If you’ve ever had a question or wondered if I’m doing this right when winterizing your pool. Then you’ve come to the right place. This page has been made to answer all your important pool closing questions.
Questions and Answers
Q.
Why is it important to winterize/close your swimming pool?
A.
Winterizing your pool is essential to protect your pool equipment and plumbing from damage during the winter months. It’s essential to take the necessary steps to drain water from your pool equipment and plumbing to prevent freezing, expansion, and potential damage.
Q.
How do I winterize my pool skimmer?
A.
After the suction line is blown out, cleared of water, and plugged, you’ll need to do a couple of things to protect your skimmer during the winter.
The skimmer needs either a Skimmer Anti-freeze bag or a Gizzmo to protect it from ice expansion.
- The Anti-freeze bag is a small vinyl bag about 1.5 feet long. This bag must be filled about ⅓ full with anti-freeze and placed into the skimmer.
- The Gizzmo needs to be screwed into the unused plug hole. If you are using the Gizzmo as a plug, you will need to add Teflon tape to the threads (Put in while air is bubbling out of the skimmer).
If you have a main drain that runs from the bottom of the pool to the skimmer, you will need to insert approximately 3 feet of foam rope down that hole to winterize it. Plug the hole with a plug or Gizzmo to stop the foam rope from coming out of the hole.
Q.
How much water do I have to remove to close the pool?
A.
Your water level should be lowered to a couple of inches below the skimmer and/or one foot from the top of the pool. This water level works for all covers.
- Vinyl covers have a side wall built into them, and they need to sit on top of the water at this level.
- Tarp covers are sized to be 6 ft longer than the length and width of your pool, so that the tarp can sit at this level and have a couple of feet to sit on your deck.
- Safety covers allow water to go through them. For most regions, this water level will make it so the rain and snowmelt will fill your pool to the top of the skimmer when you open it in the spring. This gives you extra water to clean the pool on a waste setting when opened.
Q.
How do you blow out the pool’s lines?
A.
The lines can be blown out with air using a blower, compressor, or a shop vac. Blow all lines until air bubbles start coming out of the returns and skimmer. While the air is still blowing, plug all the returns and skimmer.
Q.
Should you put anti-freeze in the pool’s lines?
A.
Anti-freeze is completely unnecessary to put in the suction or return lines of your swimming pool, although it can offer additional protection. If your lines are properly blown out and clear of water, then there is no way that the lines can freeze and break. Additionally, if anti-freeze is used for winterizing your pool lines, it can be difficult to remove and can create a mess when opening your pool.
Q.
How full should my water bags be?
A.
Water bags should be filled to between ⅔ and ¾ full. If the bags are filled more than this, you risk the bags breaking over the winter due to the water expanding when it freezes.
Q.
Should I store my pool equipment inside for the winter?
A.
Your pool equipment is designed to be able to withstand the winter weather, so there are no issues with leaving it outside. However, storing your equipment inside will offer some additional protection from the elements. Now, some of your equipment you shouldn’t take inside, like the heater because of its gas line and the filter because of its weight. So that leaves the pump, salt cells, and chlorinators. If your pump is on a plug and connected to the plumbing with unions, it’s very easy to take it inside for the winter; otherwise, it’s best to leave it outside. Now salt cells and off-line chlorinators are very easy to remove and store inside for the winter, so you might as well take them in to protect them from the elements.
For all removed equipment, make sure to plug the lines so that no debris or critters can get inside them.
Q.
Do I need to balance my pool’s chemistry before it’s closed?
A.
Yes, balancing your pool’s chemistry and adding a closing chemical kit is very important. Balanced chemicals will help protect your pool’s vinyl liner or plaster walls and will help keep your pool’s water clean over the winter.
Q.
How do I winterize my pool lights?
A.
There are many different pool lights with many different ways to winterize them. For most newer lights, they won’t require any steps to winterize them. Some of them, you’ll need to remove the light from the connector and replace it with a cover to winterize. For older lights, such as AQUA-Lamps, you’ll need to sink them in the water. To do this, tie a weight to the light so that it can sink as low as it can go in the water.
Make sure to check your lights’ manual for winterizing instructions.
I hope that all your questions have been answered. Check out our guides for closing your pool (linked below) to ensure that your pool is ready for winter.
