How to Winterize Your Pool

Our pools are wonderful assets to have at home. They give us a private place to take a dip and cool off during the hot summer months. We tend to flock to them in the summer and even invite friends and family over for a small pool party. During the winter months, our pools often sit idle and need to be properly cared for to ensure that are ready for next summer. The colder temperatures can cause issues with the pool because the water may freeze, expand, and damage the pool walls and other pool components. So, we must take appropriate steps to winterize our pools. The steps to winterize a pool include:

• Clean the Pool Thoroughly: You will need to remove all debris from your pool. Use a skimmer to clean up floating debris and a pool vacuum to get things on the bottom of the pool. Check the backwash line and pool filter and clean them out too.

• Use a Pool Cover: Place your mesh or solid pool cover over the pool and secure it tightly. Throughout the winter, check your pool cover to ensure it is still secure.

• Blow Out Water Lines: Everyone knows that water freezes in the winter. If there is water in your pool’s water lines, they will damage them. Use an air compressor or shop vac to clear out all water from water lines.

• Store Pool Accessories & Parts Indoors: Remove all pool accessories such as the pool vacuum, skimmer, ladder, floats, and anything else you have. Clean them thoroughly and then store them in a warm place indoors.

• Use Pool Antifreeze: Using pool antifreeze in your pool can help protect the pipes in your swimming pool from becoming frozen and getting damaged.

• Shock the Pool: Add shock treatment to your pool and be sure to follow the directions on the packaging. The chock treatment will help kill any bacteria in the pool and reduce algae growth. Wait 24 hours and check your pool. Reshock if needed. Do not add chlorine and algaecide to the pool at the same time.

• Lower Pool Water Levels: You will want to lower the water level before placing the pool cover over the pool. It is recommended that you lower your pool’s water level to 12-18 inches below the pool skimmer or 3-6 inches below the tile.