Pools

If your area experiences a “true” winter, you would already know the pain of dealing with cold-weather related conditions like ice, snow, and frost. Winterizing your above ground pool during the off season is essential to protect your pool from contamination, debris, and damages. A properly winterized above ground pool will also allow you to open up a healthy and clean pool come spring. 

Although the whole process takes time, believe us, it’s worth the effort. You save on time, money and will not have to go through the tedious and frustrating process of getting things back in order when the weather changes. So how do you properly winterize your above ground pool? Follow the steps below. 

Clean Your Pool

Cleaning your pool before you winterize helps you get rid of contaminants, which, if left behind, could promote the growth of algae and mold. Cleaning your pool also makes the process of balancing your water chemistry easier. Make sure you vacuum and brush down the pool floor and walls before you start the winterizing process.

Check Your Water Chemistry

It’s advisable to check the pool’s water chemistry levels before closing it for the winter season. Each pool will have different levels of chlorine, calcium, pH levels, and alkalinity. Test the levels of your water and make sure the calcium levels are between 180-22 ppm, pH levels are between 7.4 and 7.6, alkaline levels between 100 and 150 ppm, and chlorine levels are between 1 and 3 ppm. 

Balance the level of all these substances properly to prevent algae growth and to keep it hygienic. Also allow your pool to run for 24 hours to ensure the chemicals are evenly distributed throughout the water. 

Reduce Water Level And Protect Your Skimmer

Check the water level and make sure that it’s below the skimmer. You can then remove your skimmer basket and store it safely in a dry place. Once done, you can either cover the skimmer with a winter skimmer cover or choose not to do so. If you do use a skimmer cover, you don’t have to drain the water of your pool below the skimmer line. 

We recommend you cover the skimmer line. This will prevent the rainwater from accumulating and expanding in the skimmer, which could damage your skimmer wall.

Covering The Pool

You need to make sure that you cover the pool securely and tightly so that strong winds don’t blow it away. Look for any holes and tears on your cover and either repair with patches of duct tape to prevent rain and dirt from entering the pool or purchase a new one. You might also want to make use of air pillows, they centralize the cover and keep the rain out of the pool.

Removing The Pump And The Filter

Once you’ve cleaned your pool and tightly covered it up, you can go ahead and dismantle the pump and the filter system. Before storing the equipment, make sure you clean their components, dry them out, and store them in a safe and dry place for the winters. 

Remove Pool Accessories

Don’t forget to pull out all the accessories from your pool. Think of floats, ladders, and other items that you might have. Clean them properly, dry them, and store them in a dry and safe place for the next use a few months away. 

Get Your Pool Ready for the Season

As you can see, winterizing your above ground pool is not too difficult. All you need to do is follow the steps mentioned above, and you’ll keep your pool in great shape. If you have any questions, please contact your local above ground pool dealer.