Those hot summer days of coming home from a hard day at work (or school) to jump into the swimming pool diminishing. The fall season has arrived and it’s time to close the pool. There are a few important things to do before closing your pool that will help keep your pool in tip-top shape for next summer. Here are a few things to remember:
1. About 5 days before you close your pool, make sure you change your water balance to the following ranges: pH: 7.2 – 7.6/Alkalinity: 80 – 120 ppm/Calcium Hardness: 180 – 220 ppm.
2. The next step is to shock your pool with chlorine or a non-chlorine shock, approximately 1 pound for every 10,000 gallons. Let the chlorine level go back to 1.0 – 3.0 ppm prior to adding any winter algaecide.
3. Take off the wall fittings, skimmer baskets, solar blankets and cleaners from the swimming pool. Make sure you place these items in your pool house or store it in a safe location.
4. Reduce the water intensity in your pool. Use a submersible pump or a filter pump, reduce the level to 12″ – 18″ below the skimmer (mesh covers). For floating covers, reduce between 3″ – 6″ below the tile. You don’t have to worry about lowering the water level for Aquador skimmer covers on in-ground or above ground vinyl lined pools.
5. Drain all filtering, heating, pumping and chlorinating equipment. Make sure you drain out all water from the pool otherwise your pool will freeze and crack. Upon completion, the cartridge filters or D.E. filter grids must be removed and cleaned. If there is any water left in the pool, simply use a Mighty Vac or a compressor to blow out all water.
6. The next step is to lubricate pump lid o-ring with Magic Lube.
7. Make sure you thoroughly clean pool, skim the pool, vacuum the pool and brush the pool. Use leaf rake bags for large quantities of leaves and other debris. If your pool contains large amounts of algae simply avoid the filter, and vacuum dirt from the floors out the backwash line.
8. Make sure you completely brush the pool before covering it. You will also need to make sure you pool is tightly covered.
