I got a 12x20 cover for my 9x18 pool, and the cover actually measures 17x25. Dom, you said you lower your water below the skimmer, which means to 1" below the return jet? What are you referring to as the skimmer if you do not mean the suction port? The winterizing kit is the In the Swim: Pool Winterizing Inhibitor, Pool Winter Stain-Away, Chlorine-free winter pool shock, Winter Pool Floater, winter oxidizer, oil absorbent winter chemical sponge. Where do you get cap covers? I thought Intex has a different size than normal pools? Thanks!
intex ultra 18 foot pool.. winterizing tips / suggestions, the best cover to use?
- Thread starter theskyisthelimit99
- Start date
Width wise you have plenty of cover, but with only 18" extra at each end lengthwise it's somewhat close, especially when draining down.
I close my pool with with nothing but shock level chlorine. All those chemicals in the winterizing kit are really not needed, and things like non-chlorine shock & "winter oxidizer" can cause chemistry issues.
Pool School - Closing (Winterizing) Your Above Ground Pool
I installed a Hayward through wall skimmer in my pool (see link in my signature). When I drain the pool below it, it's about 1" under the return.
You are correct, Intex uses 40MM threaded fittings, so you'll have to use Intex caps. They do sell them on their website, and I have seen them on eBay.
Electrolytic Cell Cover/Sand Filter Pump Drain Outlet Cover - Replacement Parts - Above Ground Pools - Store - Intex
The cover says it measures 17x25, I should have 8' extra width and 7' extra length.
It looks like I won't be doing anything for a while! I bought a pool thermometer today, and the water is still 75 degrees. Closing kit says it needs to be 65 or below. I haven't been swimming for almost a month, so there were a lot of leaves which I just cleaned out, but what was most disgusting were I estimate thousands of dead bugs. Ants, flying ants, flies, spiders, bees, wasps, moths, and even some giant caterpillars. No, I live nowhere near any woods. I'm not sure I'll ever want to swim in that water again! I guess I can't drain it and leave the pool standing?
It looks like I won't be doing anything for a while! I bought a pool thermometer today, and the water is still 75 degrees. Closing kit says it needs to be 65 or below. I haven't been swimming for almost a month, so there were a lot of leaves which I just cleaned out, but what was most disgusting were I estimate thousands of dead bugs. Ants, flying ants, flies, spiders, bees, wasps, moths, and even some giant caterpillars. No, I live nowhere near any woods. I'm not sure I'll ever want to swim in that water again! I guess I can't drain it and leave the pool standing?
Sorry, once my mind saw 12x20 cover & guess it skimmed over the 17x25 part. Yes, that's plenty of cover.
We recommend closing when the pool water is 60F or below. What is in that closing kit? I close my pool with nothing but chlorine & cold water (55F), as TFP recommended
Have a read here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/145-closing-winterizing-your-above-group-pool
Don't fret the bugs, chlorine will take care of any nasties that you are worried about as it is an EPA registered sanitizer. With the proper test kit you can perform The SLAM procedure and rid your pool of just about anything organic.
How do you regularly test your water?
I do not recommend you drain and leave the pool up. If you must drain, take the pool down for safety (a small child could become trapped under the collapsing pool or the pool could become one heck of a projectile during a violent storm).
We recommend closing when the pool water is 60F or below. What is in that closing kit? I close my pool with nothing but chlorine & cold water (55F), as TFP recommended
Have a read here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/145-closing-winterizing-your-above-group-pool
Don't fret the bugs, chlorine will take care of any nasties that you are worried about as it is an EPA registered sanitizer. With the proper test kit you can perform The SLAM procedure and rid your pool of just about anything organic.
How do you regularly test your water?
I do not recommend you drain and leave the pool up. If you must drain, take the pool down for safety (a small child could become trapped under the collapsing pool or the pool could become one heck of a projectile during a violent storm).
The winterizing kit is the In the Swim: Pool Winterizing Inhibitor, Pool Winter Stain-Away, Chlorine-free winter pool shock, Winter Pool Floater, winter oxidizer, oil absorbent winter chemical sponge.
I looked at the SLAM page, but I have never put anything liquid in the pool like bleach. I only use a chlorine tablet in a floating dispenser. During the summer I checked the chlorine about once a week with a test strip, and never had to adjust anything but chlorine. My pool is less than 5,000 gallons. I guess I won't drain but I have to leave it up. There are no children or violent storms in my small backyard. However it took me almost a whole day to put it up, working mostly by myself, and there was a 5-year gap between this summer and the last time I set up my pool because it is so difficult to do, so if I take it down I doubt it's ever going up again!
I looked at the SLAM page, but I have never put anything liquid in the pool like bleach. I only use a chlorine tablet in a floating dispenser. During the summer I checked the chlorine about once a week with a test strip, and never had to adjust anything but chlorine. My pool is less than 5,000 gallons. I guess I won't drain but I have to leave it up. There are no children or violent storms in my small backyard. However it took me almost a whole day to put it up, working mostly by myself, and there was a 5-year gap between this summer and the last time I set up my pool because it is so difficult to do, so if I take it down I doubt it's ever going up again!
I ended up going to the local pool place and getting one for $55.. an 18 foot cover.
Biggest issue i'm having right now is that water is collecting around the areas that are around the central tube i have in the middle.
Its weighing the whole thing down and actually caused the side up on the deck to pull into the pull, dragging the bricks that were on top of this area into the pool (no damage to liner i can see).. i had it attached with the chord to the two 2x4s that were screwed into the deck for the ladder, but somehow the weight pulled the line right up and over and yanked the bricks in.
I then took kite string and tried to tie off the two corners of my deck, securing it to the deck bottom.. but even with this, its pulled or slacked and is now causing 6-10" gaps and the cover down about 6" into the pool on the deck side, semi exposed.. (to the right in the images below, not seen, its pulled off a little less, but maybe 3-4")
Debating to just take a chance and leave it or try tying yet again.. the whole deck on one side makes this a pain.
I even put holes in the cover (i know dumb), but small ones, hoping the water would drain from the puddling areas, but it barely did, i guess because its too close to the surface.
There has to be an easier way to fix this.
Biggest issue i'm having right now is that water is collecting around the areas that are around the central tube i have in the middle.
Its weighing the whole thing down and actually caused the side up on the deck to pull into the pull, dragging the bricks that were on top of this area into the pool (no damage to liner i can see).. i had it attached with the chord to the two 2x4s that were screwed into the deck for the ladder, but somehow the weight pulled the line right up and over and yanked the bricks in.
I then took kite string and tried to tie off the two corners of my deck, securing it to the deck bottom.. but even with this, its pulled or slacked and is now causing 6-10" gaps and the cover down about 6" into the pool on the deck side, semi exposed.. (to the right in the images below, not seen, its pulled off a little less, but maybe 3-4")
Debating to just take a chance and leave it or try tying yet again.. the whole deck on one side makes this a pain.
I even put holes in the cover (i know dumb), but small ones, hoping the water would drain from the puddling areas, but it barely did, i guess because its too close to the surface.
There has to be an easier way to fix this.
Attachments
You need a cover big enough that it will rest on the surface of the water, all the way to the walls. If you look at the pictures I posted on the previous page, you can see how my cover follows down along the wall and rests on the water. This keeps the cover from pulling itself off like yours has. I had 3" of water on my cover last fall before I pumped it off, and the cover did not move. I used a cover for a 21' pool on my 18' Ultra Frame, which gave me plenty of cover to do as I stated. I think if you remove the tube in the center you may be able to do something like that with the cover you have.
A #7 expansion plug will do. Reliable, inexpensive & easy to source.
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Well I finally closed my pool today! I have been working for the past week or so in trying to vacuum out all the little gunk but repeatedly plunging my arms into 50 degree water for over an hour is not very fun. I finally resigned myself to the idea that I may get all the leaves out, but not all the little sand and gnats and so forth. Took about 6 hours today but I got all the winterizing chemicals in, drained to the top of the intake outlet and removed both plunger valves and covered with those Intex caps I still had. I got the air pillows in (3 for my 9x18 pool) and tied in place. And the winter cover. The cover is ridiculously long on the sides and ends (drags the ground), however because it is an oval cover for a rectangular pool, it is just enough to cover the corners, I think. I asked many websites but nobody makes an above ground rectangular winter cover.
Anyway, my questions remain this... The cover says that it should rest on the water and pushed up to the sides, which is not completely possible in a rectangular pool. Plus, I have the strings I used to tie the pillows in place, so there will be some raised areas on the cover. Is that OK? It will not be 100% flat in all places. Also, unlike everything I have read here, the cover instructions say that you are not supposed to pump water as it accumulates on the cover. "Solid covers are made to have rainwater accumulate on top of them all winter long. Do not pump off the cover during the Fall. Water on top of the cover will hold it in place and help protect it from wind damage. The time to pump rainwater is in the spring just before removing the cover." So should I pump or not? I think most people do? Finally, as I am unable to use the cable and winch that came with the cover for my rectangular pool, I bought the pool wrap to use. But first I want to check on how it lays on the water. Thanks!
sorry I don't know why the photos are sideways. they are correct on my computer!
Anyway, my questions remain this... The cover says that it should rest on the water and pushed up to the sides, which is not completely possible in a rectangular pool. Plus, I have the strings I used to tie the pillows in place, so there will be some raised areas on the cover. Is that OK? It will not be 100% flat in all places. Also, unlike everything I have read here, the cover instructions say that you are not supposed to pump water as it accumulates on the cover. "Solid covers are made to have rainwater accumulate on top of them all winter long. Do not pump off the cover during the Fall. Water on top of the cover will hold it in place and help protect it from wind damage. The time to pump rainwater is in the spring just before removing the cover." So should I pump or not? I think most people do? Finally, as I am unable to use the cable and winch that came with the cover for my rectangular pool, I bought the pool wrap to use. But first I want to check on how it lays on the water. Thanks!
sorry I don't know why the photos are sideways. they are correct on my computer!
Also which side should face up? The directions didn't say. One side is black and one is navy. I put it on in the dark and didn't notice a difference at the time, but ended up with the black facing up. I could probably change it if it makes a big difference.