Reviewed April 2007

Pool Tips^™
Pool Winterizing

You must read all of the Liability Agreement before taking any action, especially all safety and liability warnings.

NOTE: The best way to close your pool is to take your time. Do a little bit every day for 3-4 days, or take two weekends. Don't close too early - wait until the water temperature drops under 50°F. If the weather turns warm and the water heats up, the Winter Kit chemicals still may not be able to prevent algae growth. If you use a mesh cover, or a solid cover with holes in it, don't bother with winter chemicals. They don't stand a chance with dirt, algae, dust and debris falling through the cover.

1. The Pool
   1. Testing. Bring in a quart of water, and ask for a winter balance test - it's not the same as a summer balance! If the pool water has any problems (cloudy, algae, mold, etc.), solve them now. Follow the balancing directions on your print out (if necessary), and bring your sanitizer and pH levels into normal ranges. If you use Bioguard Optimizer Water Conditioner, bring your level back to normal (probably 20 to 40 ppm) before adjusting your pH.

   2. Housekeeping. Skim everything off the top, and vacuum or scoop all leaves and debris off the bottom. Brush the walls to loosen up any algae, slime, or water mold. This is very important. If the pool is not perfectly clear and clean when you close it, the pool will probably turn dark green over the winter. Immediately go to the next step.

   3. Chemicals. Shock the pool with your normal dose. Do not use potassium monopersulfate to shock for closing. It's a perfectly reasonable oxidizer, but it is not a sanitizer. Add a good non-chlorine winter kit, being careful not to use a kit with winter chlorine tablets that could break, settle to the bottom, and ruin your liner or pool bottom. (Those kits are made for the South, where pools do not freeze, and generally do not have vinyl liners).

      Allow the water to circulate 12 to 24 hours, to allow the chemicals to circulate, and the chlorine level (if you used a chlorine shock) to return to normal. A high chlorine level can shorten the life of your cover.

      Gunite and plaster pools must get extraordinary care in winterizing. High mineral counts can stain the walls over the winter. Unbalanced water can cause etching or calcium deposits on the walls. Be sure to add winter Anti-Stain, and balance all factors carefully.

   4. The Skimmer. If possible, cover the front of the thru-wall skimmer with a solid faceplate to prevent ice damage to the skimmer. This also allows you to conserve water. Otherwise, guess how much it will rain this winter, and lower the water level that far below the skimmer - probably six to eight inches. The easiest method is by vacuuming to waste or bypass (not backwash). If you don't know how, ask us.

      On above-ground pools, remove the hoses, and wedge an empty, capped plastic quart bottle into the bottom of the skimmer to absorb ice expansion. Leave the bottom of the skimmer open, to allow water that does get into it, to escape.

      On in-ground pools, screw a Gizmo® into the skimmer to absorb ice expansion while keeping water out of the lines.

      On inground pools and above ground pools where you used a winter plate on the face of the skimmer, plug the returns with a threaded plug (the best) or an expansion plug (second best). We carry twelve sizes. It would be helpful if you knew the brand, model, or size before you came in. On above ground pools where the skimmer opening was left open, also leave the return open so the pool can leak out the return, preventing ice from getting into the skimmer.

   5. The Lines. Remove all above-ground lines, and store someplace that will not freeze. Blow out all underground lines with a compressor. One at a time, remove the Gizmo and the return plugs until the line bubbles all air and no water. Then, re-plug. This is a two-person job. To be on the safe side, pour swimming pool antifreeze into the lines. Make sure it's compatible with the chemicals that will be in the pool next spring.

      This is all very important. If your lines or filter freeze, they could easily break, causing very expensive damage (like digging up the deck). Always follow the pool builder's or manufacturer's instructions, especially if they conflict with ours. We are not accepting liability for $10,000. deck repairs when we give out free advice!

   6. The Water Level. Mark the water line on the wall or skimmer plate with a pencil. Check the water level twice a week for at least a month. If the water level drops, call us immediately. If the water leaks out from under a bed of ice, the pool could be destroyed. If a gunite pool completely empties, it may pop out of the ground. If a metal or plastic-walled in-ground pool empties to less than one foot in the shallow end, the walls could bend or cave in.

2. The Equipment
   1. The Filter Tank. Backwash or drain the tank. If you have a sand filter, throw away the sand. We recommend that you replace the sand every year, and at least every three years. If you have a cartridge or DE (Diatomaceous Earth) filter, wash the elements with a good filter cleaner. Also, use a filter cleaner if you are not replacing the sand. We'll be happy to show you how.

   2. The Pump. If you like to use pump protector, go ahead. However, there is no possible use for it in any normal swimming pool pump.

   3. Freeze Protection. Our best advice is to put everything someplace warm-like the cellar. If you have to leave anything that normally holds water where the temperature will drop below freezing, please check the manufacturer's directions. The greatest danger is generally to the filter tank, pump, heater, or automatic chlorinator. You will be probably be opening freeze plugs at the very bottom of the unit, and adding pool antifreeze. Remove partially dissolved chlorine or bromine tablets (be careful) and store carefully in a clean, dry, plastic bag. Don't put them back in the container. However, don't leave them in the chlorinator or brominator if it's hooked up to anything. The chemicals could ruin everything near them - especially the heater. Obviously, never put any chemicals, including antifreeze into an automatic chlorinator.

   4. Valves and Fittings. Any rubber fitting, o-ring or gasket that's easy to get to should be covered with O-Ring Lube to keep them from drying out. Avoid vaseline, or anything with petroleum distillates that will break down the rubber or plastic. Cover the valves, unions, and fittings with cloth or plastic loosely held on by rubber bands. Keep the valves partially open. Your goal here is to keep water, snow, and chipmunks out (of course, you'd never have mice or rats), but to allow air in. If you seal out the air, you could pop off the plugs inside the pool if the air barometric pressure changes over the winter. The only exception here would be the main drain line if you were trying to maintain an air lock. Since there's no plug inside the pool, the water itself will cushion the pressure changes.

   5. Other Equipment. Remove safety lines, ladders, portable stairs, underwater lights, automatic pool cleaners, and anything else that could be broken by ice or forced by the ice to hurt the pool's surface.

3. The Cover
   1. The Ice Equalizer. Most above-ground and some in-ground pools should get one or more ice equalizers (pillows). While they are not always mandatory (depending on the brand of pool), they are an inexpensive insurance to keep ice pressure off the walls.

      Too many pillows are bad for the cover. Too few are bad for the pool. We can help you determine the right amount.

      In any case, blow up the ice pillows with a vacuum cleaner exhaust, to about 90% full (so that they are a little soft), at least 48 hours before you need them. Put a weight on them and make sure that they're not leaking before you put them in the pool. Tape the air valve shut with duct tape, or a waterproof tape. Set the valve down into the water, when you put them into the pool.

      Tie them loosely in the center, with light string. The theory here is that the cover should not break the string when it sinks into the water, but the string should break before the pillow breaks. Ultimately, the pillow will break - they generally only last one to four winters. Remember, it's better to have the pillow break, than the pool wall. It's also better to ahve a perfectly good pillow over on the side of the pool, than a broken one exactly in the center—because the string was stronger than the pillow.

   2. The Cover. Float the cover out over the pool. Often, it's easiest to tie a string to one side, to help pull it across. Covering a pool is always easier with two people.

      The entire cover must touch the water, except only where it goes over the pillows. When the cover is on, you must be able to run your hand down the wall of the pool, to the water. If the cover is too small (or the water level is too low), the cover will stretch out on an angle from the top rail to the water. This is dangerous. If the cover is too tight, the weight of snow or rain could tear the cover (if you're lucky) or pull in the top rails (if you're not). If you are not sure, call us for advice.

      Above-ground covers are best held on by a steel cable and winch under the top rails. In-ground covers use water tubes (filled only 2/3 full, for ice expansion), running bumper to bumper around the edge so that leaves, dirt, and animals do not get under. On ground pools, and above-ground pools with decks usually use some combination of cable and tubes. Ask us how.

      When you're done, run a little water on top of the cover to keep it from blowing in the wind. However, as the water level builds from rain and melting snow, pump or siphon it off. Once the pool freezes, though, leave it alone until it melts.

      Note: If you are a new owner of an in-ground pool, we recommend that you hire the original builder (if possible) or a qualified service person to show you the intricacies of your particular pool. We'll be happy to refer you to someone.

Shopping List

___ Pool Cover
___ Expansion Plug
___ Cover Pump
___ Anti-Stain
___ Gizmo®
___ Ice Equalizer
___ Shock
___ Winterizer
___ Water Tubes
___ Non-Toxic Antifreeze
___ Leaf Rake
___ Cover Stakes
___ Winter Kit
___ Cover Cable
___ Wall Brush
___ Shock
___ Cable Winch
___ Leaf Sweep
___ Skimmer Plate
___ Cover Cleaner
___ Cover Repair Kit

Please let us help you, anytime.

IMPORTANT

We write Pool Tips^™ for the exclusive use of our own local customers. They are meant as a summary of general information, to be discussed in our store, with our staff, to determine which items are best for specific pools. Pool Tips^™ are a trademark of Gull Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Our suggestions assume that you have given us a proper description of your pool's size, history and symptoms. Sometimes we can figure it out, sometimes we can't. Your doctor has years more training, far better diagnostic tools, and makes way more money—and sometimes he or she gets it wrong, too.

1. Read all labels carefully, and only use chemicals exactly as described on the label. Never mix chemicals together outside of the pool. Some of them can cause a fire or explosion.
2. Do Not follow any advice or suggestions here without coming into the store, customizing them to your specifics, and receiving them in writing.
3. Do Not print these out or reproduce for any purpose whatever. They are all copyrighted, and we take our copyrights very seriously.
4. Don't Blame Us for anything. It's free advice, and worth the price paid. We're trying to help, but pools are complex, and chemicals and electricity are dangerous.
5. Our Best Advice: Go find a local pool dealer who knows what they are doing, become a steady customer, and give them a chance to learn about you and your pool. Pick a brand, pick a store, and stay with them.