Winterizing Your Inground Pool

Plus leaving your pool open until the mercury drops gives you plenty of time to clean test and balance your pool before closing.

Winterizing your inground pool.

Adding a winterizing chemical kit to your water will help keep it blue and clear for the next season. Doing this will protect the edge of the pool from staining and etching. If you live in milder climates you can skip certain steps like adding antifreeze and you may even be able to keep your hoses and filters connected. You can blow out your own pool lines with an air compressor or a wet rated powerful shop vacuum if you have the right components.

According to benjamin basch chief development officer for american pool enterprises in owings mills md the cost of winterizing a residential pool can range from 250 to just under 1 000. When winterizing a pool blowing out pool lines is a good idea since standing water in the lines can stagnate or even freeze if temperatures drop low enough. To prevent damage to your pool cover the water should never be lower than 18 from the pool ledge. It also makes your job much easier when it s time to open it again in the spring.

Watch how to prepare the filter system blow out the pipes and put on the winter poo. It is placed in the middle of the pool and it helps to center the pressure of rain snow and ice. In ground pool draining requirements are similar to those of their above ground counterparts. Drain the water down to no more than 6 inches from the bottom of the skimmer if you plan to use a standard floating winter cover.

Matt walks you through the process of closing an inground swimming pool. It is easier because you only need to take the pump and the skimmer out. Use your pool filter switched to the drain setting to empty the pool water. If you live in an area where the temperatures occasionally rise above 65 f 18 c for a few days during the winter you can take advantage of the warm spell to test and balance the water chemistry.

With a removable system the pool winterizing process becomes more manageable. The first step in the winterization procedure is to make sure your water chemistry is balanced including the pool s ph total alkalinity and calcium hardness. Closing your pool for the winter is an essential part of keeping your pool and equipment trouble free year round. To perfect the winterizing process utilize an air pillow under the winter cover.