Winterizing your pool properly will help you save on your pool’s equipment and maintenance, not to mention make it far easier to reopen in the summer. In this guide, you’re going to learn the steps to winterizing your pool and getting it ready to be opened in the summer season.
Winterize
To start, you first need to make sure that you have all the necessary supplies to winterize your pool. The essentials you need might include a solid or mesh winter pool cover and winterizing chemicals like algaecide-60 and liquid chlorine.
Before winterizing, the pool needs to be cleaned of debris and the water level should be lowered to below the tile line. Then the winterization process can begin which generally includes emptying the skimmer baskets, removing the pool vacuum, blowing the lines, and adding chemicals.
Each pool can need different things during a winterization which is why it’s important to speak with a pool professional if you’re not sure what your pool needs.
Store Pool Accessories Away
If you have accessories like a pool vacuum, chlorine tab floater, skimmer baskets, brush or other equipment used during the pool season, they can be stored inside for the winter. Remove dirt from these accessories by hosing them down and drying them off before finally placing them in storage.
Check the Pool Chemistry
It’s easy to forget about the water chemistry when your pool is closed for the winter. We recommend checking the water chemistry periodically to make sure you’re not letting a problem get worse if we have mild days during winter.
We recommend paying close attention to the pH level. A good range is between 7.2 and 7.6. Low pH can be corrosive to the finish of the pool while a high pH can cause buildup of scale.
Alkalinity is ideal between 80-100 ppm (parts per million). Keeping the alkalinity level in this zone will help buffer the pH.
Calcium hardness is also something you don’t want getting too low. If calcium is too low you may find stains or etching on the pool plaster. Keeping the calcium level right will also prevent corrosion of the pool’s plumbing and heater. Try to maintain around 200 ppm.
Clean Equipment
When’s the last time you checked your filter grids? Every season it’s recommended to inspect the filter grids and clean or replace them if necessary. This is an important part of a properly working pool and if something like this is left unnoticed long enough you may be looking at more costly repairs.
Schedule Pool Opening
Once the new year comes around it’s time to think about your pool opening! Most people want their pools opened by Memorial Day weekend so you can bet pool businesses will get booked for May quickly. Call and get yourself on the schedule a couple months in advance so you have your desired date secured.
Winterize and Open With Mt. Lake
With over 50 years of industry experience, Mt. Lake offers the best pool maintenance in Montgomery County, PA.
After the winter season, we know that you’ll want to open your pool to enjoy it as the rising temperatures arrive. Check out Mt. Lake, a pool opening company in Bucks County, and get your pool reopened after the winter season.