Hello, we've been pool owners for just a few months and decided to tackle closing ourselves this past weekend. The seminar we attended at the pool shop a few months ago made it seem straightforward but in hindsight are wishing we had it professionallly done! We live near Toronto and I want to ensure we don't end up with freezing water issues.
We followed the instruction sheet and my notes, but since setups can differ I'm not sure it was all done correctly. So, I have a few questions...
1) Our skimmer has two holes. The one closest to the pool (main drain) has a plastic plug in it which we have never touched. So, when closing, we didn't touch it. Why does this plug exist? Were we supposed to open it and blow it out?? If I remember correctly, we were told at the seminar that some people will have it plugged so we don't need to put in the foam rope/gizmo... whether there is already something in there I don't know. Should the plug be replaced with a rubber one?
2) We blew the lines from the skimmer hole. First we did the line to the pump until there was no water (Rinse position I think). Then we did each return (Recirculate position I think) by plugging all but the first one then working our way around the pool plugging each blown one. After we added 1 bottle of rv antifreeze to the skimmer hole and put on the gizmo (no foam rope). The main drain hole still has the plastic plug. We didn't attach the blower to the pump and blow in the opposite direction to the skimmer. Were we supposed to?
3) We didn't blow from the pump to the main drain (at no point did we see air bubbles coming from the floor drains). Were we supposed to? My instructions don't mention it. By not doing so wouldn't the line be full of water?
4) All our valves near the pump (four of them - 2 returns, 2 suction) are in the open position. Is this correct?
Other steps included:
- checking chemistry and adding winterization kit chems (meta sol, oky-out, algaecide) the day before
- lowering water 6" below skimmer (below returns)
- removing the blue backwash tube and ensuring no water was coming out of that pipe
- removing drain plug, psi guage and site glass
- removing the drain plugs from the pump
- removing the drain plugs from the gas heater and shutting it off
- checking the aqua rite chlorinator. it was clean so did not do an acid wash
- submersing lights with weights (they were below water line)
- covering the chlorinator and filter head in plastic
Other info:
- all valves are in the open position
- filter is in winter position
- cover ("deck-lock") installed
I may have missed listing a few steps.
Have we done everything correctly, or do we need to go back and do some additional steps??? I would really appreciate your expertise. If you need pics I can provide them.
Thanks in advance!
We followed the instruction sheet and my notes, but since setups can differ I'm not sure it was all done correctly. So, I have a few questions...
1) Our skimmer has two holes. The one closest to the pool (main drain) has a plastic plug in it which we have never touched. So, when closing, we didn't touch it. Why does this plug exist? Were we supposed to open it and blow it out?? If I remember correctly, we were told at the seminar that some people will have it plugged so we don't need to put in the foam rope/gizmo... whether there is already something in there I don't know. Should the plug be replaced with a rubber one?
2) We blew the lines from the skimmer hole. First we did the line to the pump until there was no water (Rinse position I think). Then we did each return (Recirculate position I think) by plugging all but the first one then working our way around the pool plugging each blown one. After we added 1 bottle of rv antifreeze to the skimmer hole and put on the gizmo (no foam rope). The main drain hole still has the plastic plug. We didn't attach the blower to the pump and blow in the opposite direction to the skimmer. Were we supposed to?
3) We didn't blow from the pump to the main drain (at no point did we see air bubbles coming from the floor drains). Were we supposed to? My instructions don't mention it. By not doing so wouldn't the line be full of water?
4) All our valves near the pump (four of them - 2 returns, 2 suction) are in the open position. Is this correct?
Other steps included:
- checking chemistry and adding winterization kit chems (meta sol, oky-out, algaecide) the day before
- lowering water 6" below skimmer (below returns)
- removing the blue backwash tube and ensuring no water was coming out of that pipe
- removing drain plug, psi guage and site glass
- removing the drain plugs from the pump
- removing the drain plugs from the gas heater and shutting it off
- checking the aqua rite chlorinator. it was clean so did not do an acid wash
- submersing lights with weights (they were below water line)
- covering the chlorinator and filter head in plastic
Other info:
- all valves are in the open position
- filter is in winter position
- cover ("deck-lock") installed
I may have missed listing a few steps.
Have we done everything correctly, or do we need to go back and do some additional steps??? I would really appreciate your expertise. If you need pics I can provide them.
Thanks in advance!