5 Tips for Winterizing Your Pool

Swimming Pool Winterization Recap: Top Mistakes to Avoid

The days of lounging around the pool and enjoying summer barbecues are slowly giving way to the onset of fall. With changing weather, it’s important to be prepared and aware of what a new season means for your pool. Learning how to properly close a pool for winter is integral to prevent costly leaks and damage and keep your pool ready for next summer. Follow these 5 tips on how to winterize a pool to help make the process quick and painless!

1. Start to winterize your pool once the temperature begins to consistently dip below 18 degrees Celsius. Closing your pool before the weather gets cooler might result in algae developing.

2. Thoroughly clean your pool. By using skim nets to remove floating debris and a vacuum and pool brush to tackle the bottom of the pool, it will be much easier to balance any chemicals and prevent algae growth throughout the winterizing process.

3. Don’t completely drain the water. Instead, lower the water level a bit but keep it just under midway or above on the skimmer. A higher water level makes sure there is no added pressure from weather changes and the liner remains in place and in good condition.

4. Flush the pipes and any other equipment when closing the pool to make sure they don’t rupture. Doing so will prevent a major headache because frozen water can expand and create a lot of damage. 

5. Check on your pool periodically during the winter to make sure the water level is still where it’s supposed to be. This way, any possible cracks or leaks won’t cause a big surprise when you take the pool cover off again in warmer weather.