How to Care for Your Pool While It Snows

Source: wikiHow

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In this Article:Preparing the pool for winterCleaning the pool and gearDuring the snow seasonCaring for the pool’s drainageCommunity Q&A

Freezing water could spell danger to your home swimming pool in more ways than one. Closing your pool properly during the winter can save you a lot of work when the time comes to open the swimming pool for the summer.

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2. 2 Remove all pool accessories. Take away the stairs, ladders, rafts, toys and other items and store them properly.
3. 3 Winterize your pool pump and water lines. If you have an above-ground pool, you likely can thoroughly drain your pump and store it in a protected shelter. Remove the flexible water hoses and cap the water line openings to prevent drainage.
4. 4 Chemically balance the pool water. Starting the winter with the proper chemicals helps to protect your pool from scale (hard water buildup) and corrosion. Test and adjust the pH, calcium hardness, chlorine and total alkalinity levels as necessary.
5. 5 Shock the water. Add a shock product, following the product instructions to determine the proper amount according to the pool size. Shocking raises the chlorine levels.
6. 6 Run the filter. Allow the pump and filter to run for several hours – a minimum of eight to 12 if possible.
7. 7 Add winterizing chemicals if preferred. Specially packaged pool chemicals for winter closing make it simple to add the included items according to the pool size. Broadcast these chemicals from the deep end or by walking around the pool.

1. 1 Clean the pool. Wipe down or brush the sides first and then the pool floor to loosen dirt, algae and other contaminants. Skim the surface of the water and vacuum the floor to remove the debris. When left in your pool, algae and other contaminants can stain the surfaces and leave lasting damage.
2. 2 Clean the pool equipment. Remove remaining chlorine from the chlorinator. Clean out the skimmer basket. Backwash or clean the filter to type: Both cartridge filters and D.E. grids – filters made with diatomaceous earth – can be flushed thoroughly with a garden hose fitted with a sprayer nozzle to create enough water pressure to remove contaminants. Sand filters, on the other hand, require backwashing according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

1. 1 Lower the water level. With above-ground pools, you must lower the water to allow you to remove the pump. Drain to below the return line, but never more than 18 inches (45.7 cm) to prevent stress on the pool cover. To prevent structural damage, never completely empty your above-ground pool. It is important to keep about 1–3 inches (3–8 cm) of water on top of the winter cover to prevent damages caused by wind. You can help secure your liner in place by using “quick clips”; as they are called; in order to hold your cover to the pool frame.
2. 2 Keep snow weight to a minimum. Snow and ice, if allowed to weigh on the pool’s cover, will eventually damage it. As most pool covers are kept on by a…

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