We hate to be the Sioux Falls pool service to break this to you, but summer isn’t going to last forever. You have to close your inground pool before each winter to keep its sensitive equipment safe from damage.
Fortunately, closing a pool is a simple process most homeowners are able to follow. Here are seven pool closing tips to keep in mind while closing your pool this fall!
1. Wait to Close Your Pool Until the Water Is Cold Enough
Let the summer run its course before closing your pool for the winter. Keep a thermometer in your pool; when the water temperature consistently measures below 60 °F, it is safe to close the pool. Algae and other microorganisms are unable to grow at temperatures lower than 60 °F, which will preserve the water’s chemistry and prevent other problems until you open your pool back up in the springtime.
For reference, the average temperature in Sioux Falls, SD in September is 62 °F. If you live near there, your pool water should become cool enough for closing by the end of September or beginning of October, but use an inexpensive pool thermometer for precision’s sake.
2. Clean Your Pool Before Closing It
It may seem tempting to postpone cleaning your pool until you use it again next spring, but you’ll save yourself time and trouble by giving it a thorough scrub before closing it. Doing so will prevent bacterial growth as well as clogging of the filtration system. You can follow the same steps you normally would while cleaning your pool.
3. Add Winterizing Chemicals to Your Pool
Once you have tested and balanced your pool water for the last time of the year, pour stain and scale preventer into it. That will help to keep calcium bicarbonate from accumulating on your pool walls during the fall and spring. Adding pool shock to your pool water before closing will raise its levels of free chlorine, which will help destroy nasty microbes.
You may additionally opt to add phosphate remover to your pool water one week in advance of closing. It will not eliminate the phosphates which algae eat, although it can complement regular chlorine level maintenance and algaecide applications to curb overall algae growth.
4. Lower Your Pool’s Water Level
If you live in a chilly part of the world (such as the greater Sioux Falls area), then it is necessary to lower your inground pool’s water level before closing it for the season. Above-ground pools do not require this step.
The level you should lower your water to depends on which type of cover you will place over your pool. If it is a mesh cover, lower the water to 12 to 18 inches beneath the skimmer. If it’s a solid cover, lower the water to 3 to 6 inches beneath the tile.
5. Drain Your Pool Lines and Protect Them Against Freezing
Water expands when it freezes. When water freezes inside a pipe, there is a strong chance the pipe will burst. This is an expensive yet totally avoidable problem. You just have to drain your pool before the first frost. Farmers’ Almanac provides a 30 percent probability that Sioux Falls’ first fall frost of 2022 will happen on September 30th, so plan accordingly.
Draining your pool lines is straightforward. Locate and remove the plugs that allow water to drain from your pool equipment, including your pool’s pump and filter. The filter’s cartridges and DE grids should both be removed, cleaned and stored away. Use an air compressor, shop vac or specialized pool blower to blow remaining water out of the lines, pump and filter.
So long as your pool lines are completely drained of water, they should be safe. But if you would like even greater protection, consider adding pool antifreeze to your lines.
6. Install a Cover Over Your Pool
Now that you’ll no longer need convenient access to your pool, you can cover it for added safety and/or convenience. Notice our use of the word “and/or”, because different pool covers offer different advantages.
A safety cover is designed to perform exactly the job you suspect. When used correctly a safety cover will prevent a small child, pet or wild animal from accessing your pool water. A safety cover also prevents twigs, leaves and other yard debris from getting into the underlying water.
A winter cover does not guard a pool against unwanted intruders, as it is not secured to the surrounding deck. It will effectively keep out debris, however, which makes it the more cost-effective pool covering when you’re not concerned about intruding children or animals.
Whichever cover you prefer, make sure to remove all pool accessories including diving boards and ladders beforehand to ensure a correct fit.
7. Schedule Professional Pool Closing in Sioux Falls, SD
Naturally, if your pool isn’t located in the greater Sioux Falls area, then you’ll want to schedule professional pool closing closer to home. But wherever you are, bear in mind that professional pool closing becomes a highly sought after service every fall. Scheduling in advance is the best way to secure service before the big rush.
When you want a pool service in Sioux Falls that will treat you and your property right, you want to contact Paradise Patio, Pool & Spa. In addition to the chemicals and equipment you need to maintain your pool all year long, we provide full-service pool maintenance including expert closing every fall.
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