How Do I Prepare My Swimming Pool For Winter?

One of the most important parts of pool maintenance is getting the pool and all its components ready for the winter. Preparing the pool for winter is essential in having a good pool for the spring. Properly winterizing your pool will ensure that the pump, filter and other essential parts will stay in good working order. You can eliminate the need to pay expensive repair bills in the spring if you take the time to properly prepare the pool in the fall.

Before you winterize your pool it needs to be thoroughly cleaned. You need to clean all the areas of the pool including the floor and sides. Keep your pump and filter running since you’ll likely be stirring up lots of dirt that needs to be filtered out. Skim the surface and use a vacuum or power cleaner to get all the debris out of the pool. Scrub the sides of the pool to make sure that no algae will begin to form.

Check to make sure that the chemicals in the swimming pool water are properly balanced. Then you can add a winterizing chemical mix sold through many pool retailers. Adding these chemicals at the end of the season help to keep your water clear through the winter so you’ll have less to do when you open your pool. You may be tempted to simply toss in some additional chlorine tablets or a floating dispenser but avoid doing this. These only end up sticking to the bottom or sides of the pool and causing problems or bleaching.

You may need to remove a small amount of water from the pool before winter. This is necessary because water expands as it freezes and can cause problems. Make sure that the water line is below the straining baskets. You can also install basket protectors to cover them over the winter. Either way you need to make certain that no water will end up getting into the baskets and thus into the filter system.

Next you’ll need to detach your pump and filtration system. Remove excess water in the lines by using a vacuum. A shop vacuum works well for this purpose. Once the water is removed you should plug the ends of the pipes or lines. This will prevent any further water from accumulating and freezing inside the lines.

Drain the water completely from the filter. To do this you’ll need to remove the plug on the filter bottom. Put the valve in the “winter” position and remove the pressure gauge for inside storage. When possible store the equipment indoors where it won’t freeze. Keep it together in a storage bin so you can easily find all the items when you need them in the spring.

Once this is complete you need to cover your pool over the winter. One good option is to place a large flotation device in the middle of the pool. This helps to keep the water from completely freezing and also helps the cover stay upright rather than sagging into the pool.

The process of winterizing your pool is not complicated. You will save time and money in the spring if you make the effort to properly close down your pool in the fall. If you are unsure about the process you can hire a local pool company to assist in closing and winterizing your swimming pool.