Winterizing - anything I should do differently?

tj_royersford · Posted: September 27th, 2009, 8:23 pm

Topic split by Moderator

I'm getting ready to close my pool myself for the first time (after taking copies notes watching the pool company do it last year and reading the pool school notes). A few remaining questions I'd like to get everyone's thoughts on.

1. How far to drain the water down? I've seen various schools of thought on this. I'm trying to balance out the following concerns: Preventing ice damage to the skimmers and tiles and preventing a water line mark on the plaster. The first two seem to call for dropping the water level below the tile and skimmers but doesn't this then put the water line on the plaster which I've heard can leave a ring? My returns are 8 inches below the bottom of the tile, so draining below the returns would also expose the plaster. Or is this not something I should worry about?

Last year the pool company did not drain it below the skimmers, nor did they put anything into the skimmers like a gizzmo (the lines were plugged with rubber plugs, but nothing for ice pressure relief). It seems like they just brought it down right to the tile/plaster line. Here in southeast PA we do get ice in the dead of winter, but only a few inches.

2. Maintaining water balance throughout the winter. The pools only a year old, so the pH still rises easily. I manage it during the season with muriatic acid, but during the winter what should I do to keep maintain it? I'm leery of pouring acid in when there's no circulation to distribute it.

Thanks in advance for your help. Been using BBB for a year now and it's been terrific!

frustratedpoolmom · Posted: September 29th, 2009, 7:10 am

Bump

waste · Posted: September 29th, 2009, 8:42 pm

tj_royersford wrote:

Topic split by Moderator

I'm getting ready to close my pool myself for the first time (after taking copies notes watching the pool company do it last year and reading the pool school notes). A few remaining questions I'd like to get everyone's thoughts on.

1. How far to drain the water down? I've seen various schools of thought on this. I'm trying to balance out the following concerns: Preventing ice damage to the skimmers and tiles and preventing a water line mark on the plaster. The first two seem to call for dropping the water level below the tile and skimmers but doesn't this then put the water line on the plaster which I've heard can leave a ring? My returns are 8 inches below the bottom of the tile, so draining below the returns would also expose the plaster. Or is this not something I should worry about?

Last year the pool company did not drain it below the skimmers, nor did they put anything into the skimmers like a gizzmo (the lines were plugged with rubber plugs, but nothing for ice pressure relief). It seems like they just brought it down right to the tile/plaster line. Here in southeast PA we do get ice in the dead of winter, but only a few inches.

2. Maintaining water balance throughout the winter. The pools only a year old, so the pH still rises easily. I manage it during the season with muriatic acid, but during the winter what should I do to keep maintain it? I'm leery of pouring acid in when there's no circulation to distribute it.

Thanks in advance for your help. Been using BBB for a year now and it's been terrific!

Hi

I went to prep school in Pottstown and am a BIG Philly fan!

Kind - o - depends on your cover and preference.

You want to have your pH (THANKS for the correct spelling of pH :goodjob:

) at ~ 7.2 before closing - you should be fine in the spring 8-)

If you have a mesh cover, you can take the water below the returns so thet you can more easily blow the water out of the lines. If you have a solid cover, you might want to keep the water just below the skimmer mouth and blow the returns 'wet'.

I sincerely hope that this starts to help, if you need more - we're here for you :cheers:

Winterizing - anything I should do differently?

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