Do I need to winterize?

[Suley]

Hey fellas!

I live In Los angeles, CA, West Hills, CA to be specific.... Do I have to do anything to winterize the pool?

Any changes in the way to maintain the Chemicals, etc? Should I cover the pool with a tarp or something?

First time pool owner going into his first winter!

Thanks!

 

[zea3]

True winterizing is for areas that get prolonged spells of below freezing temperatures. In LA this is usually not a problem. You can choose to close the pool which may or may not involve draining some water and covering with a winter cover, or you can keep the pool open and check the chemistry regularly and adjust the water as needed.

You can run the pump less often once the water temp consistently stays below 60 degrees. Test and add chlorine as needed, vacuum as needed to remove debris. If you don't want to mess with vacuuming over the winter then when the pool is consistently below 60 degrees add enough chlorine to bring it to shock level and cover the pool. You can also choose to leave it open and not do a thing to it until spring, but that will be a lot of work to clean it up if it goes green or fills up with leaves!

You use the same chemical levels as always. You will find you use less chlorine as the water gets cooler.

 

[lightingguy]

Howdy neighbor - we dont really close our pool at all.

The only thing I do different in the winter is to pump out a little water before a big storm - helps to lower CH which builds up over the summer.

If you have an opaque cover you could cover it and really knock the chlorine use back. But if you dont - just maintain the pool like you always do.

 

[Suley]

Thanks for the replies!

I am thinking of covering it with tarp but am pondering how to hold the tarp down.... The Santa Ana winds are really blowing dirt and leaves into it as we speak...

 

[Richard320]

Nope. We get to maintain the pool 12 months of the year here.

Chlorine usage will go waaaay down, but you'll still need to test the water a couple times a week. Brushing and vacuuming continue. I stretch a cheap knee-high stocking over my skimmer basket, it catches a lot of stuff so the filter doesn't clog as fast. Water level needs to be maintained, whether refilling or draining off because of rain. Filter time can be turned down to just a couple hours a day.

I have really high CH. You probably do too. I capitalize on rainstorms to lower the CH. I have a downspout directed into my spa. It catches most of the sediment, which allows me to set the filter to spa only after the storm and get most of it out without vacuuming. The roof area drained into the pool yields about 3X the rainfall. So if they predict a storm with 1" of rain, I can expect the pool to rise 3" and I drain down beforehand accordingly.

Just remember that if you lose 20% of the CH, you also lost 20% of the CYA and 20% of the FC.

 

[Suley]

Thanks!

I am pondering whether to buy a pool cover or a solar blanket to cover the pool for the winter...

I am thinking if i get a solar blanket then it can double as pool heater when i need to swim in the pool although i doubt we will be swimming till late spring next year.

So what do you guys think? Or should I just bit the bullet and buy a pool cover and a solar blanket?

And yes I will still be testing the pool during the winter! :-D


Thanks!