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What you need to know before closing your pool

If we lived in a perfect world pools would close themselves, but that’s not the case. Closing your pool properly before those cold winter months is crucial, and helps make opening your pool back up that much easier. If you have never closed a pool before or are looking for a refresher course we are going to provide a few tips that you need to know.
The five pool closing tips you need to know:

Pick up and put away poolside equipment

Put your pool accessories in the same location. Knowing exactly where all of your accessories are when it comes time to open up your pool again will only help keep you sane. This means the diving board, ladders and rails, safety ropes, and other equipment you may have should all go in the same location. Don’t forget to drain and dry your equipment. Pouring all of the excess water from your pool equipment will help it from freezing and cracking during the cold winter temperatures. If it’s possible, you can always store your pool equipment inside.

Clean the pool and test the water

Clean out your pool. Make sure you are removing all debris out of your pool before closing it up to help prevent algae growth. Closing your pool too early may cause algae growth to occur which in return will cause more problems when you open your pool again in the spring. Clean your pool thoroughly before adding any chemicals. Vacuum the floor, brush the walls and steps, and skim the surface. If you want you can add a phosphate remover, which will help keep algae out of your pool water. Just make sure you add it a week before you start closing the pool.

Add your chemicals

After the cleaning is done, it’s time to add the winterizing chemicals to your pool. Follow the instructions on your kit, and make sure you read thoroughly before continuing. Don’t forget to make sure that your pool water in balance before starting the closing process!

Clean filter and pump

Before you move on to blowing out the lines, it’s important to clean your pump and filter. Let it run for a full cycle, then backwash and clean the filter. Once that’s done open up the pump lid and clean it out, then replace lid and close it up. Don’t drain your pool completely! You have to maintain the proper water levels all year long to help with the excess weight that snow and debris may put on the pool cover. Don’t forget that the type of pool cover you use will depend on how much water will seep through, especially if you use a mesh cover.

Put the cover on

Congratulations, you made it! It’s time to put the cover on. If you’re using a safety cover refer to the manual. Otherwise, take out your plastic cover and check for tears or other issues. If you find any holes or tears in your cover we suggest buying a replacement cover for best protection. If you feel uncomfortable or unsure about any of the steps feel free to hire a professional if you need to! A pool is a big investment and a lot of work so hiring a professional to close your pool may be something you are considering. A professional will make sure you are prepared and will make it easier to open your pool next year. As a pool owner, you know the ongoing maintenance that it takes to keep your pool in excellent condition. If you ever have any questions on how to open or close your pool feel free to give us a call at 419-221-3494!

Do you know how to open or close your pool?

Download our Guide to Opening & Closing Your Pool and find out the key steps you need to take each year.

Download Our Guide

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