Winterizing your pool is critical to protecting it so you can continue enjoying it for years to come. You’ll reduce or eliminate the risk of damage to your pool over the winter. Plus, properly winterizing your pool now can save you a lot of time and effort in the spring.
If you look at this checklist and aren’t prepared to follow through all the steps, you should get a professional to do it for you. Paying a professional now to winterize your pool will be less expensive than dealing with freeze-related damage in the spring. If you want a professional to take care of your pool winterization in Atlanta, please contact Allen Pool Service today.
You want to winterize your pool before the first freeze. In Atlanta, the average first freeze is November 13, but the earliest first freeze is October 11, so it could technically be at any time. Keep an eye on the 10-day forecast, and if there’s a risk of a freeze, get started on the process, ASAP.
Otherwise, you should wait at least until the pool water temperature drops below 65° F, and it’s better to wait until it is a little colder – some advocate waiting until the water reaches 50° F. The issue is algae. Although you will treat the pool to help control algae, winterizing your pool too soon will increase the risk that you’ll end up with green pool water before spring.
Use this handy checklist for reference. More detailed instructions will follow.
Winterization checklist:
Balance the pH in your pool to about 7.4, with alkalinity around 100 ppm, and calcium hardness around 225 ppm.
Give your pool the most thorough cleaning you’ve given it all summer. Anything left in the pool could damage it, contribute to algal growth, or turn into a worse mess after months of soaking.
Follow manufacturer instructions for cleaning your pool filter. This might involve running a backwash cycle, cleaning it chemically, or even removing it from the assembly and hosing it down separately depending on the type of filter you have.
For winterizing your pool, you will need to add several rounds of chemical treatments. You’ll do a shock treatment, then wait before adding algaecide, rust and scale prevention, and more. Some recommend lowering the water first to increase the concentration of chemicals, but being able to cycle the pool pump makes the process easier and more effective.
Lower the water level below the skimmers for all pools. Underground pools should have water level lowered an additional 4-6 inches below the skimmers.
Remove any and all equipment, tools, or accessories for summer use. Only leave in equipment designed to help with overwintering, such as slow-release chemical floaters.
You want to make sure water is out of all your equipment, such as pumps, filters, and more. To do this, remove the plugs from your equipment. Let water drain as much as possible. Then blow out anything that remains. Replace the plugs to prevent water from reentering the system.
Now shut off power to the system.
If winterizing your pool seems like too much work, maybe it’s time to let someone else handle that hassle. For 50 years, Allen Pool Service has been making life easy for pool owners in Atlanta.
Let us take the burden of winterization off your hands. Whether you’re looking for full-service pool maintenance, or just a one-time service because you’re busy, we can help.
Please call (770) 451-1621 to request pool winterization by Allen Pool Service in Atlanta.
Please call (770) 451-1621 to request pool winterization by Allen Pool Service in Atlanta.
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