It’s nearly winter, its time for winterizing.  Winterizing or winterization is the process of preparing your homes, summer houses, cars, boats and even lawn and yard for the harsh temperature of winter.   It is important to prepare your water and irrigation systems for the winter, to avoid any pipes bursting because of water freeze and your cars to avoid crashes and accidents.

Another home feature that requires winterizing is the swimming pool.  When winterizing a pool, the first step is clear the pool of any kind of debris or contaminants.  You could use nets, filters, and poles with nets to clear the water of any contaminants.  You could start winterizing your swimming pool as early as autumn.

If you have an above-ground pool, check if it has any leaks and cover it immediately.  There are many pools that are damaged because of a simple leak. Since the water would turn into ice and would expand, the walls of the above-ground pool will experience pressure.  This pressure could be dangerous especially if there is a crack or a leak already existing.

Aside from cleaning it, also check the water chemistry of the pool.  You should ensure that the chemical balance is maintained.  A balanced pool water chemistry would ensure that the surface of the pool is free of staining and etching.

To make things easy for homeowners, there are some manufacturers who would release winter kits.  These winter kits would include winter chlorine, winter alkalizer, and some winter powder.  These winter kits would ensure that the pool will stay clean until after the winter season.  It is important to read manufacturer instructions when putting or using these winter chemicals in your pool.

After adding the winter chemicals and clearing out the filters, you would need to make sure that all proper places are covered.  Plumbing lines should be free of any kind of water, you could use a shop vac to do that.  This would blow out water from each filter line.  Then make sure that it is covered with plugs. Aside from the lines, make sure that the pump is also drained.

You would also need to have a pool cover.  Some would recommend the use of a floatation device in the middle of the pool before covering it.  The use of this floatation device would allow the ice to push towards the middle of the pool, this would relieve the pools walls from pressure which can cause support problems later on.  When covering your pool, make sure that it is covered tightly.  You do not want the pool cover to fly away along with a strong wind or rain.

Make sure that there are no chemicals like chlorine and bromine tablets left in any part of your pool, whether it is in the bottom of your pool or in your feeder.  This would cause serious damage to the pool, the feeder and other equipment.

Proper pool winterizing would ensure that you would be experiencing sparkling waters during the warmer climate and at the same time ensure a longer life span for your pool.

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Winter is not the best time for your pool, so before the snowy season comes in with full force, you should prepare your pool for the tough weather. Winterizing your pool guarantees you that it would survive the season and be spared from possible winter damages.

Pools differ from one another, that is why it is best to consult your pool manufacturer about properly winterizing your pool. But although that’s the case, there are general guidelines in winterizing pools, which would give you a good head start. Here’s a few of them:

1. Remove any deck equipment. This includes ladders, diving boards, rails, and slides. Store them in places where they will be secure and away from the harsh weather.

2. Check the water’s chemical balance. The pH level should be anywhere between 7.2 to 7.6; alkalinity, 80 to 120 ppm; and calcium hardness, 180 to 220 ppm. If the water chemistry is unbalanced, you run the risk of damaging the pool surface. Chemical winterizing kits, which contain the necessary chemical treatments, are available from pool supply stores. Use them as instructed in the product label.

3. Blow out the water from pumping, heating, and filtering systems. You can use a shop vac or air compressor to do this job. Make sure all water comes out. By draining these systems, you avoid the possibility of freezing water and cracking the lines.

4. Lower the water level. This is necessary if your pool has tile liner, because when the water expands, it can push outward and may crack the tile. Keep the water 4 to 6 inches below the skimmer. However, if you have drained your underground pipes and are using gizzmos to plug the skimmer, there is no need to lower the water lever. Remember, the higher the water, the better for the pool to hold the cover.

5. Clean the pool. Remove leaves and other debris using a filter or net. Some owners prefer not to clean the pool, especially if there’s only a few floating debris, and clean it only upon opening the pool in the spring. That would be a logical choice since there is always the possibility of debris getting their way into the pool. However, it is still advisable to clean the pool before closing it for winter to ensure you of clean water come spring.

6. Cover the pool. This will keep debris out of the pool and prevent algae build-up. Pool covers come in different varieties and likewise offer various advantages and disadvantages. Regardless, choose the cover that provides the most protection and fits your pool the best. When installing the cover, make sure the wire is tight enough, so no amount of wind can topple off the cover and expose your pool. To provide support, you can use air pillow or any other floating devices. These devices absorb ice expansion in the pool and prevent the pool sides from cracking.

Be extra careful when winterizing your pool. If you have any questions, contact your pool manufacturer or any pool expert. Don’t take chances, as repairs are painfully costly.

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You have invested money in building swimming pool and it has given you so much pleasure. As the season begins to get colder, you have to prepare the pool to make sure that it won’t be damaged during the season change. For this purpose, you will gain lots of insights from gathering information about ways on winterizing swimming pools.

As the summer bids adieu, you must also begin saying goodbye to your pool. Here are the processes that must be followed to make sure that the pool will be ready for the colder season and will also at its tip-top shape come summertime.

1. Check the pH level of the water. This must be about 7.5 and if the results show otherwise, put dry acid on the water. Check the chlorine and use a product that is ideal for the situation to protect the pool from developing algae come winter months.

2. When the cold months come in, run the pump six hours each day. This action will also prevent algae from developing while the pool is not in use. Any kinds of leaks should be sealed. Turn off the valve of the skimmer and allow the water to drain until it is about six inches below the bottom of the skimmer. This is the preferred amount of water on the pool.

3. Before you store the summer cover, if ever you have used one, clean it through pressure washer or simply with fresh water. Keep it at a dry area and get the winter cover. When placing this on the pool, apply enough tension on the cover to prevent anything from getting beneath it once it is in place. This must be checked several days in a week to be certain that it is still tight.

Tell everybody about the cover. For everyone’s safety, tell them that even pets are not allowed to go near the pool area. The cover may be able to protect the pool, but it wasn’t designed to protect anyone or anything that may accidentally slip atop the material.

4. After you are done with the abovementioned procedures, it is time to drain excess water from the equipment. Water needs to be drained from the pump, heater and filter. This can be easily done by pulling the drain plug that can be found at the bottom. This part makes the whole process a lot easier.

Even if you are stuck with lots of things that are crying for your attention in preparation for the coming season, you should never forget to drain the pool from water. During winter, the water will freeze inside the area that may result to permanent damage that you certainly wouldn’t want to happen.

When you are done with all these steps on winterizing your swimming pool, you can proceed with other tasks. But you have to check on the pool after several days to see if everything is okay and holding up or you need to fix some areas to be very certain that everything is going to be fine.

Related Articles:

1. Winterizing Your Pool: How To Keep It From Winter Damage

2. Your Swimming Pool And Winterizing It

3. Get Through The Tough Road By Winterizing Your Car

4. Wintering Your Boat: How To Prepare It For Winter

5. What Is The Winterizing Process?

6. Easy to Do Steps in Winterizing Your House

7. Winterizing Your Garden: The Basics To Follow

8. Simple Steps and the Importance of Winterizing the Lawn

9. Your Diet May Need Winterizing