Please Help Closing IG Vinyl Lined Pool

[finalm6]

Hello Everyone, I don't often post here since I usually find all of the info I need by searching through other posts. But it seems that there is a lot of mixed information about closing a pool. MY pool is an IG Vinyl lined pool Grecian style 16/32 goes from 3ft to approx. 12ft on the deep end (yes it has a crazy slope in the middle) approx. 40K gallons. So this year I want to close the pool myself last 2 years I have been paying the pool company $300 for 15 minutes worth of work. I opened the pool myself this year, it was extremely simple and I have all of the plugs and the skimmer gizmo.
So here is the details I have regular Hayward DE filter and pump I like to take them apart and store them in my garage, so the pool company used to blow out from the lines directly. My main concern is what can I use to blow out my lines currently I have a 12 gallon Ridged shop vac (RIDGID 12 Gal. 5 PHP Wet/Dry Vacuum-WD1270 - The Home Depot) is this good enough, I really hate to buy one of those blowers they use for $300 to use it only once a year. Please let me know if you think that will work, or maybe recommend a good compressor/ and or leaf blower to buy to do the job those I can get much more use out of during the year.

So here is my plan for closing please let me know what you think. (2 returns, 1 main drain, and 1 skimmer)
I don’t want to drain water below returns, because then the water level will be too low, ideally I want to drain below the skimmer port, but if possible not even drain it that low (is that ok?)

-thoroughly clean the pool
-Remove all equipment and clean for storage
-Blow out heater/ chlorinator (take the interior plug off and blow through the line)
-Take out skimmer basket and install gizmo and take off the gizmo plug
-plug shop vac in the return line and blow out, and plug each one as soon as they bubble for 30 seconds, once the lines are plugged I will pour some anti-freeze in the pipe and plug it with a rubber expandable plug.
-turn main drain suction line valve off and blow out skimmer as soon as water shoots out and becomes mist I will pour anti-freeze in the gizmo and put the plug on it. And close the skimmer valve at the equipment pad.
-Open the main drain valve and blow out the line until it bubbles up and then close the valve.
-pour some anti-freeze into the line that controls the skimmer and main drain and plug it with a rubber plug.
-then cover the pool

Also I don’t know what chemicals to put in, last year before I closed I shocked the pool the night before and kept the filter running all night, then when the pool company came they threw one bag of chemicals as the main drain was bubbling but they didn’t show me what it was. But I have to say when I opened the pool it was crystal clear. So any advice on what that bag they thorough in might have been would be awesome, or advice on what I should use.

I am so sorry for the extremely long post, I just want to make sure I do everything right. When I bought the house 3 years ago I had to completely have this pool redone so it costed me some money and I want to use it for a long time. PS. I live in NY so it gets pretty gold here that is why I want to be extremely thorough.

 

[JVTrain]

There is a pretty good guide in Pool School and it sounds like you have a good idea of how things should go. Check out that guide here: Pool School - Closing an In Ground Pool as well as a thread that discusses closing here: Closing an in ground pool

EDIT: The only way you'll know if your current shop vacuum has enough volume and pressure to blow out the main drain is to try it. Main drains require pressure to blow out. I'm in the same boat as you. I've had a pool company close mine last year and the years before I owned the pool, but I'm going to try my shop-vac on the main drain and hopefully do it myself this year.

 

[Catanzaro]

I purchased the Cyclone and created a modified cover. But you may not have the same set up as I do. Please see this post:

Modified Cover for Hayward Super Pump for Closing Swimming Pool

I always look at the "Break Even Point". The first time you close, you almost paid for the blower. Secondly, you can help other people, friends, etc. to make it worth while. I Went this route as my air compressor looses air quickly when I close my sprinkler lines. So I wanted something with volume.

Amazon.com : Kem-Tek KTK-50-0006 Pool and Spa 60-Percent Concentrated Algaecide, 1 Quart : Swimming Pool Algaecides : Patio, Lawn Garden

Purchase 2 of these and you have free shipping!

 

[finalm6]

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to put an update here, so hopefully this can help someone that is searching about closing there IG pool in the future.

So I followed all the steps, regarding balancing cleaning and adding the poliquat 60 as a backup measure to avoid any alge.

Regarding blowing out the lines, my shop-vac that is linked in my original post blew my 2 return lines and the skimmer with no problems at all. However it could not blow the main drain at all. So I pulled out my 6 gallon panckake compressor and made a PVC contraption for it to plug into the union, and it blew the main drain with no problems at all.

PS. I remove all my equipment and store them inside since there exposed all winter and I live in NY. So i do all the blowing out of the lines directly through the unions then plug them with rubber plugs and a layer of duct tape.