Closing your pool properly makes next year’s start-up easy. To avoid expensive clean-up and repairs follow this easy guide:
- Keep your filter running for the chemical winterizing treatment.
- Physically clean the pool. Clean out the skimmer basket and the pump’s hair trap. If the filter has not been cleaned all season, use Filter Cleaner as directed. A dirty filter can result in hardened scale deposits that cake over the winter.
- Adjust the alkalinity to 80-150 p.p.m.
- Adjust the pH to 7.2-7.6
- Ensure that your free chlorine reading is between 3-5 p.p.m., or your bromine reading is at least 5 p.p.m.
- Adjust the calcium hardness to 150-200 p.p.m.
- Pre-mix one bottle of Stain and Scale in a bucket and pour evenly around the pool. Stain and Scale will guard against scale, metal staining and bathtub ring. Existing rust stains will also be removed over the winter. Wait 4 hours before adding the Non-Chlorine Shock.
- Add 1kg container of Non-Chlorine Shock directly to the pool water to oxidize any dissolved organic matter that physical cleaning and filtration could not remove. The Non-Chlorine Shock works well with both Chlorine and Bromine.
- Because the fall and spring temperatures are unpredictable, it is recommended that one bottle of Concentrated Algaecide be added to protect the pool from algae. Pre-mix Concentrated Algaecide in a bucket and pour evenly around the pool.
- Let the pool water circulate 8 hours before shutting down filter.
- Drain water approx. 1″-2″ below return.
At the filter head, disconnect the return and pump line, also disconnect the skimmer line. Remove plug(s) off of the pump to drain, when complete, bring pump inside. Switch filter head over to closed or winterized and undo plug and leave off, disconnect pressure gauge. Disconnect eyeball from return, take out skimmer basket and bring inside.
If you have a heater, undo the drain cock(s), take off pressure switch and let hang. Make sure gas is shut off. If it is a solar system make sure lines are drained.