Winterizing An Inground Pool

What’s up ePoolSupply Community and welcome to another tips and tricks blog. This week we’ll cover pool winterization and what to expect as well as what you can do to save yourself time, energy, and money! Stay tuned!

As the leaves start to change color there is also a noticeable change in the air and water temperatures as winter starts. This is even more noticeable if you’re on the East Coast or anywhere with noticeable winter weather. As Halloween comes and goes it will soon be time to begin prepping and preparing to close down the pool for the season in a term coined “winterization”.

When will we know it’s time to begin winterization?

Typically you should expect to start winterization as temperatures approach 70 degrees or lower on a consistent basis. While you only have to be concerned about temperatures below the freezing point of water, once you're there it's already to late to act and of course all it takes is one unexpected freeze that we weren’t prepared for and you can expect to look at additional work and expenses, so getting things prepared ahead of time is a must! To begin, you should remove anything that isn’t entirely necessary like pool toys, floating bars, or anything else that might get in the way. Like most items we put away seasonally or close down seasonally, it is important to clean them before seasons end. The pool, filter, pump and anything else related to the sanitation and cleanliness of the pool needs to be taken care of and cleaned and brushed before we balance and adjust the water chemistry in the pool. It is also important to note that you may have to lower the water level in your pool and as such may have to adjust chemicals once again based on volume and substance changes.

Now that everything is clean and balanced it’s time to remove and store any equipment that may freeze and crack like pumps, pool cleaners, filters and generally anything with water in it. Some pools and pool equipment require winterization plugs that allow for less overall work and don’t require equipment removal. However, most setups require the lines to be drained as well as the skimmer and drain before it is plugged with a winter plug. With that being said there are plugs for plumbing as well as pool based Antifreeze options. That we suggest always using to ensure you're safe and not going to cost yourself additional money in the long run. If you don’t want to blow out and clear the plumbing and lines. We’d suggest contacting a pool professional because this aspect of winterization is required and if done incorrectly is very very expensive.

Everything is cleaned, prepped, and put away. What’s next?

Previously we balanced the chemicals in the water and cleaned everything up in anticipation of finally shocking the water and adding any algaecide or pool pills as needed. At this point the pool is in the perfect condition to cover the actual pool with whatever pool cover you fancy. Keep in mind that there are different sizes and materials that do different things. As well as various air pillows that hinder the pool's surface from freezing.

If you have any questions regarding the sections above, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly! Our team of industry professionals is here to help you out!

CONTACT US!