Pool Closing Help

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lynzizzle

lynzizzle

0
Jun 12, 2014
304
Sharpsville, IN
So I am about a week or two out from closing up my pool for the season. ETA: October 4. I see that you have to blow the lines out in order to close the pool and run antifreeze in said lines, however, I have a main drain in the bottom of my pool. 1) how do I get all the water out of that line to administer antifreeze to keep that line from freezing? Or do I? 2) I've seen multiple ways on here to blow out the lines and I'm not sure what would work best with my system. 3) I'm not sure I'm understanding that process fully. I've read the thread in Pool School regarding closing and it's too vague for me. Can anyone help?!:confused:
 
Okay went through all my questions and via an extended thread from the 'In Ground Pool Closing' thread got some questions answered and came up with more questions! Ahh! Here are my questions:

• When does system get turned off or is it running continuously throughout the whole process?
• Where to buy Polyquat?
• Do I use waste or close to drain?
• What does close option mean on valve?
• If using air compressor to blow out lines, what PSI should compressor be at?
• What kind of non-hardening joint compound?
• Where to buy pool/rv antifreeze?
• How do I get antifreeze into return lines?
 
See my answers below:

lynzizzle said:
Okay went through all my questions and via an extended thread from the 'In Ground Pool Closing' thread got some questions answered and came up with more questions! Ahh! Here are my questions:


• When does system get turned off or is it running continuously throughout the whole process? System is turned off after you have drained your water down.
• Where to buy Polyquat? I get mine from Amazon. Make sure to get Polyquat 60.
• Do I use waste or close to drain? If you mean what setting to use while draining the water, then use waste.
• What does close option mean on valve? Close means that water can't flow through your system. It is used for when you open your pump basket, open your filter, etc. and don't want water flowing out of the system. For example, when installing my heater, I set my value close so that water didn't pour out of the plumbing when cuts were made to install the heater and the necessary plumbing.
• If using air compressor to blow out lines, what PSI should compressor be at? No idea, hopefully someone else will chime in, but the size of your compressor may help with an answer.
• What kind of non-hardening joint compound? Hopefully someone else will answer this.
• Where to buy pool/rv antifreeze? Wal-mart and auto parts stores.
• How do I get antifreeze into return lines? It depends on your plumbing. The last thing on my return is an inline chlorinator, so I add my antifreeze to that. I add antifreeze to my skimmer lines from my pump basket.
Click to expand...
 
• When does system get turned off or is it running continuously throughout the whole process? System is turned off after you have drained your water down.
• Where to buy Polyquat? I get mine from Amazon. Make sure to get Polyquat 60. Polyquat aka Algaecide????
• Do I use waste or close to drain? If you mean what setting to use while draining the water, then use waste.
• What does close option mean on valve? Close means that water can't flow through your system. It is used for when you open your pump basket, open your filter, etc. and don't want water flowing out of the system. For example, when installing my heater, I set my value close so that water didn't pour out of the plumbing when cuts were made to install the heater and the necessary plumbing. So do I set it to close while the pool is closed or no?
• If using air compressor to blow out lines, what PSI should compressor be at? No idea, hopefully someone else will chime in, but the size of your compressor may help with an answer. Yea I will have to ask the husband about that I have no idea, All I know is it's a big one
• What kind of non-hardening joint compound? Hopefully someone else will answer this.
• Where to buy pool/rv antifreeze? Wal-mart and auto parts stores. This is confusing as it says NOT to use automotive ... ????
• How do I get antifreeze into return lines? It depends on your plumbing. The last thing on my return is an inline chlorinator, so I add my antifreeze to that. I add antifreeze to my skimmer lines from my pump basket. if you're putting it in the pump basket, but the pump is off, how does it get through the lines???
 
• When does system get turned off or is it running continuously throughout the whole process? System is turned off after you have drained your water down.
• Where to buy Polyquat? I get mine from Amazon. Make sure to get Polyquat 60.
• Do I use waste or close to drain? If you mean what setting to use while draining the water, then use waste.
• What does close option mean on valve? Close means that water can't flow through your system. It is used for when you open your pump basket, open your filter, etc. and don't want water flowing out of the system. For example, when installing my heater, I set my value close so that water didn't pour out of the plumbing when cuts were made to install the heater and the necessary plumbing. So do I set it to close while the pool is closed or no? KC: I don't think it matters "closed" refers to the plumbing and not closing the pool for the season.
• If using air compressor to blow out lines, what PSI should compressor be at? No idea, hopefully someone else will chime in, but the size of your compressor may help with an answer. Yea I will have to ask the husband about that I have no idea, All I know is it's a big one
• What kind of non-hardening joint compound? Hopefully someone else will answer this.
• Where to buy pool/rv antifreeze? Wal-mart and auto parts stores. This is confusing as it says NOT to use automotive ... ???? KC: you use RV antifreeze, but you can get it from regular auto parts stores, just make sure that the label says RV and not regular automotive.
• How do I get antifreeze into return lines? It depends on your plumbing. The last thing on my return is an inline chlorinator, so I add my antifreeze to that. I add antifreeze to my skimmer lines from my pump basket. if you're putting it in the pump basket, but the pump is off, how does it get through the lines??? KC: The pump doesn't need to be on for air to flow through the plumbing. How you add antifreeze to your returns depends on your plumbing. Adding antifreeze to your skimmers is done via the pump basket and a funnel so that the antifreeze flows into the plumbing and in the direction of your skimmers.
 
When the pool is closed after all lines have been blown out, you want to either set it to Winter if your valve has this position or half way between any of the positions.

You don't want your compressor to be set any higher than 25 psi. I'd recommend 10-15 psi. What you need is low pressure, high volume.

You can get RV antifreeze at Wal-Mart, Home Depot, auto parts stores... many places. Just make sure it specifically says RV antifreeze. It's usually in clear gallon bottles and has a light pink color. It's much less toxic than anti-freeze for your car and is OK to go into your pool. It will be in your pool in the spring when you open up the lines again and start circulation.

Anti-freeze can only go in the lines with gravity. Use a funnel and hose to get into awkward areas if you can.
 
Is there anything between the pool and your filter jandy value? Also pictures of your plumbing setup will help figure out how to get the antifreeze into your return lines.
 

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Thanks JVTrain for the link... I remember that thread.

lynzizzle, your plumbing is a little too complicated for me to direct you, sorry. Hopefully someone will chime in to help you figure out how to get the antrifreeze into your returns.
 
Maybe more pics of the return side plumbing would help, but here goes... You add anti-freeze to the skimmer/suction side through the bottom of skimmer. Easy. The return side, the best way to add is from the pumping station. If you could unscrew the two valve unions on that side (the right two, lower red toggle valves in the photo) and get enough clearance to get a hose in each valve, you could add it right there. It appears there are other screw fitting removable unions/valves on the return side. If you can remove those, it would make the access to the two lowest return side valves easier.
 
If you are not sure that you can properly close, I would call a pool company to close for you. Stand outside, watch them and ask lots of questions. Make sure that the pool company will guarantee their closing. The cost savings if you screw up will far exceed the savings of closing yourself.

I used a pool company for my first two year closings because I just didn't feel confident I could protect my plumbing well enough to avoid burst pipes.
 
I agree. I started to do it myself last year, and halfway through when I couldn't fully blow out the lines with the air compressor, I called the pool service. Paid them the $300, watched every move, asked a lot of questions, and now I'm ready to do it myself this year. And I bought my own pool blower (same model the pool service used).

This is the antifreeze you want- it's non-toxic. Made for RV and boat water systems.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Prestone-RV-Marine-Antifreeze/16213488

prestone_rv_waterline_antifreeze.png
 
lynzizzle said:
Okay went through all my questions and via an extended thread from the 'In Ground Pool Closing' thread got some questions answered and came up with more questions! Ahh! Here are my questions:

• When does system get turned off or is it running continuously throughout the whole process?
-Depending on what you have your system valve set to, while dumping water set it to waste, if you are blowing lines set it to circulate. Closed once you are done winterizing. During the season its set to filter.
• Where to buy Polyquat?
-I find it a waste of money to add anything to water on closing. I have had crystal clear water on each opening without adding any chemicals, and never as clear when chemicals were added.
• Do I use waste or close to drain?
-Waste to drain water from the pool.
• What does close option mean on valve?
-Closed means the system is off and water does not flow freely through it.
• If using air compressor to blow out lines, what PSI should compressor be at?
-There is no right way of answering this, all depends on how long your lines are and such, I find that air compressors are a pain to deal with as they keep running out of air, unless maybe you have a real good one or small pool? I just got a Cyclone Vac which is a monster for blowing lines. Main thing is to be able to blow large amounts of air continuously and I have long lines and know that pool places had trouble blowing them in the past. I had no issues at all with the Cyclone.
• What kind of non-hardening joint compound?
-No idea what this is or why you would need it?
• Where to buy pool/rv antifreeze?
-Wallmart
• How do I get antifreeze into return lines?
-All depends on how your lines are designed, I find its nearly impossible to get it into mine without designing some kind of a makeshift funnel so I do not add antifreeze to my lines at all, if they are blown out properly there is no need for it. I Add antifreeze to my skimmers and auto fill valve hole once they are sealed off. Once I poured some into my spa but the water was a disaster in the spa on opening. Not sure if its related to antifreeze though.
Click to expand...

Please see my answers above
 
Well I've psyched myself out over this pool closing myself. Decided to hire a pool company to come out and do it. Trying to get the time off of work so that I can WATCH them do it though, so maybe I can attempt next year. But even the word attempt makes me leary about ever doing it!
 
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