Having a pool is great; You can enjoy it all summer long, throw parties, invite friends, splash around and laugh, but like all good things, inground pool season must also come to an end. If you’re lucky enough to live in a climate where you can enjoy your pool year-round, that’s great, but for the rest of us dealing with the inevitable pool winterization, it’s best to get it right the first time. once so the cold months are unharmed and ready for the next season.
The first step in closing the pool is finding all the winterizing accessories. This of course includes the cover but also things like water pipes, skimmer caps and return water jets and of course the chemicals you will need for the remaining water and also an air compressor or a powerful shop vacuum cleaner.
Now you are ready to winterize it. Go ahead and backwash the filter to clean it. You will then unplug the pump and filter and make sure they are both free of water. You can use the air compressor to blow excess water out of all tubes. The earplugs you remove will be needed again when spring arrives, so be sure to put them in a safe place!
The next step is to remove all the fittings from the return jet and unscrew any fittings on your pump and filter system. If there is no water in the fittings or pipes, it cannot freeze during the winter, which means that the pipes will not expand or crack. At this time, you should also remove all the baskets from the skimmer. Blow out all the return lines with your shop vacuum air compressor, remember, you want a minimum of water to remain in those lines during the winter.
Once you have removed all floats, ropes, diving boards, and ladders from the pool, you will need to tape all exposed pipes to prevent anything from getting in. The last step is to mix the winterizing chemicals and put them in the water, put on the cover, and you’re done.
Of course this is just a quick guide, more can be found in your specific pool manufacturer’s manual. However, it is good to note that all the work you do now will mean a great pool in spring when you open it again to enjoy.