When you own a pool in the Twin Cities — or anywhere in Minnesota, for that matter — you’ll want to close it down for the winter. Proper swimming pool closing helps keep the water clean when you’re not planning to use your pool for months on end, and it also helps protect your pricey pool equipment from winter-related damage.
Not quite certain how to winterize your pool? Our team at Royal Pool & Spa is here to help. Below, we’ve created a brief overview of how to perform your swimming pool closing.
1. Remove Pool Accessories
The first step in the pool closing process is removing all the accessories from your pool. That includes:
● Safety ropes
● Rails and ladders
● Skimmer baskets
● Diving board
● Slides
● Eyeball fittings
Once removed, store your pool accessories in a safe place like your garage or a storage shed where they won’t get lost or damaged.
2. Clean the Pool
Next, you’ll want to clean the pool thoroughly and test the pH and chlorine levels in the water. If you have pH and chlorine test strips at home, you can perform these tests yourself. If you don’t have the appropriate equipment on hand, take a water sample from your pool and bring it to your local pool maintenance and supply store for testing (Royal Pool & Spa can help you out with this!).
3. Lower the Water Level
During winter, you don’t want water getting inside your skimmer because water expands when it freezes and may cause irreparable damage to the component. And the best way to prevent water from getting inside the skimmer is to lower the water level of the pool.
How far should you lower it? That really depends on the type of pool cover you’ll be using. If you’re unsure just how much water you need to remove from your pool, it’s in your best interest to consult with an experienced swimming pool closing specialist. Removing too much water from the pool can also encourage certain forms of winter-related damaged.
4. Shock the Pool
After you’ve thoroughly cleaned your pool, balanced the chemicals, and drained the pool to the appropriate level, it’s time to apply pool shock. But don’t perform this step until the night before you plan to close your pool. If you shock your pool earlier than that, you’ll risk allowing contaminants to enter the water. When those contaminants remain in the water for months, they may encourage algae and microbe proliferation, which will make your pool opening more difficult.
5. Clean the Filter and Blow Out the Lines
Remove the filter, clean it thoroughly, and bring it inside for storage throughout the winter months. When you’re finished cleaning the filter, remove the chlorinator, hoses, and pump, and store them in a safe place.
6. Blow Out and Plug the Lines
To thoroughly blow the water out of the lines, you’ll need a powerful vacuum. But this step can be a little complicated, so if you’re not sure you can do it properly, hire a swimming pool closing specialist. If you leave any water in the lines when you close the pool, when temperatures drop, that water can freeze, expand, and cause considerable damage.
7. Apply a Pool Cover
Last but certainly not least, you’ll need to install either a winter pool cover or a mesh safety cover to help keep debris out of the water while the pool isn’t in use. You can easily install a winter cover on your own, but if you’re looking for the enhanced safety protection a mesh pool cover provides, you’ll need to hire a pro for pool cover installation.
Royal Pool & Spa Provides Professional Swimming Pool Closing in the Twin Cities
If you need to close up your pool before winter hits, you’re running out of time! Get in touch with our team at Royal Pool & Spa to schedule your swimming pool closing service asap. Our pool experts will ensure your pool is properly cleaned and closed so that it’s ready to handle anything winter can throw at it. Give us a call today at 651-779-7606 or send us a message with any questions or concerns, and a member of our team will be in touch.