Follow these steps to properly close your pool this year
1. One week prior to closing, bring a water sample to the store so your pool can be properly balanced.
2. 48 hours before closing, clean your sand filter with Filter Cleaner.
- If you have a cartridge filter, it can be cleaned once the pool has been closed. This will ensure that debris, waste and oil are not able to sit in the filter over the winter.
3. Twelve hours prior to closing, add the appropriate dosage of Fix and Meta-Stain Prevent.
4. Clean your solar blanket using Cover Cleaner and store in a safe, dry place.
5. Clean pool water line using Amaze.
- It will be much easier to remove the stains from the water line before it has a chance to stick to the liner over the winter.
6. Remove ladders, drop in steps, diving board and disconnect slide hose(s).
7. The day of winterizing, remove your skimmer basket and vacuum your pool using the waste/drain setting on your filter.
- This allows you to vacuum and lower the water level at the same time. (If you do not have this setting, you will need a submersible pump.)
8. Lower the water level below the return jets, approximately 4”-6” below the skimmer.
- Do not take the water level any lower as the liner could start to pull away from the pool wall.
- Some older pools have return jets lower than 6” below the skimmer.
- Use a duck plug to ensure no water re-enters the lines after they are blown out.
- If you have a fiberglass pool, do not drain more than 1” below the skimmer.
9. Turn the pump off and add Pro Closing Kit.
- Use wall brush to manually circulate chemicals.
10. Install Gizzmo or expandable plug in main drain hole — if the main drain hole is threaded use a Gizzmo.
- Some pools may not have a main drain hole.
- Remove the vac hose from the skimmer.
11. Turn the pump back on. This will clear the lines to the pump.
- Watch the pump basket and when it no longer has any water, shut it off.
12. Set the filter handle to the winterize position.
- If you do not have the winterize position, place the handle in between 2 settings. (This will keep the handle raised so it does not seize in one position.)
- If you have a cartridge filter, remove the drain cap and the filter(s) from the cannister.
- Reinstall the drain cap and reassemble the filter once drained.
13. Remove the eyeballs in the return jets and use a shop vac to suck out the suction and return lines.
- Plug the return lines with threaded plugs and use Teflon tape to seal.
14. Pour 2 liters of Ice Away down the suction hole into the skimmer.
- Plug suction line with Gizzmo or expandable plug.
- Add the remining 2 liters of Ice Away on top of the plug.
- If the pool does not have a main drain hole, you must use a Gizzmo in the suction line.
15. Drain the pump, filter, chlorinator, Nature 2, and heater.
- Remove the drain plugs from all the equipment as well as the pressure gauge and sight glass to store for the winter.
- If you have a cartridge filter, be sure to reinstall the drain cap.
16. Disconnect the pressure switch on your heater and shut off the gas.
- Store these parts in a marked bag for next year to hold on to all your parts.
17. Shut off the breaker to the system.
- If you have a salt chlorinator, remove leads and wrap in plastic bag.
- Disconnect salt cell unions and insert expandable plugs in the plumbing.
- Clean cell with Salt Cell Saver.
- Store cell with the rest of your baskets and plugs.
- Indoor storage is recommended for salt cells and cartridges from filter.
- If you have a UV system, unplug it and then disconnect the unions from the plumbing.
- Use a shop vac to suck out any remaining water from the unit.
- Store UV system in a safe, dry place.
18. Remove your pool light and sink to the bottom of the pool with weights.
- Do not leave the light in the fixture.
- Shut off the power to the light fixture.
19. If you have built in steps with jets, remove the jets and blow out the lines using a shop vac.
- Plug with expandable plugs and put stair cover on the pool, if you have one.
20. For waterbag covers, put the waterbags on the cover end-to-end, overlapping and leaving no spaces.
- Fill waterbags three-quarters full to allow for freezing and expansion.
21. For lock in covers, determine which way the cover needs to be matched up to the pool and begin feeding the beaded edge into the top track of the coping.
- Continue all the way around the pool until the whole cover is locked into place, using t-bead and/or cover wedges to help hold it in place.
- Put about an 1” of water on top of the cover and a bottle of Algi Pro 40 or Cover Cleaner.
22. For safety covers, do not take water down more than 4-6” below the skimmer.
- Determine which way the cover needs to be matched up to the pool and begin locking it into place with the springs and screws/anchors working from opposite corner to opposite corner.
23. Store any dry chemicals in a clean dry space.
- Store any liquid chemicals inside a heated area so they do not freeze.
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