APCO Pools Specialties, Inc.

Swimming Pool Maintenance: Winterizing Your Pool

When the cold weather rolls around, shutting down your pool is one of those things you’ll need to take care of, just like replacing the storm windows and putting snow tires on your car. But winterizing the family pool isn’t simply a matter of tossing a cover over it. It isn’t a complicated process, but it’s an important one.

Here’s how to do it.

Get your gear together. In addition to your winterizing chemicals and your pool cover, you’ll need all of the plugs that cover up your skimmers and return jets. You’ll also need some old clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty, and some gloves to wear while adding the winterizing chemicals.

Backwash the filter. This means running water backward through the filter; you can do this with a garden hose. Drain any tanks associated with the filters, and unplug the filter drain plug.

Disconnect the pump and filter. Be sure to drain the pump completely of water. Use a hair dryer, shop-vac or compressor to dry it out thoroughly.

Drain the heater. Again, make sure there’s no water inside of it, and blow it out in the same way you did with the pump.

Loosen the fittings. Your goal here is to make sure all of the water in the system can drain out. If any is left, it can freeze and crack the pipes, fittings and devices. Remove the jet fittings as well.

Blow out the pipes and main drain. Use a shop-vac or compressor here. Make sure you get rid of as much water as possible. Your pool should be as dry as possible before you shut it down for the winter. Remember, your system will be sealed up for the winter, so the water from the pool itself won’t do any damage.

Remove the peripherals. Floats and rope go first. Then remove the diving board and ladders.

Add chemicals. Winterizing chemicals are available at your pool supply store. Make sure they’re completely dissolved in your pool water.

Cover the pool. Make sure it hasn’t sustained any tears or holes during its time in storage; if it has, patch them with patch tape or vinyl pool patch.