skimmer baskets or the pump basket to avoid
loss ( this includes the dive board bolts too ).
- Blow out all return jet pipes using an air
compressor or shop vac. Hook up air compressor or shop vac to
the return lines at the filter system - or - some people prefer
to screw the compressor fitting into the drain plug of the pump.
This will give a good seal and allow you to blow out the entire
system from that one spot - but this is up to you. Keep
the air blowing until the air bubbles start to become visible
from the return jets in the pool. Put a plug in the
fitting under the water when you see the bubbles blowing at full
force. This will mean that 99% of the water is out of the pipe.
Make sure plug is in tight ! This is most important.
- Blow out all skimmer (suction side) pipes
in a similar fashion as noted in #7. Put a Gizzmo-type screw in
plug in the skimmer when bubbles start to become visible. We
know that this is sometimes difficult, but proper gizzmo
installation is important. Make sure that you put PTFE tape on
the gizzmo threads before installing. This insures a tight seal.
If you don not want to use Gizzmo plugs and want to use black
rubber-type plugs instead, that is OK as long as there is
something in the skimmer to allow for water expansion when it
freezes. Usually a closed plastic empty soda-type bottle will
work. This is very important ! Do not just plug the
skimmer lines and forget about them. Water can easily
freeze in a skimmer and crack the plastic. This would be
bad ! Also, if you have a slide, an auto vac system or a
waterfall, you will have to drain and blow out those pipes as
well. Remember - we do not recommend putting anti-freeze type
products in the pipes. You will not need it if the lines
are properly blown out. The anti-freeze can cause a mess
in the Spring when you go to start your system and it gets
sucked into your filter and blown back into the pool. Try
to avoid antifreeze - if possible - by properly evacuating all
the water from the pipes.
- Blow out main drain line (if any). No, you
don’t have to dive down and plug the drain pipe. When you see
bubbles coming out of the drain, plug the pipe on your end or
close the gate valve. This is as much protection as you can give
to a main drain line. By doing this you will cause an "air
lock" in the line and no more water should enter the pipe from
the pool side.
- Put duct tape on all exposed pipes to
prevent anything from getting into them. Use a lot of tape, it’s
cheap !
- Remove rope and floats from pool and put
with the rest of the supplies.
- Remove dive board and ladders. Put in a
safe spot - a shed or the garage. Put the pump and filter
in the shed or garage as well. You probably are not going
to want to move your filter if it is a sand filter. You
can leave that outside ! Remember ... do not lose dive
bolts or ladder bumpers. Put them in the skimmer or pump
baskets.
- Mix any granular winterizing chemicals in a
bucket so that they are totally dissolved. Dump mixture into the
pool. You want to avoid any undissolved granules from settling
on the pool floor and staining the liner. This is very
important. If you are using any liquid winterizing chemicals,
pour them in the pool as well. Test the pool for pH and
Total Alkalinity. Adjust to normal levels using pH PLUS or
MINUS and ALKALINITY PLUS. pH should be between 7.2 - 7.6
and Alkalinity between 100-150 ppm. Make sure one of your
winterizer chemicals consists of a SHOCK-type product. You
want the chlorine level in the pool to be rather high (over 3.0
for wintertime).
- Water level. This is an area of a
little controversy with some people, so we are going to tell you
how they close the pools in New York & the Northeast. You do not have
to drain any water out of the pool provided that you have
properly blown out and plugged all your underground pipes as
outlined above and you do not have a pool that has decorative
ceramic tiles at the water line. Some people are used to
their pool being drained down past the skimmer. This is usually
done instead of blowing out the pipes and using gizzmos. Realize
that the higher their water level is through the winter, the
better it is for the pool cover. Pools that are drained down low
cause a lot of undue stress on the pool cover thereby shortening
its life - as well as exposing the pool liner to the air and
causing it to prematurely dry out. The use of gizzmos prevents
the skimmers from cracking, plugs the pipes and allows the water
level to remain high for the cover so that rain water does not
cause a lake on top of the pool cover - possibly causing it to
fall in. We feel that the way we have stated to close a pool is
the proper way. You really only have to drain the water
down in a pool if it has tile at the water level because the
surface water will freeze and expand over the winter and this
could cause those tiles to crack. Aside from this
situation, we feel that there is no valid reason to lower the
water in the pool. Also, you do not have to remove or
"lower" the pool light provided that you keep your
water at the normal level.
- Place the cover on the pool. If there are
rips or tears in the cover that are repairable, patch them with
either vinyl pool patch (for vinyl covers) or with pool cover
patch tape ( for lightweight covers) or with a heavy duty
duct-type tape. Remember, if your cover was declared legally
dead a few years ago then patching probably is not the right
thing to do ! It is probably time to get a new
cover. If there are sharp points that extend into the
pool, like step units or "ELS", then it is a good idea
to put rags or cardboard between the cover and the points on the
pool which extend out. Do this right or the cover may rip
on those stress points.
- If you use water tubes, lay out the water
tubes, placing them through loops on cover. Fill tubes with
water to approx. 85% and tightly seal all tubes. Do not overfill
the tubes - when they freeze you do not want them to expand and
split. Tubes should ideally be touching each other end to
end. However spacing them one (1) foot apart is OK. If you find
that tubes are leaking do not fill them. Replace them with
new. It is not a good idea to patch the old tubes unless
you absolutely have to. Remember...do not overfill tubes.
They should not be totally filled with water. Allow enough slack
in the tube for water expansion !
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- Locate all your winterizing supplies.
This should include the cover, the air pillow, the plugs for the
skimmers ( gizzmos or rubber plugs ), the winter plate ( if used
) and your winterizing chemicals. You need these items for
proper winterization. If you are using the green Gizzmos to plug
your skimmers, check them out and make sure that they are not
cracked. This is very important when dealing with gizzmos.
Gizzmos with holes or cracks will not work !
- Backwash the filter very well to clean it
out. Drain DE filter tanks and leave backwash valve
open. On sand filters, unplug the filter drain plug and
leave off. Put drain plug with other removed items in the pump
basket. Make sure multiport valve ( if any ) has no water in it.
Blow it out with a compressor or shop vac if necessary. Please
note that it is not recommended to "acid wash" DE
filters at the time of the pool closing. This is best to
do in the Spring so that you can immediately run pool water
through the system. It is not good to use muriatic acid on
a DE filter and then just rinse it off and put it away.
The acid may degrade the filter parts over the winter.
- Plug return pipes and skimmer (see #5 for
skimmer details and remove all hoses.
- Disconnect your pump and filter. Make
sure that pump is totally drained out of any water. Turn pump
upside down once to make sure ! Remove any drain
plugs from the pump. It is a good idea to store any small
plugs or parts in the pump basket. This way you will be
able to find them easily in the Spring. Store in a
shed or garage.
- Some people like to remove the skimmer box
and install a winter plate with gaskets. If you do this,
make sure it does not leak. Yes, you will get wet doing
this ! Most people simply plug the skimmer hole with a
black rubber plug or a gizzmo. It is easier. You can
let the water in the pool go down to the bottom of the skimmer
if you like - then you do not have to plug the hole at
all. This method is also OK, but realize that the pool
cover will sit lower in the pool - therefore you might want to
use a cover that is one or two sizes bigger than your pool so
that you have the extra material available. Any of these
methods are OK - it is mainly personal preference.
- Blow up and install your air pillow.
Air pillows are usually used but are not absolutely
necessary. They are a good idea in case the water in the
pool freezes, expands, and breaks the pool wall. The pillow
takes up the slack. However realize that this is somewhat
rare. If no pillow is available, you can use tires, tubes,
balls, or other air filled floating objects. Throw them
into the pool to take up ice expansion. Tie air pillow at two
places and position in center of pool. Tie strings to the pool
wall so the pillow does not move during cover installation. If
the pillow is leaking, either patch it or get a new one.
Remember...the pillow is there to take up any expansion of the
water which may occur due to freezing and possibly causing the
above ground pool wall to split. Pillows are NOT to keep
the rain water out of the pool cover. They will not do
that. The rain water will always settle around the outside
of the pillow.
- Remove all deck equipment from pool, if any
(ladders, rails, slides, etc.).
- Add chemicals. Mix any granular winterizing
chemicals in a bucket so that they are totally dissolved. Dump
mixture into the pool. You want to avoid any undissolved
granules from settling on the pool floor and staining the liner.
This is very important. If you are using any liquid winterizing
chemicals, pour them in the pool as well. Test the pool
for pH and Total Alkalinity. Adjust to normal levels using
pH PLUS or MINUS and ALKALINITY PLUS. pH should be between
7.2 - 7.6 and Alkalinity between 100-150 ppm. Make sure
one of your winterizer chemicals consists of a SHOCK-type
product. You want the chlorine level in the pool to be
rather high (over 3.0 for wintertime).
- Place cover on pool and secure. Make sure
that cover cable wire is tight so that cover does not blow off
or fall in pool. Make sure the pillow is still in the middle of
the pool after cover installation. If not, reset cover and
pillow.
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What kind of chemicals do
you put in the pool ?
We suggest a the use of a concentrated shock
treatment along with a winter algaecide and stain treat
product. Also make sure you adjust the pH and Alkalinity of
the water.
Do you put any Anti-Freeze
in the pipes ?
No…you should not have to. The only way that
you can guarantee that your underground pipes don’t freeze is to
blow all the water out of the pipes with a high powered air
compressor or shop vac. The only time you would need to add
Anti-Freeze is if you were going to leave water in the pipes. Then
you would have to add it to keep them from freezing - but this is
not recommended.
Do you drop the light -
lower the light - remove the light ?
No…you do not have to lower the light. A
long time ago, before people used compressors or shop vacs to blow
all the water out of the pipes, they had to lower the water in the
pool down past the returns. Then they used to have to remove the
light and drop it to the bottom of the pool because if the pool
water froze, it might expand and actually crack the light. Now a
days, since you can use the compressor to blow out the pipes, you
can keep the water level in the pool high up…so your light can
stay where it is. There is much less of a chance that the light will
develop a leak if you just leave it alone.
Why do you have to lower
the water in the pool if the pool has tile around the top at the
water level ?
If you have tile, and you do not lower the
water level, then if the water freezes, it can expand outwards and
actually crack the tile.
Do you have to lower the
water in a vinyl liner Inground pool ?
The only time that a pool needs to have the
water lowered is if you have a gunite or cement pool with tile
around the top, you know, at the water line. If you have tile, and
you do not lower the water level, then if the water freezes, it can
expand outwards and actually crack the tile. That’s the only
reason. If you have a liner in the pool, then there is no need to
lower the water level. When you use high powered compressors to blow
all the water out of the pipes, and plug the return jets and the
skimmers there is no need to lower the water. As long as you have
the GIZZMOS, those big green plugs for the skimmers, you can keep
the water at the regular level. The higher you can keep the water in
the pool, the better it is for your pool cover and there will be
much less of a chance of the cover falling in.
Well, I would prefer that
the water be lowered.
Basically it’s your pool…and if you
are more comfortable lowering the water level, then by all means do
it. However you should still follow the procedures listed above for
blowing out the pipes.
Should I acid wash my DE
filter before closing ?
You should backwash it out before you close it
down. That gets all the "gook" and old DE out of the
filter. If you want to have the filter "acid washed", that’s
usually something you do at the pool opening. You don’t want to
have the filter cleaned and then have it sit for the next six months
with acid residue in it ! Most people want to have it cleaned out
right before they start up the pool in the spring. It is best to
wait till then.
Well, I really want it
cleaned out now - I heard from a friend this was best.
Well, the problem is, to properly clean it out
you should use muriatic acid. And after the filter is cleaned out
with that stuff, you are supposed to re-attach it to your system and
immediately start running pool water through it. If you acid wash it
and just put it away, you could really damage the insides of the
filter, even if you hose it off really good. The filter
manufacturers do not recommend to acid wash a filter if you are
going to close it right away. It is really best to do it in the
spring.
Should I vacuum the pool
before I close it ?
Well, this is up to you. We do not recommend
closing the pool if there is A LOT of debris in it. Then you
should vacuum it all out. But a few leaves and bugs are
OK. Most people vacuum the pool right after they open it in
the Spring. You know, if we have a bad winter and part of your cover
falls in the pool, you’ll just have to vacuum it again when you
open it, so most people would rather just do it in the spring and
only have to do it once.
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Now that your pool has been
properly closed, please do not totally forget about it ! With a
minimum of care and maintenance throughout the winter months, your
cover will last longer and your pool will open up with less problems
in the spring. Follow the instructions below for best results.
Above Ground Pools
Periodically check your cover cable to make
sure that it is tight. If the cable becomes loose, the cover might
start to slip into the pool. Check your air pillow to make sure that
it still has air in it. If you see it starting to go flat, get
another one and slip it under the cover and blow it up. Remember,
the air pillow is not in the pool to keep rain water off the cover !
It is there to keep your pool walls from splitting if the water in
the pool freezes and expands. It does not matter if the pillow is in
the center of the pool and it does not matter if it is not 100 %
inflated.
Pump (or siphon) the rain water off the cover a few times
throughout the winter. Also remove any leaf accumulation that may
occur on the cover. Excess water and leaf weight can cause undue
stress on the cover and could cause the cover to rip or fall in.
Check the water level in the pool every month. A slow leak in the
liner could cause you to lose a lot of water from the pool. If you
notice the water level dropping, simply refill with a hose and keep
it as high as possible to prevent damage to the cover, liner and
walls.
If you notice part of the cover falling into
the pool, pull it up and properly reset it right away to prevent
damage.
Inground Pools with Water
Tube Type Covers
Make sure you replace any water tubes that
break over the winter. It is a good idea to have a few extra tubes
handy so that you can replace them as needed. Remember, the tubes
not only hold the cover on the pool, but also prevent wind from
blowing the cover up. Any areas that are not properly covered with
tubes could cause the cover to fall in or blow up. Do not use
cinder blocks, bricks, flower pots, lawn furniture or other heavy
items to keep your cover in place.
If the cover starts to fall
into the pool, it could drag any of those objects into the pool
causing massive damage to the pool cover and/or liner. Pump the rain
water off the cover a few times throughout the winter. Also remove
any leaf accumulation that may occur on the cover. Excess water and
leaf weight can cause undue stress on the cover and could cause the
cover to rip or fall in. Check the water level in the pool every
month.
A slow leak in the liner could cause you to lose a lot of
water from the pool. If you notice the water level dropping, simply
refill with a hose and keep it as high as possible to prevent damage
to the cover, liner and walls. If you notice part of the cover
falling into the pool, pull it up and properly reset it right away
to prevent damage.
"Loop
Loc" Mesh - Spring Type Covers
- Tightness: The springs and straps on
your cover will need to be adjusted from time to time,
especially during the first few seasons of use. The cover
material, as well as the straps, will start to stretch as soon
as the cover is initially installed. THIS IS NORMAL. Check cover
periodically over the first few seasons of use, and retighten
the straps as necessary.
- Water Level: The water level in your
pool should be kept at or just below the skimmer when the cover
is in use. However, the water level should not be lower than
18" from the top of the pool. If your water level goes
down further than 18", the cover could stretch out too much
and either rip or cause anchors to pull out of your deck. If you
experience a lot of precipitation over the winter months when
the cover is in use, it is possible that the pool could fill up,
no longer allowing the water from the cover to drain into the
pool. Check pool water level periodically over the winter,
adding or removing water when necessary with your garden hose or
cover pump.
- Water Clarity: Remember, this is a
mesh pool cover. Sunlight and rain water will get through the
cover to the pool water. Most pools covered with this type of
cover will remain clear until April or May, depending on the
weather. It is strongly recommended that you open your pool
early to avoid the green "swampy" water that occurs
when strong sunlight and temperatures over 80 degrees are
present. As a rule of thumb, you should open your pool prior
to May 15 to avoid a green water situation. It is also a
good idea to add 2 or 3 gallons of chlorine shock to the pool in
the beginning of April to ensure good water clarity at opening
time.
"Solid" - Spring
Type Winter Covers
- Tightness: The springs and straps on
your cover will need to be adjusted from time to time,
especially during the first few seasons of use. The cover
material, as well as the straps, will start to stretch as soon
as the cover is initially installed. THIS IS NORMAL. Check cover
periodically over the first few seasons of use, and retighten
the straps as necessary.
- Water Level: The water level in your
pool should be kept at or just below the skimmer when the cover
is in use. The water level should not be lower than 18"
from the top of the pool. If your water level goes down further
than 18", the cover could stretch out too much and either
rip or cause anchors to pull out of your deck. For most
manufacturers of Solid Spring type pool covers, this could void
your warranty ! If you experience a lot of precipitation over
the winter months when the cover is in use, it is possible that
the pool could fill up, no longer allowing the water from the
cover to drain into the pool. Check pool water level
periodically over the winter, adding or removing water when
necessary with your garden hose or cover pump.
- Cover Draining: Although the mesh
center drain panels of your cover will allow rain water to drain
into your pool, they are not designed to drain off every drop
of water from your cover. Because of the way that the cover
straps are situated, some water will puddle in areas of your
cover. THIS IS NORMAL AND THERE IS NO WAY TO STOP THIS FROM
HAPPENING. Do not try to over - tighten the cover straps in an
attempt to get all the cover water to drain into the mesh
panels. It will not work, and you run the risk of over -
stretching the straps and springs. For most manufacturers of
Solid Spring type pool covers, this could void your warranty !
The center mesh drain panels are primarily designed to let most
of the water drain off the cover.
- Mesh Panel: To ensure proper
drainage, make certain the mesh center drain panels are clear of
leaves and debris. Check cover periodically over the winter and
remove debris from panels as it accumulates using a pool leaf
net, vacuum pole or broom. This is especially important for
pools located in heavily wooded or treed areas. If you walk
on the cover to get to the panels, make sure you are not wearing
shoes with spikes or heels, as this could puncture the cover.
Failure to keep the mesh panel free from leaves and debris will
result in improper water drainage from the surface of the pool
cover and will cause too much water weight on the pool cover.
This could cause the cover material, straps and/or hardware to
stretch or break. For most manufacturers of Solid Spring type
pool covers, this could void your warranty !
- Water Clarity: Remember, this cover
has mesh drainage panels. Some sunlight and rain water will get
through the cover to the pool water. Most pools covered with
this type of cover will remain clear until April or May,
depending on the weather. It is strongly recommended that you
open your pool early to avoid the green "swampy" water
that occurs when strong sunlight and temperatures over 80
degrees are present. As a rule of thumb, you should open your
pool prior to May 15 to avoid a green water situation. It is
also a good idea to add 2 or 3 gallons of chlorine shock to the
pool in the beginning of April to ensure good water clarity at
opening time.
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