Pool Closing Questions

[JustinK]

I have just a few general questions, that i am sure have been answered time and time again, but being it my first time closing my IG Vinyl pool i am stressing every detail and going over them repeatedly.

I have read JasonLion's pool closing sticky along with other posts throughout the forum which i guess is making me confused. I blew out returns/skimmers and then capped them/installed gizmos before draining the pool. I guess my main question is, how low do i need to drain it? Originally i was going to drain it to Jasons suggested 4inches under the returns but that seems to be quite low, and i have read a bunch of posts saying if you blow the lines out and cap them in the water then you only need to drain it below the skimmer? Currently i have it drained to just above the returns which is well under the bottom of the skimmer. Should i continue to drain it under, or leave it as there is no need to go that far down? Last year we had a company come do it, which i forget how low they drained it. I seemed to think under the return, while my friend who helped me open it said above go figure.

I was also planning on adding antifreeze through a funnel though now i seem to also be reading it isnt necessary if you blew out the lines and capped them with the water level up? Is this correct too?

Im not sure if it matters, but i live in central NJ. Any replies would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.

 

[benavidescj]

Justin, the trick is to keep water from freezing in the return line. So say you drain to just below the skimmer and your return is 6 inches below that. If the water freezes below 6 inches your return will freeze too and could crack the pipe at that location. I would think it better safe then sorry and follow Jason's advice to drain below the return. Now if you are capping the return after blowing them out and are sure there is no water in there after capping and are confident that water will not get in there then you are good. No water in the line, no water to freeze, no damage. Why are you tentative about draining below the returns?

 

[JustinK]

Thanks for the reply. No real reason other then it seemed kinda low, and after reading so much I thought a bunch suggested it was not necessary if you cap after blowing them out, but i will still do it.

I guess same would go with the antifreeze then and to just add it to be safe?

Thanks