Closing questions

[Newbie201]

We just moved in new home in upstate NY (cold winter) and have an in ground saltwater pool. We have never had pool before, so I was very happy when I found this site! Tons of great info. A few questions I have and could not find answers to.

We moved in a few weeks before closing, so never really learned much about the pool before closing. We paid a company to do the close, and they requested I lower the water to bottom of skimmer. I was not home when they came, but my wife said "they added some chemicals, messed with the pump a while, then put on the cover". We have gotten a lot of rain since then, and now I notice the water level is back up above the skimmer. Do i need to drain it down, and if so, how?

Also, is it ok to leave the pump outside for winter? There is a pool pilot control panel, pump, pentair filter, and above ground plumbing. Are those ok over winter, or should i get a big tarp and tie it down over them? I noticed that the pool pilot is still on, it says temp is 37! Should the power to that be turned off over winter?

Really glad I found this site, thanks

 

[JVTrain]

I would recommend lowering the water level again below the skimmer if at all possible. Limiting the amount of water in the skimmer will prevent potential freezing problems in the skimmer bucket. If you can rent a submersible pump or have one, that's the easiest way to drop the water level. Just need a water hose and the pump. Plug the pump into a GFCI outlet if at all possible when using. I'd drop it about 2-3 inches below the skimmer.

Inground pumps, lines etc. should have been completely blown out by the closing folks and will be fine as long as this was completed properly so no need to cover or fully disconnect anything. You should certainly power off all electricity to the pool equipment for the winter. Best bet is to locate the fuse on the home breaker panel inside the house and turn that off until opening in the spring.