The only way to insure that your pool stays clean throughout the wintertime is to leave the pool open and equipment operational. Should you choose to leave your pool open, we recommend investing in a tarp cover that can be used during the fall to keep leaves out. Once all leaves have fallen, you can leave the pool uncovered. Please remember that if you are leaving the pool uncovered during the winter/spring, you will still need to run your equipment and tend to the pool. If you decide to close your pool up after the swim season is over, please follow the suggestions below. If you shut down your equipment, then you must cover your pool. Tarp covers and water bags can be found in pool stores and online. If you are interested in a safety cover, please contact us! Although most covers block out a significant amount of sunlight and debris, this is not a guarantee that your pool water will stay crystal clear throughout the winter season. Anticipate that you may need to spend time cleaning and correcting water quality upon opening.

CLOSING POOL FOR WINTER

1. Make sure your pool is completely clean. Do a thorough vacuum and backwash.

2. Add 2 gallons of shock (liquid cholorine). Doing this the night before will give it time to circulate.

3. Shut off all equipment.

4. Remove your skimmer basket, and put a Gizzmo (we use the one that is 16” and fits both 1.5” and 2” openings) in the skimmer.

5. Open all plumbing valves (open means the valve is parallel to the pipe).

6. Remove drain plugs/caps from equipment. This will drain the water out of the pump and filter.

   • Sand Filters: one drain cap near bottom of filter

   • DE Filters: one drain cap on one of the filter “legs”

   • Pumps: two plugs

7. Cover pool. If you are shutting off your equipment, you must cover the pool to help keep out sunlight and debris. If you are using a safety cover, remember to unscrew the anchors so that they are slightly above the surface of the concrete.

Most importantly, DO NOT, drain any water from your pool in preparation for winter. It is very important that your pool stays at its normal water level throughout winter, as this is typically our wettest time of year. Lowering the water level can make your liner more susceptible to floating should we get a big rain.

OPENING POOL AFTER WINTER

1. Remove cover. If you have a safety cover, don’t forget to screw the anchors down so that they are flush with the concrete.

2. Remove Gizzmo from the skimmer and place skimmer basket in the skimmer.

3. Add water if needed to get your water level to within 1” of the top of the skimmer opening.

4. Reinstall plugs for your pump and filter.

5. Fill the pump basket with water and secure lid.

6. If you have a DE filter, add DE powder to the skimmer basket.

7. Set valve to filter and turn the equipment on.

8. Have your water professionally tested to check for correct water chemistry.