Pool Antifreeze...What's The Point?

[pookiesunshine]

Second year inground pool owner here, first year closing myself.
Can I get a confirmation if this very brief step by step for adding antifreeze is accurate??

-Drop water below skimmer inlet
-Blow out lines
-Remove eyeball jets, insert caps/close off
-Add antifreeze to skimmer until full (??)

I guess my questions is 'Do I just only add antifreeze from the skimmer to the pump/filter (disconnected), or do I also add it from the pump/filter to the outlet jets that are now closed off??

Just a clarification, you need to blow out the return lines. Not clear from your description that you are doing that. Mine are still below water level if i drain just below skimmer opening. Are you capping the jet openings WHILE blowing out the lines?

 

[dandigger]

If you remove the water from the lines, no need to add all that antifreeze until full. You will go through a lot of gallons. Antifreeze is good to use if you have water in the lines (a lot of water). If you have little to no water as you cleared the lines properly, then either no antifreeze or very little antifreeze is needed.

I've already got one gallon so I'll just add that. that's what the pool company did last year if I recall correctly.

Just a clarification, you need to blow out the return lines. Not clear from your description that you are doing that. Mine are still below water level if i drain just below skimmer opening. Are you capping the jet openings WHILE blowing out the lines?

that's a good question I hadn't thought of. not exactly sure how the pool company did it last year but I think the second guy may have capped off the first return while blowing and as he was capping off the second the other guy shut off the blower. Probably don't want to build up too much pressure but with just a shopvac I should be alright, but I'll have the wife turn it off.
Do you add antifreeze to the return lines as well then?? I'm assuming so but I'm wondering if antifreeze will make it's way to both returns because I'm assuming they split somewhere underground as there is only one return line from the filter/pump area. Maybe I have to cap off the furthest return first to ensure there is no water in that line as I'm assuming antifreeze wont make it's way to that one. Just thinking out loud.

 

[rdelisa]

Do you pour one gallon down each port of the Skimmer? I assume one of those ports is the main drain port?

RV Antifreeze is and should be used by anyone closing a pool in northern climes to prevent damage. 2 gallons will more than suffice. It will have no effect on balancing come spring time. I don't see it as an unnecessary chemical addition. Pools in my area will see such a deep freeze that there is often 4' of ice in a deep end.

flushing to waste won't work for the return lines.