10 Things To Do Before Closing Your Pool

10 Things To Do Before Closing Your Pool

It’s that time of year again…yes, time to close-up the pool for the season. While not quite upon us just yet, the prep work for winterizing should begin now – about two weeks before you close your pool. It makes the whole process considerably smoother if you tend to these seemingly minute details ahead of time.

Two Weeks Before Closing

1. Order your Pool Closing Kit and take stock of the pool chemicals that you may already have on-hand that you can use to help you close.

2. Order pool closing supplies. Take stock of your cover accessories, like the anchor hex key, brass anchors, and water bags or air pillows. Locate your pool closing accessories, like winter pool plugs, before pool closing.

One Week Before Closing

1. Balance the pool water. The first step in tending to pool chemistry is to make sure that your pH, Total Alkalinity, and Calcium Hardness levels are balanced.

2. Add stain and scale prevention like Metal Free, which needs a day to work by itself, before adding other pool closing chemicals. Try to remove any stains you have now before closing. Brush the pool several times during the week.

3. Use chlorine shock to kill off bacteria, algae, and to get your chlorine levels to a nice, strong level. Brush the pool afterwards, then vacuum well the following day.

4. For mesh safety covers, or any pool that opens up green in springtime – I highly recommend treatment with Pool Magic Spring & Fall, with PhosFree.

5. Over-filter the pool water by running the pump 24/7 for a few days before closing the pool – bonus points for adding a dose of clarifier. Extra filtering will make sure that your pool water is as pure as possible, to reduce potential for stains and algae during fall and winter.

6. Get a helper. Line up someone to help you put on the winter pool cover. You can do 90% of a pool winterization yourself, but the cover is best done with two people. For more pool cover tips, here’s another post on the topic.

Pool Closing Day

1. Shock the pool with non-chlorine shock. Non-chlorine shock comes with all of our winter kits, to oxidize contaminants in the water, without affecting the winter algaecide.

2. Add algaecide to prevent it algae from growing in the upcoming months. Add the algaecide just before you cover the pool, after the water has been lowered.

Six Unique Pool Closing Items

Here are a few of the key items discussed below:

Winter Kits

Winter Plugs

Aqua Blocks

Winter Kits

Why pay someone to close your pool when you can do it yourself? We offer several winterizing kits to suit any need. From basic to ultimate, these pre-measured chlorine-free chemical kits will put your pool in top shape for winter closing. Some kits even include the popular WinterPill, by AquaPill.

Winter Plugs

Save time and water with this unique winterizing plug. Just replace the eyeball return fittings with the Bungee-Plug, and you’re all set! Your pool plumbing is safely winterized without having to drain any water from the pool. Other popular plugs include the Hayward SP1022C, threaded 1.5″ plug for skimmers and wall returns. We also have the rubber expansion plugs too, to fit 3/4″ to 2.0″ pipes.

Skimmer Plug

Speaking of water conservation, another great way to avoid draining the pool for winter is to use a Skimmer Plug. Installation is a breeze, and no tools are required. Just snap it into your existing skimmer faceplate, and the skimmer is sealed for the winter! Skimmer Plugs are perfect for any pool, both inground and above ground. Better than Aquador, because you don’t have to change the faceplate.

Skimmer Guard

Another great way to protect your skimmer from freezing damage is to insert a skimmer guard or Gizzmo, which absorbs the force of the expanding ice and prevents your skimmer from cracking. With a Blowout Skimmer Guard, you can use the pipe to connect your Cyclone Blower. Using this method, you won’t have to lower the pool water level or add antifreeze to the lines, saving you both time and money when compared to other skimmer guards.

Aqua Blocks

If you’ve ever used a winter cover, you know how important it is to weigh down the edges for closing. The most popular method is to use water tubes. However, these thin tubes tear and puncture easily, and most users are lucky if they get a couple seasons out of a set of tubes. That’s not the case with Aqua Blocks. These rugged, leak-proof tubs are built to last, promised to not crack or leak in freezing temperatures, and the UV resistant material will hold up for years and years of use.

Furniture Covers

It’s easy to stay focused on the swimming pool while going through your winterizing routine. But what are you doing to protect your patio furniture from winter weather? These patio furniture covers, made of heavy-duty Rain-Tite fabric, will keep your chairs, lounges, tables and umbrellas protected all winter long. Elastic hems ensure a snug fit, while cord loops can be secured around the furniture legs to keep them secure. No matter what Mother Nature throws your way, these furniture covers aren’t going anywhere!


Most of these steps should be part of your regular pool routine. Now is the time to ramp up your efforts to get a good head of steam for the long winter months that lie ahead.

Following these steps leading up to closing your pool will not only make the winterizing process smoother, it will make your pool opening easier too!

14 thoughts on “10 Things To Do Before Closing Your Pool

  1. Liz Campbell

    Help – We live in central Ohio, and we have done something terribly wrong this year with opening our pool. It was clear when we opened it and I must have added chemicals wrong as it turned green and nothing we have done will clear it up. We have super shocked it, added 3 or 4 bottles of algaecide, used Phosfree,you name it. It has cost us a small fortune and we have not even been able to use our pool. What can I do now? 🙁

    • Liz, are you running the filter non-stop? Is there a high chlorine level and a low pH? Is the filter actually working? If your chlorine levels and water balance has been good, and you have also removed phosphates, that leaves the filter. Perhaps it is bypassing water, from the filter valve, or has some other internal issues, or bad sand, old filter cartridge, high pressure/low flow… I’d look closely at your filtration.

      • Liz Campbell

        Thank you Davy Merino for your reply.Yes, we run the filter 24/7. Yes, all chemicals are correct, and we changed the sand thinking that may be the problem, but it was barely dirty at all. Anyway, we were told by a pool store here to add 6 bags of shock every day until the water is clear and then vacuum it on waste. What is your thoughts on that advice?

        • Hi Liz, their advice may work, but is costly and takes a while, and could linger… Another route is to dump half the water and refill – “water is cheaper and faster than chemicals” I like to say. Part of the problem (I still think) is the filter. It would be a worthwhile procedure to open up the multiport valve to inspect the spider gasket and spring (under the lid), to make sure no damage is seen.

          Sand filters are great when water is clear, but if they are not oversized, they can struggle in times like these. You could consider also the Slime Bag, a great $50 product that attaches to your return line, and acts like a secondary filter, esp. designed for sand filters that pass small particles. Reusable too, so you can use it every spring, or whenever needed. Keep the chlorine high, the pH low and run the filter non-stop, resisting the urge to backwash, until psi rises at least 5 psi. And a Clarifier could also be very helpful. 🙂

  2. I live in North Myrtle Beach the weather may gets Down in the forty’s in the winter. I close our pool in late October. I don’t cover our pool no tree around it. What would you recommend for closing it and how much should I run the pump and filter in the wintertime?

    • HI Rick, I would check the water balance every 3-4 weeks, to be sure that pH and alkalinity stay good, and add chlorine if weather is warm (60’s). When temps are in the 40’s, run the pump 2 hrs per day, in the 50’s run it 4 hrs per day, 60’s run it 6 hrs per day, 70’s run it 8 hrs per day…

  3. Carole Pelchat

    Hello, I was wondering, I had an accident this year, and with one arm I can not take the stairs and weight out o my above ground pool or the winter this year and no one to help, Can I leave them in for the winter?? I’m near Montreal and it gets cold hear.

    • Hi Carole, if your steps seem quite sturdy, they should do fine, as long as you are using enough Air Pillows in the pool, to break up the ice sheet. Most resin a/g pool steps should be able to handle a little ice pressure – I’ve no experience with leaving them in the pool however, and it does get cold in Montreal! But my first instinct is that they should be OK if left in the pool – but it does make a problem with covering the pool, (over the handrails), which may not fit well, and stress the cover.

  4. Had lots of rain and pool turned green. Added Algecide and it’s still green. It is fully vacuumed, can I just cover and hope for the best.

    • Hi Crystal, chlorine pool shock is the best treatment for killing algae – despite the name Algae-Cide is really more for prevention, not so effective to kill an active algae bloom. If the pool is clear and just a little green, go ahead an cover it up. If it looks bad with poor visibility, and/or you have a mesh safety cover (not a solid cover in good condition), then I would lower the pH and shock the pool with 2-3 lbs of chlorine shock, per 10K gallons, circulate for a few days, and cover the pool when the chlorine level drops to normal. Oh, and you’ll need another dose of algaecide unfortunately, as the shock treatment will destroy or disrupt it.

  5. Heather Walthers

    Iv already added my closing chemicals can I still vacuum?! I’m a 1st timer with opening and closing!! Thanks!

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Heather, yes, you can vacuum the pool after adding the closing chemicals, unless you have already closed (winterized) the plumbing lines. If vacuuming is not possible, you can use a Leaf Rake on a pole, to skim and scoop debris, or you can use a Leaf Master (see our Leaf Gulper), which attaches to a garden hose, for venturi vacuuming into the attached debris bag.

  6. Vince Kelly

    I noticed that water temp should be no higher than 65 when winterizing. In NC that may be in November before I can winterize. Do I need to keep my pool pump running all that while when we stop using the pool in September?

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Vince; You can close the pool at any temperature, we recommend colder water because the chemicals will last longer, especially when used with mesh covers that allow some sunlight to penetrate. Most people in NC do run the pool until they close the pool yes, but what you could do is cover the pool, and operate the pump and filter and maintain chemistry, but the cover keeps it clean. This works best with a safety cover, but could also be done with a solid cover. If you do close a pool while the weather is still warm, then you should add a double dose of algaecide, and plan to add more chemicals in early spring, early March for you.

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