Quick Tips Checklist to Close Your Pool For the Winter

It's that time of year again - with the weather cooling off, it's time to close and winterize your pool. It's been a year since you've done this, so this checklist will serve as a helpful reminder:

• If the weather is consistently below 15 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit) then it's time to close your pool
• Get your equipment organized and examine it to make sure it's in good shape. This includes your winter cover, water bags, skimmer plugs and / or return jet plugs, winter closing chemicals and an air compressor or shop vac
• Prepare your pool by removing any exterior accessories, like diving boards and slides
• Prepare and clean out filters and pumps, draining all the water and blowing out all connected lines
• If you have a pool heater, make sure you drain it and blow those lines out too
• Use a shop vac or a compression pump to blow out the water from your plumbing lines
• Plug your skimmer hole (inground pools only) and jets
• Balance your chemicals
• Install your pool cover
• Clean and store your equipment for the Winter

Winterizing tips:

• Put your drain plug, fittings and other small items in the pump basket so you can find them easily in the spring
• Threaded plugs are best to use. Plugs with rubber gaskets or 'O' rings help form a proper seal so that water does not enter the line. If your pool fittings are not threaded you'll have to use a rubber freeze plug
• Avoid using anti-freeze, which can cause a mess when you open your pool. Anti-freeze is not necessary if your lines are properly blown out
• Use a winterizing chemical kit to properly balance your chemicals.
• Always take inventory of supplies you're low on and equipment that may require replacement / repair, so you can order what you need before the rush next Spring!

For more detailed instructions on how to close your above ground or in ground pool for the Winter, visit our How To Guide section or click here to read our above ground closing guide or inground closing guide online.