Tips on Closing the Pool for Fall and Winter

At Dolphin Pools & Spas, we’re your full-service custom pool experts. We’re here to help you with your new swimming pool through every step of the pool construction and purchase process. We’re also here to provide our expertise as you own and operate your pool moving forward. Our pros have more experience with pools than anyone you know, and as such they can offer fantastic tips on everything from simple cleaning to repair areas and more. Today’s lesson: We’ll discuss the proper time of the year to consider closing your pool as fall turns into winter, plus some simple steps for doing this on your own.

When To Do It

There’s no single set time where you absolutely have to close your pool for the year, but there are some general guidelines you can use. The simplest one is this: When the average nighttime temperature drops below 30 degrees Fahrenheit (negative-1 Celsius), it’s usually getting to be time to consider closing things up. In most climates, that means you’ll be able to leave the pool open from mid-to-late-May through mid-September, and often much further into the fall. There are a couple other factors you might have to consider here that could change your timing, though:

• Fall leaves: Do you have lots of trees around your pool that have begun to drop fall leaves? These can make a huge mess and may even force you to close the pool early – instead of doing this plus cleaning up leaves, you may just want to close up before the leaves stack up too heavily.
• Robot cleaner: For those who have invested in a robot pool cleaner, know that many of these models don’t function well in colder temperatures. You might be damaging the motor by running it below a certain temperature. Check the manual to find out about this.

Basic Steps

Here are some basic steps to closing your pool for the fall and winter:

1. Go through brushing, shocking and sanitizing process for the entire pool. Also be sure to balance water levels. If your manufacturer instructions say to add metal remover or sequestering agent, add these as they direct.
2. Vacuum debris from the bottom of the pool.
3. Once chemicals have been placed in the pool, allow them to filter for 24 hours or so.
4. Drain water down to appropriate levels – never below the skimmer if you have a fiberglass pool model.
5. Remove plugs and water from the pump and filter system. Also remove all heat pumps or heating elements.
6. Blow out the plumbing lines and plug them, using an air compressor if possible. Add a skimmer plug as well.
7. Remove all ladders and handrails and store them properly.
8. Cover the pool and secure the cover properly. If you have a vinyl or tarp cover, you should also have a water pump that you place in the center of the cover to remove rainwater.

For more on closing your pool for the fall, or to learn about any of our custom pools, speak to the pros at Dolphin Pools & Spas today.