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Winterizing

Winterizing Guide


  1. Introduction
  2. Check Lists
  3. Winterizing


Introduction


This guide is help you make winterizing easy. Included are shopping lists for Chlorine Pools, Salt Water Pools, Pristine Blue Pools, and Baquacil Pools. Specific instructions regarding Above Ground and In Ground pools are further down.



Check Lists


Chlorine

  • Water Balancers (pH increaser, muriatic acid, etc) - Test your water to determine what you need
  • Pristine Blue Kit - One kit for every 16,000 gallons
  • 1 quart of ProTeam Power Enzyme for every 10,000 gallons
  • 3 gallons of RV Antifreeze - Do not use Auto Antifreeze
  • 1 Skimmer Gizzmo
  • Air Pillow & Rope
  • Winter Cover - Make sure to correctly size to your pool and that it includes a winch & cable
  • Cover Pump

Salt Water

  • Water Balancers (pH increaser, muriatic acid, etc) - Test your water to determine what you need
  • Pristine Blue Kit - One kit for every 16,000 gallons
  • 1 quart of ProTeam Power Enzyme for every 10,000 gallons
  • 3 gallons of RV Antifreeze - Do not use Auto Antifreeze
  • 1 Skimmer Gizzmo
  • Air Pillow & Rope
  • Winter Cover - Make sure to correctly size to your pool and that it includes a winch & cable
  • Cover Pump

Pristine Blue

  • Water Balancers (pH increaser, muriatic acid, etc) - Test your water to determine what you need
  • Pristine Blue Kit - One kit for every 16,000 gallons
  • 1 quart of ProTeam Power Enzyme for every 10,000 gallons
  • 3 gallons of RV Antifreeze - Do not use Auto Antifreeze
  • 1 Skimmer Gizzmo
  • Air Pillow & Rope
  • Winter Cover - Make sure to correctly size to your pool and that it includes a winch & cable
  • Cover Pump

Baquacil

  • Water Balancers (pH increaser, muriatic acid, etc) - Test your water to determine what you need
  • 1 gallon of Glossary Link Shock (Oxidizer) for every 10,000 gallons
  • 1/2 gallon of Sanitizer & Algistat for every 10,000 gallons
  • 1 quart of Algaecide for every 10,000 gallons
  • 1 Metal Control for every 10,000 gallons
  • 1 quart Proteam Power Enzyme for every 10,000 gallons
  • 3 gallons of RV Antifreeze - Do not use Auto Antifreeze
  • 1 Skimmer Gizzmo
  • Air Pillow & Rope
  • Winter Cover - Make sure to correctly size to your pool and that it includes a winch & cable
  • Cover Pump


How to winterize an above ground pool


If your pool looks bad or your water is not properly balanced when your ready to close, it will look even worse when you open it. You will have to use an excessive amount of chemicals to fix in in the spring, and it may result in liner or pool shell damage. Please follow all instructions in red.


  • Clean
    1. Brush walls & floors
    2. Vacuum walls & floors
    3. Backwash & Rinse
  • Chemically Clean Filter
    1. Run a filter cleaner treatment through your filter. This maintains the Glossary Link sand and ensures it will be ready for next year. Cleaning will strip body oils, suntan lotions, tree, plant, grass saps, and other greasy contaminates that cause filters to calcify & solidify. Cleaning it now while the contaminates are soft and easy to breakdown will extend the life of your medium.
  • Balace your water - See any of our water care guides for instructions on how to change your water balance
    1. Alkalinity - Ideal Ranges
      • Chlorine & Salt - 125-150 ppm
      • Baquacil - 80-120 ppm
      • Pristine Blue - 50-90 ppm
    2. pH - Ideal Ranges
      • All chemical systems - 7.2-7.8
    3. Calcium (Water Hardness) - Ideal Ranges
      • Chlorine & Salt - 175-275 ppm
      • Baquacil - 200-300 ppm
      • Pristine Blue - 150-300 ppm
  • Add Chemicals
    1. Chlorine, Salt, & Pristine Blue
      • Add content of the Pristine Blue Winterizing Kit
      • Add ProTeam Power Enzyme
      • Circulate for at least one hour
    2. Baquacil
      • Add all chemicals on the shopping list, except the Anti-Freeze
      • Circulate for at least one hour
  • Winterize plumbing
    1. Remove eyeball/return fitting and install a #9 or #10 expandable rubber plug, or a 1.5" threaded plug w/ oring
    2. Remove skimmer basket and install a gizzmo if skimmer has threaded opening in bottom. This will guard against freeze damage to the skimmer
    3. Doing these two things will allow you to maintain your normal water level, which will extend the life of the cover in addition to retaining treated water
  • Winterize equipment
    1. Clean and remove scum lines from the liner
    2. Remove freeze plugs from your pump and filter and let it drain completely
    3. If you have an automatic cleaner, remove your tablets and drain plug(s)
    4. Heater
      • Remove drain plugs
      • Open Petcock valves
      • Disconnect pressure switch
      • Turn gas valve knob to off position
      • Turn thermostat down
    5. Remove filter sand
    6. Please all drain plugs inside pump basket and put on pump lid
    7. You may leave equipment outside, or store it inside
  • Antifreeze
    • To protect your pools liner and structure, take 3 gallons of pool or rv antifreeze. Pour out just enough to allow air in the tapered neck portion of the bottle. This allows them to float at the proper water level. Do not pour out too much, otherwise the antifreeze will sit to high on the water and will float above the ice. The idea is to get them to take the brunt of the ice expansion, leaving your pool structure and liner intact. Beware: tire inner tubes, fire wood logs, and other inflatables will not be able to adapt and adjust to ice expansion like antifreeze will. You will get the protection from ice from no other product.
    • Do not use auto antifreeze. It is toxic. If it leaks from the bottle from ice expansion, it will be poisonous to humans and small animals. The petroleum will also ruin your liner and equipment
  • Cover
    1. Before covering your pool, tie an air pillow or two in the center of the pool. This will suspend the cover up so that water and debris will stay close to the edge. Draining excess water and cleaning off debris will be much easier.
    2. Cover pool and secure with the cable and winch. You may tie jugs partially filled with sand or dirt to the cover grommets to keep it weighted down during the winter.
    3. Add two inches of water on top of the cover to keep it down so that wind will not catch it
    4. A cover pump will remove excess water automatically from the winter cover. This will prevent ripping and structural stress from extreme weight.
    5. Remove all debris and excess water as quickly as possible from the cover. Warranties do not cover deterioration caused by decaying debris or water weight.


How to winterize an in ground pool


If your pool looks bad or your water is not properly balanced when your ready to close, it will look even worse when you open it. You will have to use an excessive amount of chemicals to fix in in the spring, and it may result in liner or pool shell damage. Please follow all instructions in red.


  • Clean
    1. Brush walls & floors
    2. Vacuum walls & floors
    3. Backwash & Rinse
  • Chemically Clean Filter
    1. Run a filter cleaner treatment through your filter. This maintains the sand and ensures it will be ready for next year. Cleaning will strip body oils, suntan lotions, tree, plant, grass saps, and other greasy contaminates that cause filters to calcify & solidify. Cleaning it now while the contaminates are soft and easy to breakdown will extend the life of your medium.
  • Balace your water - See any of our water care guides for instructions on how to change your water balance
    1. Alkalinity - Ideal Ranges
      • Chlorine & Salt - 125-150 ppm
      • Baquacil - 80-120 ppm
      • Pristine Blue - 50-90 ppm
    2. pH - Ideal Ranges
      • All chemical systems - 7.2-7.8
    3. Calcium (Water Hardness) - Ideal Ranges
      • Chlorine & Salt - 175-275 ppm
      • Baquacil - 200-300 ppm
      • Pristine Blue - 150-300 ppm
  • Add Chemicals
    1. Chlorine, Salt, & Pristine Blue
      • Add content of the Pristine Blue Winterizing Kit
      • Add ProTeam Power Enzyme
      • Circulate for at least one hour
    2. Baquacil
      • Add all chemicals on the shopping list, except the Anti-Freeze
      • Circulate for at least one hour
  • Winterize Plumbing
    1. With the filter in the waste or backwash position, lower the water level 1/4" below the skimmer. To do this, close the skimmer valve completely off, and open the drain valve completely. If you do no have a valve for the skimmer, use a gizzmo or rubber plug to close it off. This will allow water to drain without letting your pump run dry. If you have a water bag cover, now would be a good time to start filling the bags to speed up the winterizing process.
      • After you have drained the pool to just below the skimmer, briefly open up your skimmer valve or unplug the skimmer. This will allow the pump to suck all of the remaining water out of the line. Do not leave the pump running for long in this state: just long enough empty the pipes.
      • If your main drain and skimmer are tied together at the skimmer, then plug off the line to drain. This keeps water from the pool from running back in, filling the skimmer.
    2. Remove all eyeball fittings from return jets. Retrieve the entire fitting, which is composed of three parts: the locking collar, the eyeball, and the threaded wall fitting.
    3. If applicable, remove the automatic pool cleaner wall fitting.
    4. Remove all plugs from pump (usually 2) and filter (usually 1) to let excess water drain out, then put them back in.
    5. Put the filter valve in the recirculate position. If you do not have this option, just drain and replace drain cap.
    6. Use a wet/dry shop vac in exhaust mode. Put the hose in the skimmer line going back to the pump. This will force any remaining water through equipment and back to the pool, exiting the return line where the jets were. If you are winterizing the pool by yourself, here is a helpful tip. Take 3' of 1.5" pvc pipe and glue a 1.5" pvc male adapter to it. Screw the male adapter into the skimmer suction line. Duct tape your wet/dry shop vac on to the pvc pipe. This will allow you to blow the lines free of water while plugging them in at the same time.
    7. Using #9 or #10 expandable rubber plugs, plug each line starting with the first one that blows air. Contiue consecutively until all lines are plugged.
    8. Remove pvc pipe and gizzmoes from skimmers.
    9. Pour 1 gallon of pool or rv antifreeze into each skimmer.
    10. Re-install gizzmos only the skimmers. They absorb ice expansion during freezing weather, eliminating damage to the skimmers.
    11. Pour 1/3 gallon of antifreeze into each skimmer. This will give added protection when you raise the water level back into the skimmers. The antifreeze mixed with the water will keep it from freezeing, protecting the skimmer walls.
    12. To protect your liner, tile grout, and pool structure take 3 gallons of pool or rv antifreeze. Pour out just enough to allow air in the tapered neck portion of the bottle. This allows them to float at the proper water level. Do not pour out too much, otherwise the antifreeze willsit to high on the water and will float above the ice. The idea is to get them to take the brunt of the ice expansion, leaving your pool structure and liner intact. Beware: tire inner tubes, fire wood logs, and other inflatables will not be able to adapt and adjust to ice expansion like antifreeze will. You will get the protection from ice from no other product.
    13. Do not use auto antifreeze. It is toxic. If it leaks from the bottle from ice expansion, it will be poisonous to humans and small animals. The petroleum will also ruin your liner and equipment
  • Equipment
    • Pump - Remove Drain Plugs (Usually 2)
    • Filter - Remove Drain Plugs (Usually 1)
    • Automatic Chlorinator - Remove tablets and drain plugs (Usually 1)
    • Automatic Pool Cleaner Booster Pump - Remove Drain Plug (Usually 1)
    • Heater
      • Remove Drain Plugs
      • Open petcock valves
      • Disconnect pressure switch
      • Turn gas valve knob to off position
      • Turn termostate down
  • Cover
    • Safety Cover
      1. When unrolling, unfolding, and stretching cover, be careful not to drag and snag cover on the anchors. Unroll and spread cover first before raising deck anchors.
    • Water Bag Covers
      1. While lowering water level, start filling water bags to save time.
      2. Fill your bags 1/2-2/3 full only!
      3. Lay bags end to end, making sure they touch. This will keeep out blowing debris, and prevent that same debris from getting under the cover.
      4. Add 1-2" of water on top to hold it down in the wind.
      5. If you completely will the water bags, they will burst from freezing and roll off the cover and deck. Halfway filling them gives them plenty of weight, and room to expand.
      6. WARNING: do not let more than 4-6" of water accumulate on a water bag cover. Excess water weight and debris can destroy a cover. This voids the warranty, and it will make opening the pool far more difficult due dirty water and debris contaminating the pool.
 
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