Questions for first closing

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impulse22281

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Sep 3, 2011
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I've searched and searched but can't seem to find the answers to my specific questions. I apologize in advance as I'm sure this has been covered on here.

This is my first closing so sorry for the newbie questions:

1. How do I drain below the return? Do I need one of those submersible pumps to do that since my filter will only drain the water up to the skimmer?

2. In regard to air pillows, I think I'm going to just go with a large inner tube. Should 1 be enough for a 30' round pool? Should I just tie some twine around the inner tube then secure it to the top rails?

3. With the large inner tube, if the water is below the return and the inner tube is on the surface of the water, that won't really give me much of a peak in the middle. Seems as though the cover would probably sit relatively flat or maybe a very slight peak in the middle. Is that what I want?

4. Should I use Gizmo even though there won't be water in the skimmer?

5. Am I suppose to use either a cable/winch OR cover clips OR wall bags/bleach bottles? Or should I use a combination of all 3?

6. If I get a cover pump does where does it go? Does it stay on top of the cover at all times? If so, where on the cover? Near the middle or near an edge like where my pump/filter are? The hose should stay attached to it all winter. Can't the water in the hose freeze if it gets really cold?

7. I live in New England. The water in the pool will freeze. That's okay right? There's no way to make it not freeze correct?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm trying to close myself. Will probably wait a couple more weeks though...
 
1. How do I drain below the return? Do I need one of those submersible pumps to do that since my filter will only drain the water up to the skimmer?

take this opportunity to backwash your filter system, and drain to waste until the water is down in your skimmer. Once that is done, you'll need to either start a siphon hose (by sucking on the end of a hose to start draining) or using a submersible pump connected to a hose. I prefer the latter! I drain a good 3-4 inches below my return.

2. In regard to air pillows, I think I'm going to just go with a large inner tube. Should 1 be enough for a 30' round pool? Should I just tie some twine around the inner tube then secure it to the top rails?
Save your money and don't buy air pillows, my experience shows they NEVER make it through a winter. Inner tubes are good, and what I use now. I use 4 of them tide together and placed in the middle of my 33ft diam pool They support the center nicely. I use some lightweight nylon cord to secure them to each side of the pool so they stay centered.

3. With the large inner tube, if the water is below the return and the inner tube is on the surface of the water, that won't really give me much of a peak in the middle. Seems as though the cover would probably sit relatively flat or maybe a very slight peak in the middle. Is that what I want?
You don't want a large hump really. you are just looking for support for your cover so it doesn't sink over the winter. Trust me, large winter covers are heck to get out of a pool once they are filled with water and have sunk in.

4. Should I use Gizmo even though there won't be water in the skimmer?
If you've drained down, you don't need a gizmo

5. Am I suppose to use either a cable/winch OR cover clips OR wall bags/bleach bottles? Or should I use a combination of all 3?
I have a cable/ratchet device on my winter cover..I crank it down tight and then bungee cord a gallon bleach jug with water every 6 feet or so..works for me. I've never tried the clips

6. If I get a cover pump does where does it go? Does it stay on top of the cover at all times? If so, where on the cover? Near the middle or near an edge like where my pump/filter are? The hose should stay attached to it all winter. Can't the water in the hose freeze if it gets really cold?

a cover pump is only placed on the cover when you need to pump water off. So you'd put it where water has collected. Don't leave it on your cover, it'll freeze and be ruined.

7. I live in New England. The water in the pool will freeze. That's okay right? There's no way to make it not freeze correct?
It will freeze! Get water out of ALL of your plumbing, hoses, skimmer, return, etc. Take your stairs or ladder out as well. It WILL FREEZE SOLID, and that is normal.

Hope that helps ya a bit.
 
Can I get some clarification here? Our pool installer closed the pool last year as soon as it was installed and I'm having some questions about things he didn't do.

2. In regard to air pillows, I think I'm going to just go with a large inner tube. Should 1 be enough for a 30' round pool? Should I just tie some twine around the inner tube then secure it to the top rails?
Save your money and don't buy air pillows, my experience shows they NEVER make it through a winter. Inner tubes are good, and what I use now. I use 4 of them tide together and placed in the middle of my 33ft diam pool They support the center nicely. I use some lightweight nylon cord to secure them to each side of the pool so they stay centered.

- no air pillow or tube last year. Is it necessary? What's the benefit? Granted, we didn't have a whole lot of snow last year so maybe that's why the benefit isn't as obvious to me right now.

3. With the large inner tube, if the water is below the return and the inner tube is on the surface of the water, that won't really give me much of a peak in the middle. Seems as though the cover would probably sit relatively flat or maybe a very slight peak in the middle. Is that what I want?
You don't want a large hump really. you are just looking for support for your cover so it doesn't sink over the winter. Trust me, large winter covers are **** to get out of a pool once they are filled with water and have sunk in.

We siphoned ours several times last year because of heavy rains and ducks swimming in the water before removing it, is that why I'm not seeing the benefit?

5. Am I suppose to use either a cable/winch OR cover clips OR wall bags/bleach bottles? Or should I use a combination of all 3?
I have a cable/ratchet device on my winter cover..I crank it down tight and then bungee cord a gallon bleach jug with water every 6 feet or so..works for me. I've never tried the clips

-our installer just used the cable ratchet system. Again - is it necessary or helpful to get the cover to last another year or two? And now we have a deck around 3/4 of pool. Just enough clearance to get the cable around the edge. Where would I attach teh bottles if needed?
 
Do I need more than one inner tube? I was thinking of just getting (1)10.00x20 size which is a huge one made for tractor trailers. Is there any benefit to getting more than one? I would guess it's probably about 3.5-4 feet across.

Also, a couple of pool closers are saying I don't need to drain down if I have a skimmer plate and a gizmo, but that's not recommended right? Is it because those skimmer plates tend to leak?
 
For initial drain down - why not just plug the vac hose into the skimmer outlet and dangle it (properly filled with water) into the pool and just pump as low as you want to go?
 
Thanks for all the replies, but does anyone know if I'll need more than 1 inner tube? The one I'm thinking of getting is 48" across(the 10.00x20). There's another huge one that's 60" across but I can't seem to find it locally and don't want to pay $15 to have it shipped on Ebay.
 
Bama Rambler said:
I use bleach jugs filled with water. I don't use the cable at all. I hang the jugs from the grommet holes in the cover. I use bungee cords to hang the jugs, but small rope or large twine would do.
Click to expand...

So you don't use the cable/winch or cover clips? You just use the bleach jugs? It holds up fine in high winds? This would be pretty ideal for me because it would be easy to just remove a jug and access the water to periodically check it & test it which is something I wanted to do since it's my first winterization.
 

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impulse22281 said:
I've searched and searched but can't seem to find the answers to my specific questions. I apologize in advance as I'm sure this has been covered on here.

This is my first closing so sorry for the newbie questions:

1. How do I drain below the return? Do I need one of those submersible pumps to do that since my filter will only drain the water up to the skimmer?
You don't have to, I hardly ever do on any of the above grounds I close anymore. Just plug off the return with either a rubber compression plug or threaded plug whichever fits better for your pool.

2. In regard to air pillows, I think I'm going to just go with a large inner tube. Should 1 be enough for a 30' round pool? Should I just tie some twine around the inner tube then secure it to the top rails?
I don't use pillows of any type, your pool won't explode from the water expanding. Regardless pillows are floating on the surface so they don't absorb much expansion anyways.

3. With the large inner tube, if the water is below the return and the inner tube is on the surface of the water, that won't really give me much of a peak in the middle. Seems as though the cover would probably sit relatively flat or maybe a very slight peak in the middle. Is that what I want?
N/A see above

4. Should I use Gizmo even though there won't be water in the skimmer?
Instead of a Gizzmo I would use an Aquador or skimmer plug, then detach the hosing from the skimmer
http://www.amazon.com/Aquador-Pool-Skim ... ds=aquador
http://www.amazon.com/Above-Ground-Skim ... immer+plug
5. Am I suppose to use either a cable/winch OR cover clips OR wall bags/bleach bottles? Or should I use a combination of all 3?
I typically get by with the wire/winch. If it seems like air is getting under the cover you can use some clips as well. I'm not a huge fan of bottles hanging as it usually tears the grommets out of the cover over time. Water bags work well for when the decking is too close the to pool to get the cover in between.

6. If I get a cover pump does where does it go? Does it stay on top of the cover at all times? If so, where on the cover? Near the middle or near an edge like where my pump/filter are? The hose should stay attached to it all winter. Can't the water in the hose freeze if it gets really cold?
The pump would go in the middle of the cover. Rule makes an automatic pump that is pretty good and it has freeze protection. To be honest though the pump will last longer if you remove it before a hard freeze and then put it back on the pool when the snow starts to melt in early spring.

7. I live in New England. The water in the pool will freeze. That's okay right? There's no way to make it not freeze correct?
It will freeze, less than a foot thick typically though.

I would bring your pools pump inside for the winter and store it in a closet or somewhere not damp that won't go below freezing.

Sorry for all the questions. I'm trying to close myself. Will probably wait a couple more weeks though...
Click to expand...
 
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