Fiberglass closing - water level?

[danandmanda]

I'm contemplating attempting to winterize my fiberglass pool on my own for the first time, and am unsure if I should lower my water level below the skimmer or even the return jets. I've always watched the "professionals" who closed my pool the last several seasons, and they never lowered the water level before blowing out the lines. I'm not sure if that's because of the nature of fiberglass pools or they were cutting corners. There were apparently a few other suggested best practices I've come across in my reading and youtube deep dives that they skipped. I do, however, understand maintaining water in a fiberglass pool is of the utmost importance, I just don't know if those potential pumped out few inches would make or break my shell's integrity until rainwater or snow fill it back up.

Any insights on this fiberglass pool specific question would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Texas Splash]

I'm not sure if that's because of the nature of fiberglass pools or they were cutting corners.

Closing practices can vary based on the pool type, additional features (i.e. waterline tiling), type of cover used, and weather (i.e. ice shelf, average amount of snow/rain accumulation, etc). I do know that in my Viking I could safely lower the water to expose the top step, but I think the return jets are a bit lower. Still, there are methods and winterizing plugs available to clear the return lines without lowering the water level that far to expose them. The links and video below covers a lot of closing concerns.

Closing an In Ground Pool

Winterizing a pool is essential for keeping your in-ground pool protected during cold-weather months. This Pool Repair guide will show you how to do it.

www.troublefreepool.com