Tips for Winterizing Your Pool

As the days get shorter and the temps get colder, pool owners everywhere are gearing up to shut things down for the season, but it can sometimes be unclear how to do so in a way that sets them up for success when spring comes back around.

With that being said, here are some professional tips for winterizing your pool to make things easier for yourself both now and later:

Remove Everything From Your Pool

Accessories like inflatables, basketball hoops, and pool noodles, along with equipment like steps and ladders, should all find a new home during the winter. Make sure to take them out and give them all a good cleaning so they do not grow bacteria while they sit unused. Afterward, make sure to organize them in a place where you can quickly get them out come next year. 

It will also help if you take the time to clean out any debris from your pool, as letting anything fester underneath your pool cover is just asking for problems when the warm weather returns. You can brush and vacuum your pool walls to help remove dirt, but don’t forget to skim off any natural debris to prevent bacteria or algae growth as well.

Strike a Good Balance

Your pool’s chemistry must be in a good spot before you shut it down for the season. Start working on balancing its chemicals out about a week before you plan to close it by testing your water. Provided you’ve been keeping up with pool maintenance, finding a good balance with chemicals shouldn’t take long at all.

You should also use high-quality algaecide or pool shock here as a form of extra insurance. Champion Pool Shock is an excellent candidate if you’re looking for top-notch shock, while the GLB Algimycin line (600, 2000, and 3000) are all must-have algaecides to keep winter growth at bay.

Note that adding shock or algaecide after testing could alter the chemical balance again, so remember to keep testing as you incorporate them. You can also add shock a few days before closing and then check the water’s chemical levels one last time.

Your pH goal should be somewhere between 7.2 and 7.8. A healthy alkalinity is 80 to 120 ppm, and calcium hardness should land between 180 and 220 ppm. Don’t close down your pool until your numbers land within these thresholds, or you could run into problems the next time you take its cover off.

Backwash Your Filter

Backwashing your filter, if you aren’t familiar with it, involves reversing your pool’s water flow to shake loose any dirt, sand, or debris that often gets trapped in your pool equipment. 

The winterizing routine won’t be the only time you backwash your filter, but it’s easily one of the most important instances of it. Don’t forget to rinse your filter when you finish, too, as doing so ensures that any grit caught on it doesn’t blow back into your pool and undo your hard work.

Cover Up

Remember to cover your pool when you’ve completed the winterizing process, and make sure your cover is fully intact, with no rips or cracks. It’s also a good idea to check your cover throughout the winter to ensure new tears haven’t formed. The winter weather can cause a surprising amount of damage to anything in your backyard, and your pool cover is no exception. 

Don’t cover your pool prematurely, however. Doing so before the temperature consistently remains below 65 degrees could encourage algae and bacteria growth, even if the water’s chemicals are spot on.

Pre-Winter Maintenance

Cold weather can strike without much warning, so you may not have the luxury of waiting to close down your pool at the most opportune time. As such, pre-planning your winterizing and pool maintenance efforts is one way to ensure you aren’t caught unaware by plummeting temperatures. 

You can handle doing so yourself or get the help of pool cleaning and maintenance professionals. The latter makes the process a breeze, removing any guesswork from the entire approach.

Winter Ready With WCI Pools & Spas

If you’re worried about your pool’s winter readiness, call WCI Pools & Spas. We’re passionate about pools and can help you close down your pool so it’s in perfect condition when you reopen. Reach out to us today to learn more about our services.