If you want to cover your pool for winter. To prevent the water lines from freezing in the frost. You can easily close your inground pool. If you close your inground pool properly. You won’t have to worry about algae and other pollutants that make your pool dirty. You can cover it whole in one or two days. If you follow the steps of closing your inground pool with safety cover pro tips properly. You will get a clean pool when you open it in the spring season.
How To Close The Inground Pool With Safety Cover Pro Tips?
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You can easily close your inground pool for winter. And prevent your pool from getting dirty when it is closed. You will need various equipment to close the pool.
To cover your inground pool with safety covers you will need to follow the following steps.
Total Time: 45 minutes
1. The pool should be clean
If you think your pool is clean you should still follow this step. Most of the pollutants are not visible to naked eyes. So you should make sure that you clean the pool properly.
Rub all the sides of the pool. Rubbing the pool will remove all the algae spores. This will prevent the algae spores from germinating when you close the pool. You should clean the floor of the pool with a vacuum hose.
Clean all the visible grime that you can see on the surface of the pool. Now that your pool is visibly clean. You should use the chemicals to clean the microscopic contaminants.
2. The filter and other equipment should be clean
You also have to make sure that your pool equipment is clean. The pool filter, pump basket, skimmer basket should be cleaned properly. Make sure to clean the cartridge filter. You can clean it by removing the cartridges and the top housing.
Clean the cartridge with water and soap. Make sure to properly wash all the soap from the cartridge. And let the cartridge dry. Use the sand filter valve to clean the filter. Make sure to clean the pool pump basket and basket.
3. Decrease the level of water
You should decrease the level of water lower than the skimmer. This is to prevent the water from getting into equipment and freezing them. In a vinyl or fiberglass pool, the water should not be lessened than the lower skimmer.
In concrete pools, the water should be lowered ten to twelve inches below the lower skimmer. If your pool cover is solid lower the water six to eight inches below the lower skimmer. While using a hybrid cover lower the water twelve to eighteen inches below the lower skimmer.
4. Empty all the pool equipment
All the drain plugs should be removed from the pool equipment. Make sure there is no drain plug left. Now clear all the pool equipment. The extra water should be disposed off in the pool. You can follow these steps to get rid of the extra water.
Step 1: The main valve should be closed
Step 2: Use a vacuum to blow out the water of the pool equipment
Step 3: Close the vacuum when water stops flowing out of the equipment
5. The plumbing lines should be plugged and blown out
This step is most complex so if you want to do the work fast and efficiently. You should call a professional to blow out your plumbing lines.
However, you can also do the work yourself by following a few steps.
Step 1: The main valve and skimmer lines should be opened
Step 2: An air compressor should be connected to pool pump’s drain plug
Step 3: The compressor should be turned on
Step 4: Observe the bubbles that are coming out of the plugging lines
Step 5: When the bubbles start to come out. Plug all the lines. First, you should plug the skimmer.
Step 6: When bubbles come out of the pool’s main drain. The compressor should be closed.
Tools:
- Pool vacuum
- Water tubes
- Air compressor
- Chlorine
- Algaecide
- Pool shock
- Muriatic Acid
- Pool antifreeze
- Rubber plugs
- Skimmer plate
- pH regulator
Materials: NA
Should I Shock Pool Before Closing?
Shocking the pool can help in getting clear water when the pool is opened during the spring season. However, you will need the right amount of chemicals if you want to protect your pool. An imbalance in the amount of chemicals used can cause damage to your pool.
You can use non-chlorine if you want to shock the pool. It helps in killing algae and other contaminants. This will ensure that the water in your pool will stay clear when you open it afterward. However, the amount of non-chlorine you are using.
And water balance of the pool should be carefully calculated. Because an excess of non-chlorine can cause damage to your pool. So please be careful when shocking your pool before closing it.
What Chemicals Are Needed To Close An Inground Pool?
You need the following chemicals to close an inground pool. You can use these according to the condition of your pool. They’re not expensive at all.
a. Chlorine
Chlorine pills are very helpful in cleaning the pool. They help in killing the bacteria, clearing the water and it also kills the spores of the algae. However regular chlorine pills may not work during the entire winter. So chlorine pills that release the chlorine during a long time frame can be used.
b. Pool Shock
This helps in killing the harmful bacteria and removing chloramines from the pool. And also removing contaminants from the pool.
c. Soda Ash
This is used to increase the pH of the pool. It increases the alkalinity of the pool. It is much cheaper than baking soda. However, putting too much soda ash makes the pool water cloudy. So make sure to use an adequate amount.
d. Muriatic Acid
It is used to lower the pH of the pool and decrease it’s alkalinity. It is used to make the water of the pool neutral. But if you have vinyl or fiberglass pool you should not use it. It breaks the fiberglass.
e. Winter Algaecide
This helps in killing the algae. This prevents the water from turning green when the pool is closed. You should add it a day before you close the pool.
f. Pool Antifreeze
It protects the pipes of the pool from freezing during the winter season. Add pool antifreeze to protect the pipes of your pool from freezing.
g. Stain And Scale Prevention
Add these chemicals to the pool to prevent the metal parts of the pool from staining and rusting.
How Do You Permanently Close A Pool?
If you are thinking of closing your pool permanently you can get it done by a professional team. However, you can also close the pool yourself by following a few simple steps.
- You should remove all the water in the pool. And all the other pool equipment present in it. If the water contains chlorine and other harmful chemicals. Make sure to dispose of it properly. The water shouldn’t be disposed of in a place where it will cause pollution.
- Use a hammer or other tools to make a hole in the bottom of the pool. This will prevent the water from collecting in the space of the pool.
- Remove all the tiles or concrete that are present on the pool. Throw all this waste in the hole that you have made inside the pool.
- Cover the pool with sand and dirt. Make sure there is no space left in the pool.
- Fill it up properly with sand and dirt. The top layer should be good-quality soil. In this soil, you can plant some flowers or trees.
Final Talk
You can easily close your pool for winter. By following few simple steps and using few chemicals. If you close your pool properly. When you open it afterwards it will be clear. And you won’t have to worry about removing all the green algae and other contaminants. You can simply clean it by using chlorine. You can also close your pool permanently if you don’t want it anymore. It’s easy to close your pool. You can close the pool yourself without any professional assistance. Closing your pool doesn’t take much time. You can also save the extra bucks if you close the pool yourself.
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