Tips for winterizeing your above ground swimming pool for those of you who use Baquacil instead of chlorine. Save money on equipment maintenance and replacement costs by doing it correctly.
Using Baquacil has made pool maintenance much easier, however, it's still very important to close the pool properly to insure a clean pool in the following season. Following you will find a detailed explanation of the proper steps you should take while closing down your above ground pool for the winter.
First, make sure the temperature is no more than 60 degrees when you start your closing. At this temperature, algae growth will not be a problem. Thoroughly vacuum the pool to make sure ALL debris is out and there is no sediment lying on the bottom. A good practice to follow is even before the vacuuming, take a pool brush and thoroughly scrub the sides of the pool, to ensure that all sediment and particles are free flowing in the water. You should purchase a product called Baquaclean, and scrub the top rails of your pool to make sure all the dirt is off before you close up the pool. At this point, make sure the Baquacil level is topped off to 50 PPM, the proper amount of Baquashock is added, along with the closing dosage of Baquacheck algaecide. The proper amount will be based on the size of your pool; the pool store should have a card showing the proper dosage levels.
Once this is done, the water needs to be drained out to 6" below the bottom of the skimmer. The simplest way to do this is set the filter on the waste setting using the vacuum to drain the pool. When this step is completed, you can turn off the filter and pull the vacuum. Next, you want to place a skimmer cover, which is a metal plate, over the opening of the skimmer. This will prevent any water coming into the skimmer and freezing, which because of expansion, can crack the skimmer. Disconnect all hoses and cap off the inlet with a screw-on cover. Remove the cap of the filter, drain off excess water, and allow the sand or earth to dry. Position a "pool pillow" in the center of the pool and tie it off to the sides with nylon cord. Position your winter cover over the pool and tighten the retention cord to the sides. Many people hang bleach jugs filled with water on the eyelets of the pool cover to stabilize it as water collects in the cover from rain or snow. This is NOT a good practice as it weakens the cover and voids the warranty. Pool stores sell inexpensive 4' long clips that attach to the pool rails that accomplish the same result and work perfectly.
It is recommended that the sand or earth in the filter be removed next, which is easily accomplished, again, with a shop vacuum. Clean the filter thoroughly and remove it to either the garage or basement out of the elements. This will extend the life of your filter considerably. As the fall/winter season continues, it is also recommended that you occasionally drain the excess water from the winter cover to prevent strain. This is accomplished by starting a shop vacuum, and when the water starts to flow, disconnect the hose from the vacuum. The siphon action will keep the water flowing, and it will drain quickly.
Since most people utilize solar covers, it is also critical that when these covers are removed for storage, they are completely dry! Mildew will form very easily over the storage period, resulting in a costly replacement. For people who have a solar cover reel, the easiest method is to unroll the cover, and after it is dry, re-roll the cover onto the reel, cover it in plastic to prevent an accumulation of dirt, and simply hang the reel from the rafters in the garage. For those without the reel, it is best to fold the cover into quarter size, and then roll the cover up. It can then be stored in its original bag and be ready to go in the summer. Again, it is IMPERATIVE the cover is totally dry before storage.
If you live in a very cold climate, it is strongly recommended that you remove any left over chemicals to a warm dry place such as the basement. This will prevent any freezing and you will be able to utilize them again the next season.
All hoses, fittings, etc., should be checked for cracks, pinhole leaks, and flexibility at this time as well. Plastic filter hoses and vacuum hoses tend to become brittle over time, and it is important to make sure that if any of these hoses are suspect, they are replaced quickly. Filter hoses should be extremely pliable and if not, they will tend to develop small leaks. Rinse all the hoses with your garden hose, inside and out, before placing them into storage. Although many people leave their filters out at the pool, and use their sand over two to three seasons, keeping the filter out of the winter elements and changing the sand each year makes for a much more enjoyable swimming season with far less headaches overall.
Following these simple procedures will insure that when you open your pool next season, you will start with crystal clear water and be able to enjoy a nice cool refreshing swim as soon as possible!
