How To Winterize Your Pool
The winter months are a beautiful time. As the cold weather settles and the leaves fall down, we break out our sweaters and start brewing our hot chocolates. But if you’re a pool owner, this seasonal transition is one of the most important of the whole year.
If you plan to use your pool next swim season, then you already know it’s essential to properly winterize your pool when you close it.
Why Winterize Your Pool?
A swimming pool is essentially a giant box of water, so by no means is it immune to the laws of nature. On that note, let’s revisit a fun concept in science.
Water has a freezing point of about 32 degrees Fahrenheit. And when water freezes it expands within the container it’s in.
Remember when you tried to put a can of soda in the fridge as a kid?
Remember what happened?
Just like that soda can, most of the components within your pool system (including the pool itself) can expand too much and experience serious damage.
Bursted pipes, malfunctioning pumps, and cracked walls — the whole nine yards.
Luckily, all of these unfortunate situations can be avoided by taking the time to winterize your swimming pool.
How To Winterize Your Pool
This guide will walk you through the process of winterizing your swimming pool in an easy-to-follow way.
For above ground pool owners: How To Winterize Your Above Ground Pool In 7 Simple Steps
Clean the pool
To winterize your pool the right way, start with a little housekeeping. If you’ve been using a Pool Care Schedule to make pool maintenance easier, then you might be able to skip this step.
But for the purpose of this guide, we’ll assume the pool needs a cleaning.
Skim out all surface debris (leaves, insects, twigs, etc.)
Scrub and clean the pool wall and tiles
Empty out the skimmer and pump baskets
Vacuum the pool
Related: 21 Pool Care Hacks That Make Pool Maintenance Easy
Get the right chemistry
Balancing your water is worth every minute of time you spend.
Why?
Because unbalanced chemicals, combined with months of stagnant water and frigid temperatures can result in corrosion and buildup — neither of which spell out good things for your pool system or wallet.
To avoid that messy situation, grab your pool water testing kit and test for:
Chlorine level (between 1.0-3.0ppm | 1.5ppm ideal)
pH level (between 7.2-7.6)
Total Alkalinity (between 80-120ppm)
Calcium Hardness (at least 180ppm | 225ppm ideal)
*Take caution not to add any chlorine tablets to the pool at this time.
Once you’ve added the appropriate chemicals to balance and sanitize the water, run the pool pump for at least one full cycle (4 -8 hours).
[Want to learn a bit more about pool chemistry? Check out this Pool Chemistry Guide]
You may also want to use a pool winterizing kit. This extra line of defense ensures that your pool water stays nice and clear during its hibernation.
Pool winterizing kits usually include a bottle of algae control, anti-stain/scale, and a pack of chlorine-free shock. Be sure to follow any manufacturer instructions included with the kit, as some may call for running your pool pump during the process.
Related: How To Remove Pool Algae
Freeze Prevention
Although unbalanced water can cause trouble, nothing wreaks havoc on your pool quite like freeze damage. During temperatures below 32 degress Fahrenheit, water left in a pool system freezes and expands, which we already know is not a good thing.
So logically, the best course of action is to prevent freezing altogether.
Swimming Pool Freeze Prevention
Drain the pool slightly below the mouth of the skimmer
(Do NOT drain the pool completely! The pressure of expanding soil around the pool can cause shifts and cracks in the structure)
Remove all PVC fittings
Remove pool hardware and non-permanent fixtures
(ladders, slides, hoses)
But that just covers the swimming pool.
To properly winterize your entire swimming pool system and avoid headaches, follow the simple steps listed below to prepare your pool equipment:
How To Winterize Your Pool Pump
Disconnect the pump
Drain any remaining water from pump
Remove drain plugs
Briefly turn on pump (2 seconds max) to empty remaining water
Store drain plugs in pump basket
Disconnect electrical power
How To Winterize Your Pool Heater
Without a reliable source of heat your swimming pool is essentially an ice box, so follow these steps to ensure your pool heater’s survival during the winter months.
Disconnect electrical power
Unscrew/detach inlet and outlet unions
Remove drain plug ( Most pool heat pumps do not have a drain plug)
Flush out the heater with a garden hose (water should enter through inlet and flow out of outlet)
Clear remaining water with an air compressor (placed in inlet) until water stops flowing out
Loosely reconnect unions and plug
How To Winterize Your Pool Heat Pump
Follow the same steps listed above, but be sure to cover up the unit with a small tarp to prevent any debris from entering in through the fan grill.
Blow Out The Pool Lines
More than halfway done! Now it’s time to remove the remaining pool water from your pipes. This is a step you definitely don’t want to skip over, as burst pipes are absolutely no fun to deal with when opening your pool for the season.
Follow these steps to properly blow your pool lines/pipes:
First, unscrew any fittings attached to your pump.
Next, grab your air compressor (or Shop Vac) and attach it to the skimmer line opening near your pump and filter.
Turn on the air compressor to blow out any excess water in the pipes (water should begin flowing out of the pool skimmer)
Continue blowing out the line until you can see air bubbles.
Turn off the compressor and plug the line
Main and Return Line
Follow the same steps for the return line, plugging any exposed return jets once the pipe has been blown out.
Once you’ve blown out the main line, be sure to plug it (at the filter end) and seal the gate valve. This will prevent any water from entering the line and doing damage.
In case that was a little tough to visualize, here’s a helpful instructional video from Monkeysee explaining the process.
Winterizing The Pool Filter
One of the easier steps of the process, here’s how to winterize your pool filter:
Remove the filter hoses
Spray the cartridge filter elements/media with Filter Cleaner
Rinse off with garden hose
for DE Filters: drain filter tank and leave backwash valve open
for Sand filters: backwash
Open drain at bottom of filter to release trapped water
Open air-release valve (if included)
Set multiport valve to “Closed” position and remove pressure gauge
Getting Ready To Cover Your Pool
Before you put on your pool cover, you’ll need to place a floatation device in the center of the water. This floatation device is essential to balancing any ice and rain that forms on the pool cover and also relieves pressure off of the pool walls.
Most pool stores carry “pillows” for this exact purpose, but anything as simple as a large inner tube should do the trick.
Putting On The Winter Pool Cover
Winter pool covers are different from regular pool covers. They’re specially designed to handle snow and ice buildup, and prevent anyone/anything from accidentally falling into the water.
Typically, applying a pool cover is a two-person job, so it’s best to have a friend help out.
Starting from one end, grab the cover and begin stretching it over the pool. The cover needs to be as tight as possible once secured, so be sure to fully spread it.
Once you’ve draped the cover over the pool, you’ll want to refer to the included instructions to properly fasten it down. Most winter pool covers require a wire to be run through the metal openings along the perimeter of the cover, but yours may be different.
Winterizing Your Pool Heaters
You spend thousands of dollars on a swimming pool heater to enjoy the benefits of a warm swimming pool all summer long. Ensure your investment lasts for years to come by properly winterizing your propane pool heater!
This essential procedure must be done annually to ensure the extended life of your equipment. While it’s not especially hard to winterize your propane pool heater, if you make a mistake you may have a broken pool heater on your hands.
If uncertain, call the professionals at Combined Energy Services to happily guide you through the process.
Winterizing Your Pool Heater:
Step 1: Turn the gas valves off
This is a very important step! Pool heaters have two valves – one inside the heater that will usually have "on", "off" and "pilot" designations. A second valve, usually a brass ball valve, is located somewhere on the gas line that feeds to the heater. This is usually directly beside the heater itself, however it’s sometimes located directly after the gas meter on the line feeding your heater. You must find both valves and be 100% sure you closed them for the winter.
**BOTH VALVES MUST BE CLOSED** If one of them fails, or has a slow leak, this could result in enough gas building up in the heater that a spark could ignite an explosion.
Call your HVAC professional to ensure you do this process correctly!
Step 2: Open the pressure switch
Some pools have pressure switches while others do not. If your pool has a pressure switch, be sure to properly open it to avoid it from breaking during the winter from the normal freezing process. This piece of equipment is expensive to replace!
The switch is normally located inside the heater and is connected with a 1/4″ copper tubing. There will be two nuts connected to the top of the pressure switch that need to be opened. Use a wrench to carefully open avoiding damage to the nuts or pressure switch itself. Don’t remove them completely. Opening the copper tube connection and letting the pressure switch hang form the wires is standard in the pool industry. The copper line will drain water when you open the connection port.
Step 3: Open the winterization ports / drain cocks
Every heater has winterization ports or drain cocks in multiple locations. The number of ports vary depending on the model you have. Normally you will be looking for 2 to 4 ports in total.
To find the ports, look under the header of the heater where the pipes connect. You may find 1-2 ports in this location. There may be additional ports located on the opposite side of the heater.
The ports will be a standardized thread plastic plug or a brass bolt style. To winterize, remove every drain plug that you can find. Be careful when loosening and removing these to avoid breaking. Rule of thumb is plastic drain cocks are removed and brass drain cocks are placed back on the unit for the winter.
If you need help locating the heater winterizations ports, contact your pool professional.
Step 4: Drain the heater of all standing water
Blow out any excess water in the pool heater using an air compressor. Store the plugs in the filter basket to keep in a safe place and accessible next season. Do the same with other pool equipment like strainer, filter, chlorinator and pump body.
Step 5: Move heater indoors if possible
This helps preserve the unit and will keep it safe from the winter elements such as snow and ice.
Place a breathable cover on top of the unit to avoid moisture from being trapped inside. Moisture buildup can promote rusting and corrosion on the interior of the pool heater.
Step 6: Rodent proof your pool heater
Rodents can create a lot of problems to your pool or spa heaters. They chew through wires that are essential for keeping the heater working.
When everything is clean and clear, it’s time to prevent rodents from moving in. A fine mesh chicken wire works well. Place the mesh over large openings or vents around the outside of the heater. For smaller heaters steel wool or silicone caulking works. The following is a method to created to prevent rodent infestation in your swimming pool heater. Try to fill every opening, rodents can fit through a hole the size of a quarter!
Step 7: Call Your Pool Professionals for Yearly Maintenance Service
Performing a yearly maintenance service on your pool heater is highly recommended. It’s important to properly maintain the unit to keep it running efficiently year after year. This is to remove any spiders, leaves or anything that can obstruct passageways causing it run less efficient. Heating your pool is expensive so be sure to treat it properly!!
If you have any questions while winterizing your pool heater, call Wechsler Pool & Supply Co. today!
We are your pool professionals!
Wechsler Pool & Supply Co has been serving the Catskill & lower Hudson Valley since 1934. A long tradition of servicing businesses and residences with a service staff second to none!
If you have questions about your service or products we offer, please email info@combinedenergyservices.com Do not leave a service or product question in the comments.
How To Winterize A Pool Heater
If you want to learn how to winterize a swimming pool heater you need to accept that if you make a mistake with this process you are likely going to have a broken heater come spring time. While it is not especially hard to winterize a pool heater, there are a number of steps to the process and missing any one will likely be a problem. If you are interested in learning how to properly close your heater for the winter season then the information on this page will help you accomplish this.
Above all else, if you forget to do everything else listed on this page, just be sure to close the gas valve going to the heater. Your heater actually has two gas valves - one inside the heater that will have "on", "off" and "pilot" designations usually. You will also have a second valve, usually a brass ball valve, somewhere on the gas line that feeds to the heater. Most commonly this should be directly beside the heater itself, however it is sometimes located directly after the gas meter on the line feeding your heater. Either way there is a gas valve somewhere and you need to find it and make absolutely sure that it is closed once you shut down your heater for the winter. Why do you need to close both gas valves for your heater? If one of them fails, or has a slow leak, this could result in enough gas building up in the heater that a spark could ignite an explosion.
While most internal gas valves in pool heaters are very easy to read in terms of on and off, the style of gas valve shown here from a Hayward ED2 (a popular Canadian model, uncommon in the USA) is a little ambiguous as to which direction is "off". The valve as pictured here is currently in the "on position" for reference. As gas valves can fail as they age always be sure to close the primary valve on the gas line in addition to this internal valve.
This picture shows the main gas line valve that is installed on the feed line just adjacent to the heater. Most commonly this will be a brass ball valve with a handle. When the handle is parallel (in line) with the pipe this indicates the valve is open. When the handle is perpendicular ("T") to the pipe this indicates a closed position. There are also gas valves without a handle that require a large wrench in order to close. As with ball valves, the orientation of the lines on these types of gas valves will indicate closed when the lines are perpendicular to the gas line, and open when the lines are parallel to the gas line.
Due to our professionalism and service consciousness, our products of Swimming pool heat pump,Heat Pump for Heating,Heat Pump for Pool have won a good reputation among customers all over the world
