Those hot summer days of coming home from a hard day of work (or school) to jump in the pool dwindle. The fall season has arrived and it’s time to close the pool. There are some important things to do before closing your pool that will help keep your pool in top condition for next summer. Here are some things to remember:
1. Approximately 5 days before closing the pool, be sure to change the water balance to the following ranges: pH: 7.2 – 7.6 / Alkalinity: 80 – 120 ppm / Calcium Hardness: 180 – 220 ppm.
2. The next step is to shock your pool with chlorine or without chlorine, approximately 1 pound per 10,000 gallons. Allow chlorine level to return to 1.0 – 3.0 ppm before adding any winter algaecide.
3. Remove the wall fittings, skimmer baskets, solar blankets and pool cleaners from the pool. Be sure to place these items in the pool house or store them in a safe place.
4. Reduce the intensity of the water in your pool. Using a submersible pump or filter pump, reduce level to 12″ – 18″ below skimmer (screen covers). For floating decks, taper 3″ to 6″ below the tile. You don’t have to worry about lowering the water level for Aquador skimmer covers in in-ground or vinyl-lined above-ground pools.
5. Drain all filtration, heating, pumping, and chlorination equipment. Be sure to drain all the water from the pool, otherwise the pool will freeze and crack. Upon completion, the cartridge filters or DE filter screens should be removed and cleaned. If there is any water left in the pool, simply use a Mighty Vac or compressor to push all the water out.
6. The next step is to lubricate the o-ring on the pump cover with Magic Lube.
7. Be sure to thoroughly clean the pool, skim the pool, vacuum the pool, and brush the pool. Use leaf rake bags for large amounts of leaves and other debris. If your pool contains large amounts of algae, simply bypass the filter and vacuum the dirt from the floors out of the backwash line.
8. Be sure to thoroughly brush the pool before covering. You will also need to make sure that your pool is well covered.