Water Chemistry: Take a sample of pool water one week before you close the pool to Beechmount Pool Services for testing. The pH and alkalinity should be adjusted to slightly higher than normal at that time.

Solar Blanket: Clean and remove the solar blanket. If it is on a solar roller, leave it on the roller and wrap it tightly with a plastic sheet to prevent mice from nesting over the winter.

Shocking: Shock the pool 24 hours prior to closing.

Lowering the Water Level: Lower the water using your vacuum hose (set the filter on waste). Keep the skimmer full of water to hold the prime while you lower the water below the skimmer. If you use your vacuum hose to lower the water, give the pool one final vacuum, then backwash. Using a submersible pump to lower the water is faster and easier. In a concrete pool, the water should go down below the jets. In a vinyl-lined pool, the water should be just below the skimmer.

Misc. Equipment: Remove ladders, railings and diving boards. Disconnect pool lights and allow them to sink below winter ice level or bring them up onto the deck and wrap them up. Remove skimmer baskets, weir doors, and outlet eyeballs. Winterize Your Equipment: Pump – Remove 2 plugs.

Filter – Remove pressure guage(s), take them inside for the winter. Place the dial valve handle in between any two positions. Remove bottom plug or cap and make sure that all the water drains out of the filter. In the case of a cartridge filter remove and clean the filters with a filter cleaning solution or bring them to Beechmount for a prefessional cleaning.

Heater – Turn off gas. Remove plugs found on either side. Disconnect pressure switch inside door. Open any taps if present.

Heat Pump – Disconnect both hoses and tilt 15 degrees to ensure draining.

Chlorinator/Brominator – Remove any remaining chemicals and place in a sealed bag. Remove any plugs. Disconnect any supply lines (if feeder is an online feeder).

Valves – Open any valves.

Piping – Disconnect any piping that appears to collect water.

Salt Cell – Remove and clean the salt cell with a salt cell cleaner or bring it to Beechmount to have it professionally cleaned.

Add Winterizing Chemicals – Add winterizing kit.

Drain and Seal Pool Lines – Use plastic plugs in the returns with Teflon tape to seal. Use rubber expandable plugs in skimmer for easy removal in the spring. Use a Gizzmo or similar device to absorb the pressure of the ice in the skimmer.

Blowing Lines with a Shop Vac (Blowing Style)

1. Lower water just below skimmer (vinyl pool) or 18″ below coping (concrete pool).
2. Disconnect backwash hose.
3. Attach blower hose to same fitting.
4. Put dial valve handle between any 2 positions.
5. Turn on blower.
6. As air rushes out return jets, cap with a threaded plug.
7. If air comes out 1 jet, cap it and the will water will come out the other. If air only comes out skimmer, plug it to force air out jets.
8. After jets are sealed, suck out water from skimmer (if any water is left) using the vacuum hose of the shop vac.

Install the Winter Cover

Tarp & Bags – Allow the cover to ‘float’ on the water and come straight up the pool wall and up on the deck. The cover acts as a separator and cannot hold the weight of the snow and ice. If the cover is stretched until taught across the pool, the snow and ice will pull the cover in. Water Bags: Lay the waterbags end to end around the perimeter of the pool to properly seal the pool from the wind. Only fill the waterbags half full or approximately 2″ thick. This will help prevent damage to the bags from the expansion of the ice. If the pool is in a windy area, lay bags across the corners of the cover. This will keep the cover from billowing up.

Lock In Cover – If possible lay out the cover beside the pool to ensure that the cover will be placed in the right starting point. Wherever possible try to mark the cover to indicate certain spots (ie. stairs, skimmer, or a mark on the deck). Then pull the cover onto the water and quickly try to tack up several different place around the pool as to not let the cover sink. Then, pick a spot and have one person work clockwise and the other counter all the way around the perimeter of the pool until the cover is fully secured. Then, install the cover wedges to keep it in place.

Safety Cover – With a cordless drill remove all the lags and then grease them and reinstall  then by a full few turns. Then, beside the pool ensure that you have the cover properly positioned and then drag it over the pool and begin hooking the springs onto the lags. You should be able to do one length and one width by hand and then secure the other 2 sides by using the provided cover tool.