July 4th our stores in Buffalo and Charlotte will be open from 10AM - 2PM

Closing Your Pool For The Winter Season – 6 Tips

Many people dread closing their pool for the winter because of the hassle. However, with the proper preparation, you’ll be able to close your pool with ease. The first thing to think about when closing your pool is your location.

For locations that reach freezing temperature, extra precautions must be taken so your pool’s pump and filter don’t become damaged.

However, it’s still important to close your pool for winter, even if you don’t live in a particularly cold climate. Closing your pool while not in use allows your pool to be protected while it sits dormant.

1. Start Early

Start the winterizing process at least one week before you would like to officially close your pool. Starting early will give you enough time to deal with any complication you may run into. It will also allow you to make sure that chemicals in your pool have ample time to circulate through the pool’s filtering system and pump before closing.

2. Consider Your Climate

For people who live in colder climates, it’s necessary to lower the water levels before beginning to clean and treat your pool’s water. Lowering water levels allows freezing water to expand without damaging your pool’s lining. Lower your water so it falls between four and six inches below the edge of the pool.

3. Begin Cleaning

Next, you will need to clean your pool. It’s recommended that you take the time to brush the sides of your pool to agitate any algae that may have grown on the sides of your pool. After brushing the sides, run a pool vacuum for a day to clean the bottom surfaces of the pool.

4. Test And Balance Water Chemistry

After cleaning, test your pool’s water for pH and chlorine levels. Pool pH should fall somewhere between 7.4 and 7.6 and chlorine levels should be at 2 parts per million. Making sure these levels are correct will help to enhance your pool’s ability to stave off algae growth.

5. Add a Pool Shocking Agent

Once your pool has appropriate pH and chlorine levels, it’s time to shock your pool to kill any bacteria. This step is important in order to inhibit additional bacterial growth while your pool is not in use.

Ideally, you should shock your pool and give the chemicals a few days to circulate throughout your pool’s pumping system.

6. Cover The Pool

Once all of these steps have been completed, it’s time to finish up. Cover your pool with a winter pool cover if you live in colder climates. Winter pools covers insulate your pool’s water, making it more difficult to freeze during the winter.

Additional Pool Closure Help With Gary Pools & Leisure

Are you interested in learning more about the proper way to close a pool? Come visit us at any of our 4 locations. We’re located in Amherst, Cheektowaga, Clarence, and Charlotte, North Carolina. 

No matter where you go, you’ll be greeted by our professional staff who will answer any questions you have. You can also check out our blog! There’s a lot of information about pool care and our other swimming pool services!