Here we educate you on some common issues of pool and spa ownership, as well as give prospective pool and spa buyers the information they need to create the backyard of their dreams.

So that time of year is approaching, the nights are getting cooler, the wind is blowing a little brisker and kids are gearing up to go back to school. This all means one sad truth in the North East its time to think about closing the pool.

Now some of us may have pool heaters that will extend our season deep into October or even November but for many once the kids are back to school and starting up sports the pool gets little use after Labor Day. So when you that time comes what kinds of things need to happen in order for your in-ground pool to be closed properly for the winter? What items and chemicals do you need? Should you have a professional close it or can you do it yourself? All good questions and I intend on answering them in this post below.

Pool Closing Preparations:

We always say the cleaner you close the pool the cleaner it will open, but closing a pool clean is just the beginning. A lot of people think because they are going to close the pool for the winter that they no longer need to worry about water chemistry, well this is false.

When preparing the pool we obviously want to make sure we scoop out any leaves, brush the walls and vacuum up any dirt and debris, you should basically want to jump in and take a swim right before you close. Another step we want to take is to test the water balance chemistry for accurate Ph, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, and Chlorine. The more balanced the water at closing the better condition it will be on opening. Water balance has such a great affect on how well your sanitizers work and thus can keep the water clearer longer after shut-down.

Should I Close the Pool Myself or Hire a Professional?

Can you close your in-ground pool yourself? Sure, if you’re handy it is certainly something that you can do yourself. However, when my customers ask me this question it is usually regarding saving money on the pool and if they are going to save I say, open the pool yourself but have us close it. Why? Because we are dealing with water, ice, and plastic plumbing, and if not done properly it can have severe consequences. When we close an in-ground pool in Massachusetts or New Hampshire we are subjecting that pool to temperatures over the winter that get well below freezing and we need to prepare it properly. Look at it this way, the pool professional is the last person to touch your pool lines and equipment before the winter cold, if it is not done properly and freeze damages the underground lines or pool equipment they will more than likely back up their work and fix it for you, at least any good company will. If you close it yourself you don’t really have that safety net.

What do I need to close my in-ground pool?

When setting up for a pool closing there are a few items and tools you should have on hand. First I want to lay out what you should have available if you hire a pool service company to close your pool.

If You Hire a Service Company:

• Outside power for the service companies air compressors
• Outside water to clean the filter
• All your return plugs and skimmer gizmos from previous years closing
• You pool cover out or accessible
• Access to pump timer/breaker

If You are Closing Your Pool Yourself:

• Shop vac or air blower
• Pipe grips
• Safety cover installation rod
• 1 ½” threaded return plugs with o-ring preferably the Hayward Sp1022 plug one for each return jet
• Return eyeball removal tool
• Skimmer blow out gizmo
• At least 4 gallons of shock
• 1 non-metallic algaecide
• 1 Stain and Scale or Metal Remover
• 1 gallon of anti-freeze for each skimmer and 1 for the return lines

In-ground Pool Closing Steps:

Alright so you are going to close the pool yourself, what’s next? First off like we said before we want to close the pool clean and balanced. Get your pool vacuumed, test the water and balance accordingly. Make sure you add a good amount of shock preferably 4 gallons to raise the chlorine nice and high. Once that is done it is on to the pool closing procedure:

1. Remove all eyeball return fittings. Sometimes they will thread out by hand other times you will need an eyeball removal tool to thread out the back end.

2. Thread in blow out gizmo into skimmer/s Remove the skimmer basket and thread in the blow out gizmo you should be using some Teflon plumbers tape on the threads t help it seal.

3. Next we need to blow out the skimmer lines. Using a shop-vac or air blower the best way to blow the skimmers is from the pump back through the skimmer. You should see the water shootout of the top of the blow out gizmo and keep blowing it out until only misty air comes out.

Blowout gizzmo

4. Blow out the main drain. While you are at the front of the pump turn the valve to the main drain position and blow air through the line until you see the main drain bubbling. Once it is bubbling up pretty good slam the valve closed and it will trap all the air in the line keeping the water out.

5. Blow out the return lines. This is sometimes easier with two people. One person holding the shop vac or air blower and the other plugging the lines. The best place to blow from is the filter. Undo the union at the filter that goes to your return lines back into the pool and blow out through that pipe. You should see the jets start bubbling with air, go to the jet that has the most bubbling, this is the first return in the sequence. As the air is bubbling out of the return thread in the 1 ½” plug until no air bubbles are coming out. Sometimes hand tight is good enough other times a screwdriver may be needed to apply leverage and turn the 1022 plug a little more until it seals correctly.

6. Next you want to make sure you get a little anti freeze in the blown out lines. Pour one gallon into each skimmer via the top of the blow out gizmo. Then if you can funnel some antifreeze down the return lines add a gallon there as well.

7. Once all the lines are taken care of it is time to winterize the pool equipment. If you have a DE or cartridge filter remove the filter element and hose it down clean. At this time you may choose to acid wash the filter element before putting it away for the winter.

8. Next remove any drain caps and drain plugs on the filter and the pump basket and let out all the water from the equipment. The filter tank and the pump basket should be empty.

9. Finally install your safety cover or put on your water bag style cover and you are good to go!

Now as you can see there is a lot to a pool closing and some of these steps really require their own blog post and I will do my best to go into more detail in the coming days and weeks. For now if you have any questions on the closing process you can leave a comment below or email me at jay@precisionpool.net

Or if your located in North Shore Massachusetts, The Merrimac Valley or Seacoast NH and want us to close you pool for you, Book you pool closing online here.

As we move closer to pool season many pool owners are hoping to pull off the cover to a clean and clear pool, and cruise right into a fun filled season.  Unfortunately most pools are not going to open up in mid season form and will require a little work before they are ready to swim.

Below are Seven Tips for opening your pool this spring

1. Open earlier

We have already discussed this recently in two blogs: (When Should I Open My Pool? and Shock your pool early) but it is worth repeating again. The earlier you open the pool and get the water circulating the easier your spring opening is going to be. As the temperatures rise and the sun beats down on the un-opened pool, algae blooms start taking hold. Even if you only run the pool for a few hours during the middle of the day using your time clock, it will save you a lot of time and money when it comes to getting the pool ready to swim.

1. Super chlorinate and algaecide

We all know we need to shock the pool when we open it up but you also need to add algaecide as well. For in-ground pools I recommend 4-5lbs of granular shock or 4-5 gallons of liquid shock with 1qt. of Mustard Algae Plus copper algaecide for vinyl pools, or 1qt. of Algaecide Plus 60 for Gunite and concrete pools.

The Algaecide will help break-up the algae in the pool by breaking down the shell of the algae allowing the chlorine to then kill it.

What we also need to remember when we shock the pool at this time is that this chlorine is going to be used up fast. We need to keep the chlorine levels elevated for a few days in order for the pool to clear. Shocking your pool consistently with 2 bags a shock a day, and  making sure you have chlorine tabs, either in your automatic chlorinator or skimmer basket will help keep the levels high.

1. Keep an eye on the pressure gauge

During the first couple of days that your pool is up and running you need to keep a close eye on your filter pressure. With the amount of debris and algae in the pool being filtered out, the filter media will clog a lot faster.

You should note the filter pressure on the gauge when you open the pool, and when the pressure increases 10 psi over that level it is time to backwash the filter or clean the element. If your pool is really green this can take a  matter of hours so please make sure you do not leave it unchecked for long.

1. Wait to vacuum

When the pool opens up a green mess a lot of pool owner’s first instinct is to grab the vacuum. I encourage you not to be too quick to set up the pool vac. The biggest problem vacuuming a green pool at this stage is that you can not see the bottom of the pool and you do not know what you could be sucking up.

If a pool toy was left in the pool or some form of big debris gets sucked in, it can clog the hose and baskets and make for a frustrating pool cleaning where you are continually starting and stopping the pump to clear out large debris.

What we recommend instead is to shock the pool, let it circulate and wait until you can see the pool bottom.

A good technique for this situation is to super chlorinate the water and brush down the algae off the pool walls, and then shut the pump off over night. What you are trying to do here is let all the debris fall to the bottom of the pool so we have clear water and can actually see what we are vacuuming up.

1. Vacuum to waste

One tip we give our customers with a lot of silt like debris in their pool is to utilize a process we call ‘vacing to waste’. This is especially useful in early spring when the rain has left your pool on the verge of over-flowing.

click to enlarge

By vacuuming your pool to waste you will save your filter media from being clogged and thus allowing you to vacuum almost your entire pool without having to stop and backwash the filter.

If you have a sand or DE filter you most likely have a multiport valve which has a position called waste. What this setting does is bypass the filter media and directs the water flow from the intake of the valve directly to the backwash without going through your filter. This gives you better suction and saves you from having to clean all that junk out of the element.

Even with an overfilled pool your water level will probably drop below the skimmer and you will have to fill it back up, but with really dirty pools it is worth the small inconvenience.

1. Get your water tested and balanced

Once you have super chlorinated and added your initial algaecide dose,  let the pool run for 24-48hrs and then get the water tested.

You may think it is not worth testing your water until your pool is clear but that would be a mistake. The acid base balance of your water (PH and Total Alkalinity) directly affects how well your chlorine will work. The effectiveness of available chlorine decreases exponentially the further your acid balance is from optimal range. This can cost you a lot of money in wasted shock if you put off balancing your water properly. Either use your at home test kit or bring a sample bottle to your local pool store, where they will be able to tell you exactly what you need to balance it out.

However, I do not recommend adjusting Calcium Hardness or Cynuaric Acid (chlorine stabilizer) at this point. These chemicals are slow dissolving and in the case of cynauric acid sits in your filter to dissolve. Your pool has enough debris in it at this point, and while you are vacuuming and backwashing often during the first few days you would be wasting these chemicals. Wait until you are clear to adjust hardness and cynuaric acid.

1. Jump in!

So it might be late April or early May and the temperature of the water might be a little cool but hey, we opened this pool to have fun didn’t we? You put the work in now its time to enjoy, so go ahead and jump in!

All pools are a little different and if you have specific questions regarding your pool opening ask them in the comments below or email me at jay@precisionpool.net.

Thanks for reading!