Steps to Closing Your Swimming Pool for the Winter – Part One

For those that live in areas with seasonal climates, the time is approaching to get your swimming pool ready to close before the harsh winter months settle in. In order to protect and preserve your pool’s equipment, structure, and water over the harsh winter months you will need to make sure your pool is properly inspected .

For those that live in areas with seasonal climates, the time is approaching to get your swimming pool ready to close before the harsh winter months settle in. In order to protect and preserve your pool’s equipment, structure, and water over the harsh winter months you will need to make sure your pool is properly winterized. When this is done correctly, you will enjoy a hassle-free, pleasant pool opening in the spring.

According to the majority of industry experts, the optimum time to close your swimming pool is when the nighttime temps are in the 40’s, and the daytime temps are in the high 60’s to low 70’s. In many places, this is around the middle to end of October. Chlorine demand is significantly reduced with the cooler water temps, translating into the chlorine lasting much longer over the winter. You will risk algae growth if you close your pool too early because the chemicals for winter protection will not last through the months to spring. If your pool is not being used, but it is too early to close it, then it is recommended that you use a leaf net to place over the surface of the water to keep leaves out of the water.

2-Pool Inspection

Walk around and visually inspect pool equipment, as well as the pool structure to verify everything is in full working order. Anything that is broken, worn, defective, or cracked needs to be fixed before closing your pool for the winter. If this is not done, you risk further damage and issues to your pool, especially when it comes to the opening process.

3-Chemical Level Testing

It is critical to test the chemical levels, ideally a week before you close the pool. When you do this correctly, you will have the time to balance and adjust any imbalances that can cause corrosion and buildup of scale. The chemicals levels can be checked anywhere from 3-7 days before closing the swimming pool.  The chemical level testing should be in the following ranges to ensure a good closing of your pool.

Alkalinity: 80-120 ppm

pH: 7.2-7.6

Chlorine: 1-3 ppm

Calcium Hardness: 175-250 ppm

4-Chemicals for Winterization

You can use granular chemicals or liquid chemicals for your pool’s winterization, but if you use the granules, then you have to make sure they are completely dissolved in a bucket prior to adding them to the pool. If you do not do this, you will risk having the granules settling on the pool’s floor causing damage and whitening to the liner and equipment. It is equally important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the pool and the chemicals.

5-Draining the Water

When preparing your pool for the closing before winter, you will want to drain the water from the pump to drop the water level down just below the return lines or at a level of 12-18 inches below the opening of the skimmer. When this is done correctly, it will keep water from freezing and causing damage to the pipes. After you have removed all of the water, make sure to plug the skimmer holes and the jet to prevent any water from returning into the lines.

These are the first five steps out of ten that must be taken for a successful swimming pool’s closing. Be sure to come back for Part Two, which will detail the final five steps.

If you do not have the time, knowledge, or desire to perform these steps for your swimming pool’s closing, then contacting professional pool maintenance experts is imperative to ensure nothing goes wrong during the process.