Closing The Above Ground Pool For The Winter

It's that time of year again! It's time to close down that above ground swimming pool for the winter. There are many requirements for closing your pool for the winter. Click here for the complete process on How To Close Your Swimming Pool from Mike the Pool Guy!

Here's a rundown of the first stage of closing your swimming pool:

Closing your pool for the winter is recommended in areas of the country where freezing occurs. Most pool parts are resins and plastics, which can crack and split when frozen, costing any pool owner money in replacement parts.

Read all available directions before attempting a pool closing. Remember to test the water to ensure it's at the right levels for closing. If you have a chlorine Aqua Smart System, the next step is purchasing a Winter Closing Kit; one or two kits might be needed depending on the size of your pool.

Each kit (left picture) should hold a dry granular winterizing agent, plus an oxidizing agent. Pour each agent into the skimmer and wait two hours before each application, letting the chemicals circulate. First pour the granular agent, and then the oxidizing agent. Next, vacuum the pool floor; everything left on the bottom will still be there throughout the winter, so it's best to remove all debris. If you have a Perma Salt System, repeat this process but substitute the kit with Perma Salt Winterate.

The next step is lowering the water level. Simply drain the pool water below the top return and below the skimmer. You are now ready to winterizing the filtration system.

Remove the hose from the skimmer and the hose from the pool to the Aqua Smart system. Remove the Aqua Smart lid and take the Bac Pack out. Remove the Aqua Smart mineral system. Now lower the water level in the filter through the drain cap at the base of the system.

You will have to loosen the clamp on the valve head with the special tool that came with the system. Once this removed, lift up the top valve head and set it on the ground.

Now remove the motor mounts at the base of the system. After this is done, remove the motor and replace the mounting clips. Drain the pump by removing the drain plug from the housing. Dump out the excess water. Put the plug back in and be sure it's secure; you don't want to lose it!

Now remove the sand from the sand filter. Take indoors all of the parts for storage in a place that will not freeze.

Remember this is only the first stage. Do your homework before closing your swimming pool for the winter. Check out our Pool School on How To Close Your Swimming Pool from Mike the Pool Guy for the complete process...

And good luck!