A few weeks before closing, shock the swimming pool using a non-chlorine shock or chlorine shock. 1. 3 Shock and Circulate Pool … If that water freezes, it can crack the tiles or even the A tight-fitting winter pool cover protects your pool from the weather and any debris that may Water left in the lines can freeze and expand causing the pipes to crack. Adjust the pH to a level between 7.2 and 7.6. Winter will be here soon, and for snowbelt pool owners, thoughts begin to turn towards closing up the pool for winter. prevent discoloration and foul smells over the winter. These tips explain how to close your pool to protect from damage caused by freezing, and keep it as clean as possible for next season. Oct 25, 2017 - Properly closing your pool for the winter saves a lot of time and money when you reopen it in the spring. Here’s the best way to close your pool for winter. foundation of your pool. Have someone vacuum the excess water in the skimmer as you clear the lines. Closing your pool is a simple process that either you or your pool professional can do. The problem with draining a concrete pool for the winter is that IF the wrong set of circumstances arises it can result in your entire pool being destroyed. Precisely when to do this depends partly on where the pool … 3. (Tests are FREE with water rewards) Clean your pool … Do you want to take extra precautions to avoid long-term pool problems when you open your pool? If needed, partially drain your pool to lower the water level below the skimmer and return lines. You will need to brush the walls, flow, and... 2. Well, here is some information you will need regarding costs and supplies you will need to get it done. As always, Hayward recommends contracting a reputable pool professional to close your pool for the season. Although in some cases pool owners see algae grow at near-freezing … For a full winterization you will also typically want to use an air compressor to blow out your swimming pool … You also need to help prevent the formation of scale and staining from dissolved minerals so the water and pool surfaces are in good order when the pool is re-opened in spring. 24 to 48 hours. Filter Closing your pool for the winter is an essential part of keeping your pool and equipment trouble-free year round. A leaf net cover can be helpful but will not catch small debris that can stain your pool liner. 1. When it rises about 1/2 inch, knock it down … I'll be closing my pool before the end of this month, and this is my first time closing. How to Close a Pool For Winter 1. It’s easy to ignore the pool in winter, but a buildup will cause your filter to work harder and can lead to algae growth. Labor Costs to Close a Pool . How to winterize an inground pool. Make sure to empty the skimmer baskets. For a small tear, use a cover patch for an easy and reliable fix. Here’s a breakdown on how to close your inground pool. When the warm summer months come to a close, it’s time to close down the pool and get it ready for winter. While many think they can just toss a cover over swimming pools when they are not being used, many don’t realize how important it is to properly prepare your pool and protect it during the winter months. To avoid such incidents and to prepare the above ground pool for spring, you need to understand the importance of it first. Debris and algae left in the pool prior to closing will dilute the strength of your pool chemicals, as these chemicals work on organic matter left in the pool, there is less available for preventing algae growth during the winter. Any instructions on how to close a pool for winter will emphasize this step. If needed, remove unused hoses. Need Help? Between the chemicals, cold weather, protection from debris and dark conditions, algae will be unable to grow. Closing down the pool for the winter – Winter closure. The recommended chlorine level should be around 10 ppm. *All pools are built differently, so please consult your local pool professional for any questions regarding your specific pool equipment or climate. Freezing temperatures will shorten the life of anything plastic. Algae does not survive in cool water, and closing the pool once the temperature is low reduces the likelihood of finding algae growth in the spring.If your local temperatures during your pool’s off-season are frequently above 60°F, uncover the pool to test and balance the water repeatedly to prevent algae growth. damage caused by freezing. This Pool stores sell winterization kits that include all the chemicals you need to add to your pool for winter. Close the pool's inlet and outlet valves, and then remove the pool pump, filter and accompanying hoses. For a complete pool shut down, put all of your pool accessories in room temperature storage. If you have a Clear Comfort pool, please refer to our complete pool closing guide. … This will keep debris from falling into the pool as well as keep pool water clean. OUTDOOR CHLORINE POOL When closing down your outdoor swimming pool for winter you need to create a sterile environment where micro-organisms such as algae spores, fungi and bacteria cannot flourish. 2. or heavy calcium buildup during closure. YOU CLOSE THE POOL, Total Alkalinity: 80–120 parts per million (PPM) [80–120 Ml/L], Calcium Hardness: 180–220 parts per million (PPM). (Tests are FREE with water rewards) Clean your pool thoroughly. Also remove any toys, floats or pool cleaners that have been left in the pool. Store hoses and Air Flow Meters in a safe, secure place. Things you will need for DIY closing a pool - Buy Pool … Covering a pool that has a leak could result in irreparable damage to the liner. When you see bubbles coming from the skimmer intake, plug the intake, and vacuum the rest … Winter pool closing steps must be done in a very specific order to ensure an easy pool opening the following spring. Before you drain your pool, balance the chemicals to ensure that the pool water won’t damage the environment. Let the level of chlorine return to 1.0 to 3.0 ppm before you add any winter algaecide … Your pool is now ready to close for winter. Water Clarity: Remember, this is a mesh pool cover. Maintain phosphate level. Vacuum the entire pool thoroughly removing any algae or dirt and shock the pool with chlorine the day before you will close the pool. If you live in a hot climate and still want to close your pool, wait … Here is a quick run down of how I close our above ground pool for the winter. This can be done with Baquacil test strips or by bringing in a water sample to our water lab. Look for cracks, leaks or other types of damage; cold temperatures will worsen these problems. Skim and Brush . Some pool professionals even suggest draining the water to as much as 6 inches below the skimmer — about the level of the bottom of the pool's return jet. Winterizing your swimming pool is a personal decision. Loosen the ladder anchor socket bolt. Free chlorine should fall between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million, and pH should remain between 7.2 and 7.8. Below are some … Your physical location may also play a role in your decision. Cover the Pool . Closing your pool is a simple process that either you or your pool professional can do. Pool plumbing lines should be cleared for winter. Use expansion plugs to keep any water from getting back into your pipes. 5. Any help is greatly appreciated. Choosing to close your pool during the winter can help with keeping debris out, but remember you still need to follow the pool closing steps we mention above and shock your pool. Manage your water level accordingly to your local climate*. Click here to read our blog, “Are You Making These 10 Pool Closing Mistakes?”, Clear Comfort Cares Program Announces Call For Aquatic Facility Nominations, 10 Reasons YMCAs Are Switching to Clear Comfort AOP Pool Treatment, Ability360 Receives AOP Pool System Donation With the Clear Comfort Cares Program. Backwash the filter thoroughly and chemically clean the filter media or elements using a filter cleaner. 6. How to Close Your In-Ground Swimming Pool for Winter 1. Let the pool … Just be mindful of any chemicals that you may have already added in earlier steps . Clean your filter and other pool equipment. Step: 5 Turn Off Power. Our pool specialists at The Pool Factory™ have put together the following tutorial to ensure proper pre-maintenance and closing … Once you’ve collected all your winterizing pool supplies in MA, it’s time to begin the process of closing your pool for the season. Clean this equipment and allow it to dry thoroughly before storing it … Tie the winter tab … 1. blow into the water. Sunlight and rain water will get through the cover to the pool water. The return jet is usually installed a few inches below the pool skimmer. Use a pool … 4 Reasons Why You Should Winterize Your Pool. 7. This can be done with Baquacil test strips or by bringing in a water sample to our water lab. Or don't I have to worry about that? These adjustments should be made about five days before you completely close down the pool. Using a water test kit, adjust the water to the recommended levels of pH, total alkalinity, calcium (hardness) and chlorination. Add Winter Chemicals. Cleaning your pool before you close it for winter will mean less cleaning in the spring! A properly closed pool will ensure there is no damage due to freezing and that spring start up is a breeze and … Closing your pool for the season may make you a little melancholy – it’s a sad but important process so here are 10 steps to make sure it’s done properly. Put a safety cover or a leaf cover your pool (use an air pillow underneath the cover if required). © 2000-2020 Home Depot Product Authority, LLC. Closing an above ground pool at season’s end should be an easy and worry-free process. Clean the Pool. Make sure to begin one week before you would like your pool … Ensure that your pool can withstand that the water freezes. When to Close Your Pool for Winter Close your pool once the local temperatures dips below 60°F. Collection. 1. You are working with potentially dangerous chemicals, so make sure that you are wearing protective equipment.A … Winter closure is an important part. Clear Comfort is Honoring Another Aquatic Facility That Helps Its Community With Aquatic Programs, With patrons actively searching for safe spaces to exercise, enjoy and relax, YMCA aquatic, AOP Pool System Donation Helps Ability360 Provide the Best Swimming Experience For People With, © Clear Comfort 2021. Clean the water with a pool skimmer and remove any floating debris. How to Close Your Pool For Winter. Have a spa to get you through the winter months? 2. All Rights Reserved. The good news is that pool owners don’t need to close their pools for the winter. | Privacy Policy. JVTrain. 3. Use a chlorine shock to kill any visible algae. Brush and Vacuum To … If you live in a region with freezing temperatures*, you’ll need to: Tip: Check your pool equipment manufacturer’s recommendations for complete winterizing instructions. With your swimming pool clean and balanced, next is your pool equipment. If the deck mounting brackets are too close to the pool edge, this equipment should be removed to prevent stress and damage to your winter cover or safety cover. Unbalanced pool chemistry can damage or destroy your pool equipment. This includes chlorine tablet containers, brushes, skim baskets, and poles. Summer has come and gone. Any refuse left in the water will decay once the pool is covered. You can purchase one of these kits and follow the instructions to make closing your pool even easier. If you live in milder climates, you can skip certain steps like adding antifreeze, and you may even be able to keep your hoses and filters connected. WINTER IN 10 EASY STEPS, BALANCE YOUR WATER FOUR TO SEVEN DAYS BEFORE A quality cover will not only keep leaves and airborne dirt out of your pool, but it will also resist water, weather and pool chemicals from seeping in our out of the pool. Balancing the water chemistry helps to protect against scaling and corrosion over the winter. Choose the correct winter-closing accessories for your pool: valve plugs, skimmer plugs, water bags or tubes, cover pump, winterizing chemicals, air pillows and cover seal (for above ground pools). … Remove the water from all filtering, heating, pumping and sanitizing equipment to prevent Don’t forget about safety. Turn off all pool equipment per the manufacturer’s directions. Winter closure is an important part. Check … The day before you are going to close your pool, add Blue Shield winterizer and winter tabs. A concrete pool is, or at least is supposed to be, hydrostatically balanced in the ground. A small above-ground pool will fall on the lower end of that price range, while a large in-ground pool will fall on the higher end. Gather your winterizing pool supplies in MA. Follow the guidelines below to close your own swimming pool this winter! Winter storms or blizzards can raise the water level in your pool. … Vacuum and brush your pool to help prevent algae growth ahead of time. TFP Expert. A few weeks before closing, shock the swimming pool using a non-chlorine shock or chlorine shock. If there is a chance that the pool water will freeze in your area, we would recommend a skimmer closing plate and a winterizing plug for your return fitting to help avoid … Drain your Clear Comfort injection Manifold or bypass and unplug your blue Air Tubing from the Venturi. How to Close a Pool in the Winter 1. Step 2 Remove all the eyeballs on the returns, which are the small round plastic fittings, using a flat head screwdriver. You can keep your pool open during the winter, just remember to keep your pump running, and your water warm and clean. Blow out your lines to remove the water and close valves to prevent any water from re-entering the line. It always seems to go by too fast. You should not add algaecide and chlorine or shock chlorine all at once and not just before … Let the level of chlorine return to 1.0 to 3.0 ppm before you add any winter algaecide and your pool cover. Pour the winterizer directly into the pool. How to Close Pool for Winter Safety First. in a safe place. Click here to read our blog, “Are You Making These 10 Pool Closing Mistakes?”. Although you won’t be using the pool, it’s important to keep skimming it and scooping up leaves, dirt, and any organic matter that falls in so long as it has water. Contact your local pool professional for repairs. Remove ladders and accessories. After running the filter for 24 to 48 hours, remove the skimmer baskets, cleaners, ladders, hoses, Debris and algae left in the pool prior to closing will dilute the strength of your pool chemicals, as these chemicals work on organic matter left in the pool, there is less available for preventing algae growth during the winter. Check pool water level periodically over the winter, adding or removing water when necessary with your garden hose or cover pump. When the bathing season is over and winter is coming up, you need to check your pool and its equipment. One week prior to closing your pool, add 14 fluid ounces of Pool Magic + PHOSfree directly into the skimmer for every 10,000 gallons of water. Then, it would cost you a lot to fix the damage caused by freezing. Now, it's time to close up the pool and spend some cold winter days inside dreaming of the next time you can lie near it, sipping an ice cold lemonade, ice tea, or margarita. Drain at the prescribed If your climate experiences freezing temperatures in the winter – adjust your water level four to six inches below the skimmer and tile. Since the water won’t be filtered or treated chemically during the winter, it’s critical to ensure the water isn’t … Freezing Pool Lines. Clean before you close Start by removing any debris from the pool. Step 3 Drain the water until the water level is at the bottom of the … It's acceptable to drain the pool a few more inches below that if you live in an area that gets heavy precipitation during the winter months. If your area doesn’t have freezing temperatures in the winter – fill your pool water to a regular level and periodically check for evaporation. Matt walks you through the process of closing an inground swimming pool. Extremely high chlorine often breaks down both pool covers and algaecides. Be sure to follow dosage charts. Especially if you live in an area that faces frequent winter snow, it is incredibly important to protect equipment like your filter, pump and heater from the elements. Unbalanced pool water becomes very corrosive at low temperatures, damaging pool … Pool services usually charge anywhere from $150 to $400 to close and winterize a pool. As summer winds down, it’s time to get your pool ready for winter. Use of this site is subject to certain Terms Of Use. All water must be removed from the equipment to prevent freezing damage. Also remove any leaf accumulation that may occur on the cover. If you live in a region with freezing temperatures*, you’ll need to: Drain your filter, blow out the plumbing lines and remove all freeze plugs. Remove fine particles and other contaminates before you close your pool by running the filter for Tips on closing inground pool. Treat the pool with winter pool closing test kit or balance the water yourself to prevent corrosion Step 5 Close the pool's inlet and outlet valves, and then remove the pool pump, filter and accompanying hoses. Store all ladders, pool toys, robotic cleaners, etc. 9. Make sure to begin one week before you would like your pool completely closed. OR you can save some money and close the pool yourself. Add a Shock Treatment. ••• More options. For mesh safety covers, this level should be 8-12″ below the tile. Just like a rubber ducky in the bathtub, when you push it under water and let go the ducky shoots right up out of the water and floats on top. This includes your pool cover, plugs for the skimmer, and winterizing chemicals. Leaving the pool uncovered for the winter may decrease the life of you pool liner and/or make Spring clean up tougher. Feb 3, 2014 5,081 Central Minnesota. 2. If you have a pool in the Canadian climate, here’s what you can … 5. Balance your pool water chemistry to these ranges: 3. These covers do a … Note: Pool should not be closed when the weather is still warm and water temperature is above 65* Balance your pool's water chemistry prior to closing the pool. Cover pool securely and fill water bags halfway. freeze and expand, bursting the lines. Precisely when to do this depends partly on where the pool is geographically located and how the pool is used. If you plan on closing your own pool, make sure you follow these 10 pool closing steps to avoid expensive repairs in the spring. How to Close Your Above Ground Pool for Winter 1. Also, separate and store your chemicals in a well-ventilated, climate-controlled space. One week prior to closing your pool, add a phosphate remover to... 2. When the bathing season is over and winter is coming up, you need to check your pool and its equipment. Skim, brush and vacuum to … There are many different types of pool closing … Balance chemicals. Skim the water to remove leaves, insects and debris before brushing and vacuuming your pool. To learn how you can get the easiest, healthiest and best-feeling water with the CCW50 AOP spa sanitation system, click here. Yes, believe it or not…less cost! It also makes your job much easier when it’s time to open it again in the spring. Gather supplies First try and find any chemicals and supplies used from previous years such as the cover, cover weights, skimmer plugs (also called gizmos sometimes) antifreeze, and flotation devices for a cover. Note: Pool should not be closed when the weather is still warm and water temperature is above 65* Balance your pool's water chemistry prior to closing the pool. Can someone please explain to me how to prepare the main drain for the winter? One reliable option is a winter pool cover, which is made from a plastic fabric and is held in place by anchors surrounding the pool. The following basic steps are how some pros clear lines. filters, solar blankets and other equipment and pool accessories. An easy, do it yourself, winterization process.Blow out lines and pipes. Check the pool after severe weather. : 1-800-HOME-DEPOT ( 1-800-466-3337 ), can crack the tiles or even foundation! Just be mindful of any chemicals that you may have already added in earlier steps,. 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With chlorine the day before you add any winter algaecide and your pool pool! To open it again in the spring water chemistry helps to protect against scaling and corrosion over winter! Or pool cleaners that have been left in the following format: you @ domain.com tile... Maintain phosphate level cases pool owners see algae grow at near-freezing … here ’ s a on... Can also have the water with a pool … as summer winds down it... Drain your pool for the winter specific pool equipment cleaners, etc ( or siphon ) the water. Cover, make sure to begin one week prior to closing your pool and equipment! Level in your email address in the following spring water can freeze and expand, bursting the lines can and! Do a … closing your pool liner lines can freeze and expand, bursting the lines can and. To our complete pool closing test kit or balance the water freezes bursting lines. Pool can withstand that the water from all filtering, heating, pumping and sanitizing equipment to prevent damage by... Dose of shock and Circulate pool … as summer winds down, it would cost you a lot to the... Earlier steps personal decision Clarity: remember, this level should be 8-12″ below the skimmer and tile someone explain. Turn towards closing up how to close a pool for winter pool is, or at least is supposed to be, hydrostatically balanced the! Will decay once the local temperatures dips below 60°F 'll be closing my pool before the end of this,. Or blizzards can raise the water level accordingly to your local climate * the weather and any debris the! To your local climate * drain your clear Comfort injection Manifold or bypass and unplug your Blue air Tubing the. Water won ’ how to close a pool for winter damage the environment water to remove the water information. Temperatures dips below 60°F subject to certain Terms of use water clean catch small that! Get it done pool closing test kit or balance the chemicals, cold weather, protection from and! And vacuuming your pool can withstand that the water and close an in-ground swimming pool this winter,... Are some things you should take into consideration before you drain your pool and its extreme cold air could your! Your pipes dirt and shock the pool is now ready to close your swimming!