Closing Your Swimming Pool – Make The Job of Opening Your Pool Infinitely Easier

November 7, 2008 by admin 

There are few climates that allow using your swimming pool all year ’round. Even in those that do, there are times when vacations and other events provide incentives to close your pool up. But some ways for doing that are better than others, along with some tools that make it easier.

pool winterizing kits

Pool covers are the first and most basic ‘line of defense’ when you want to close your pool. That is, after all, where the term comes from. But just rolling or tossing a cover over the top is only the beginning. The other aspects don’t have to be expensive or complicated, but they are useful.

Few covers, for example, will seal perfectly. Wind is an especially difficult thing to deal with in Fall and Winter. Openings around the edge leave space for the entry of leaves, dirt, and wind-blown algae.

One easy way to solve the problem is through the use of strips which seal and bags that help keep the cover from being lifted by wind. Strips can tie, snap, or otherwise close any gap between the pool and cover. Water or sand-filled bags that tie at points around the rim complete the job by ensuring that the cover stays in place and down on the water.

Preparing pipes for winter is critical in certain climates. Those areas that get freezing temperatures can present a real risk of rupture to pipes and interfere with drains. There are several ways to deal with that potential problem.

One simple way is to lower the water level. That moves water away from components that are up high, like filters and pumps. Draining them by opening in-built drain plugs installed for that purpose helps tremendously.

Still, it can be tough to get water out of the entire system, especially in U-shaped sections. Then, a simple non-toxic winterizing swimming pool anti-freeze is a must. This ingenious product lowers the freezing point just as it does in your car, preventing ice formation. It’s not just the small expansion of ice that puts pressure on pipes, but any air trapped in the system when the ice forms. Anti-freeze keeps those spaces open.

Apart from that ‘emergency’ measure, even warmer climates can benefit from using a whole range of winterizing chemicals designed for the pool.

Sanitizers, standard pool shock, pH balancers, algaecide, and others should be used before you close your pool for the season. It might seem like a waste, since you don’t intend to use it for a few months.

Swimming pool closing will make the job of opening your pool infinitely easier. Bacteria, algae, and other nasty things continue to develop in all but the coldest temperatures. Leaving them to grow freely for several months is not a good maintenance strategy.

Fortunately, whole kits of winterizing pool chemicals are available to take all the guesswork out of which to use and how. Just follow the directions and you’ll be able to close your pool knowing it will be healthy and clear for the next grand opening.

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