Pool Winterization
Keeping your pool prepared for winter is crucial to spring and summer enjoyment!
How to Winterize Your Swimming Pool
Winterizing your pool is an inevitable process for most pool owners. Not only will it protect your pool over the cold winter months, but it will also prolong the life span of the pool in general. If you have an indoor pool with a temperature-controlled environment or live in a temperate region that doesn’t get too cold, there’s no need to winterize your pool.
On the other hand, you do need to winterize things if you have an outdoor pool in colder climates where freezing temperatures are typical during the winter months. Here’s what you should know about this process.
Why It’s Important To Winterize Your Pool
Winterizing a pool is essential for avoiding a wide variety of problems. Here are the most common threats winter poses to your pool.
Cracked Sides
Water expands when it freezes. So when the water freezes in a pool, that pressure could put cracks in the pool’s surface itself. These cracks can be difficult and expensive to repair, so preventing this is one of the main goals of winterizing a pool. Fortunately, this usually isn’t a threat if the water is low enough, and we’ll discuss that in more detail below.
Burst Pipes
When water freezes inside of the pipes, it can break and burst them. Burst pipes are challenging to locate and usually even harder to repair than cracks in the pool, so it is recommended to empty the pipes before plugging them up for the winter.
Personal Safety
Although converting a swimming pool into an ice-skating rink may sound appealing on paper, it can pose a serious risk to personal safety if not done correctly. The exposed ice may not be thick enough for movement, so anybody who walks or skates across a frozen pool may end up falling in.
Chemistry Troubles
Cold and freezing temperatures can affect your pool chemistry. The cold temperatures usually stop the growth of algae and bacteria, but improperly winterizing your pool could throw off the chemical balance and eventually lead to structural damage.
When To Winterize Your Pool
Winterize your pool before temperatures drop below freezing in your area. Unfortunately, cold snaps can be unpredictable. You may not always have the opportunity to winterize the pool properly before it gets too cold outside.
In these cases, the best option is to keep your pump running and winterize your pool as soon as possible. The water won’t freeze if you leave the pump on, so it might seem like a good idea to leave it on all winter, but this could still cause problems if there’s a power outage. Therefore, it’s better to winterize when you can. If you’re experiencing frigid temperatures, you can also add antifreeze to your lines.
If There Are A Lot Of Trees Around
If trees surround your pool, winterize and cover it before the leaves start falling in. Otherwise, it’s going to be a lot of extra work for you to get all the leaves out of the pool before you start winterizing it.
How to Winterize An Inground Pool: Step-by-Step Process
Make sure you have the following to winterize your inground pool:
Pool testing kit
Winterizing chemical kit
Plastic dam
Air compressor
Gizzmo
Pool cover
Once you have the above in hand, follow these steps for winterizing your inground pool.
Step 1: Thoroughly Clean Your Pool
Remove all debris from the surface, the bottom, and the sides of your pool. Read the instructions for your automatic pool cleaner, as many manufacturers recommend taking them out of the pool before temperatures drop. In this case, you may need to clean your pool manually.
Be thorough while cleaning. Any organic material left in the pool could stain it, so the primary goal of this step is to get the entire pool as clean as possible.
Step 2: Check Your Pool Chemistry
The next step for winterizing your pool is checking the pool chemistry In particular, look at your pH, overall alkalinity, and calcium hardness. If these are all within the appropriate ranges for your pool, you’re ready to start winterizing. If they’re incorrect, adjust them.
Some people shock their pool before winterizing. If you haven’t done that in a while, do it before checking and adjusting the rest of your pool chemistry.
Step 3: Add A Winterizing Chemical Kit
Many pool stores sell winterizing chemical kits that should last for the entire season. Use one of these in your pool and follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly.
Never mix chemicals or cleaners unless instructed to do so. Pool chemicals are generally safe when used as directed, but combining them incorrectly could be dangerous or deadly. This precaution also holds if you’re using household cleaners in or around your pool.
