It’s swimming pool closing season in Minnesota, and if you’re thinking about closing up your pool by yourself, it’s imperative that you do it correctly. An improperly winterized swimming pool can suffer several types of damage throughout the snowy months, including staining, plumbing fractures, pump failure, cracking, leaks, and more. If you want to avoid paying for expensive pool repairs come spring, be sure to avoid making the pool closing mistakes we’ve listed below.
Failing to Clean the Pool Thoroughly
Even a handful of leaves, a little dirt, or a few pieces of yard debris can easily stain the surface of your pool when they sink to the bottom and sit there all winter. That’s why skimming the water, vacuuming the bottom of the pool, and brushing its walls is so important before you close the whole thing up.
If you want to avoid stained, ugly pool walls that may necessitate resurfacing (acid washing) come spring, the easiest way to do that is to make sure it’s completely clean.
Not Balancing the Water Chemistry
If you close up a pool that doesn’t have properly balanced water, you could end up dealing with corrosion and scale buildup come spring. Algae might not be a problem since winter temperatures are low enough to prevent it from growing, but fixing corrosion and scale can be expensive and time consuming.
To avoid pool deterioration, make sure the pH of your pool water is between 7.2-7.4 before you wrap things up completely.
Forgetting to Drain Water
One of the most important parts of the swimming pool closing process is lowering the water level because water expands when it freezes. It’s likely that some of the water in your pool will turn to ice during winter, and if the pool is too full, that water can crack your skimmer. If you have a tile border around your pool, ice can certainly damage it, so draining some water is important for that reason, too.
To prevent pool damage, make sure you lower the water level about four inches before you finish closing things up.
Failing to Remove Water from the Plumbing & Equipment
The biggest (and most expensive!) mistake pool owners make during swimming pool closing is failing to blow out the plumbing lines, plug the return jets, and install a Gizzmo to prevent the skimmer from cracking. If you don’t remove all the water from the plumbing system, it will freeze inside the various components, expand, and crack your pool’s plumbing. Come spring, you’ll be dealing with leaks in addition to various other problems that necessitate pricey pool repairs.
To avoid needing major pool plumbing work when you open things back up, DO NOT forget to blow out the lines and plug things up. If you don’t want to do this yourself or aren’t sure how, hire a pool closing specialist to ensure it’s done properly.
Royal Pool & Spa Performs Pool Closing in the Twin Cities
Ready to close up your swimming pool for winter? Let our team at Royal Pool & Spa do the job for you! Since 1988, we’ve proudly provided Twin Cities pool owners with pool closing service, as well as swimming pool maintenance, repair, and installation. All of our pool technicians have at least 10 years of experience in the industry, and your total satisfaction is our number one priority. To learn more or schedule service, call our White Bear Lake, MN office today at 651-779-7606.