There are a lot of sad pool owners in cities across the country right now. Temperatures are beginning to fall and unless you live in the South, where pools stay open all year-round, it’s time to close the pool until next spring.
Whether you’re an old pro, or new to the game, here are some great tips from Service Magic, an online service that connects homeowners to prescreened service professionals, on swimming pool maintenance:
1. Clean your pool thoroughly one last time, including running the filter for 24 hours before you shut everything down. When next spring arrives, you’ll thank yourself for taking this step when you pull off the cover to relatively clean water, instead of a bunch of rotting, decaying leaves that have been trapped under the ice for the last six months.
2. Use a shop-vac or an air compressor to clean out all the lines and hoses leading to the pool. The danger of winter isn’t just that the water will freeze, but that lines, valves, pumps, filters, gaskets and the like will be damaged or ruined by expanding ice contained in tight and unforgiving spaces. You don’t want to spend next spring doing home pool maintenance, instead of splashing in the water.
3. If you have a pool heater, turn off the gas and power it down.
4. Lower the water level about a foot below the skimmer if you have a concrete pool. You can leave the water level as-is with vinyl-lined pools.
5. Install the cover and wait out the winter.
If you don’t have the time to get the job done during your regular home maintenance schedule, you can hire a pool maintenance company to come and take care of the job for you.
