Closing your swimming pool

Whether you are in a cold or not so cold climate you will need to do a few things before you close your pool. In the week prior to closing your pool you need to:

• Balance Water (bring to pH 7.2-7.6, make any necessary adjustments in calcium hardness, etc)
• Brush and Vacuum
• Shock the pool
• Re-adjust the sanitizer, then add long lasting algaecide
• Turn heater off (if applicable)
• Reduce filtering times gradually over a week
• Drag cover out and inspect and clean if necessary
• Remove any ladders, ropes, clean and store
• Clean around pool area
• Clean and store pool furniture

Cold Weather Climates

It is a good idea to close your pool before the leaves start blowing around! Plan to close your pool when the nighttime temps start to dip reliably into the 50's and the daytime temperature range in the 60's. If you close too soon and you risk an algae bloom. If you wait too late you could be fishing out a ton of leaves.

• Plug return with stopper
• Add special RV/pool antifreeze to skimmer lines, and return lines, if below ground, and shut them down
• Drain filter of water
• Inspect filter unit for wear and tear, remove multi port valve and have a peek at the filtering media, replace with new media every three years, or when you find you can't keep the pool clean
• Disconnect pump/filter unit if possible and store where they will not freeze. If not possible, then securely cover unit
• Drag out and inspect water bags, sandbags or milk jugs, and fill them.
• For vinyl lined pools, reduce the chance of ice damage to your liner by floating several LARGE pieces of styrofoam in the pool
• Roll the cover out over the pool and weight it down securely. During the fall season and before the winter hits, it is a REALLY good idea to pump off excess water from the cover. The cover will collect leaves and water and generally be a mess in the spring regardless, but you will reduce the time spent opening the pool and extend the life of the cover by keeping the junk off of it.

One last note-remember to LOCK your pool gate for the winter!

Warm Weather Climates
If you plan on not closing your pool during the winter, it is STILL a good idea to buy a winter cover for it. Why? you will reduce your maintenance greatly since algae growth will be retarded in the dark, and you will keep excess debris out of the pool. PLUS, it makes the pool area ALOT safer. Plan to run your filter a few hours per week to keep the sanitizer level high enough to keep the bacteria and algae at bay. Check the sanitizer level once a week and adjust the filter run time and sanitizer levels accordingly. And always remember to LOCK your pool gate!