Winterize Fiberglass pool

[ilive4this]

If you leave the water in the fiberglass pool halfway up the skimmer, as most fiberglass pools mandate, how do you winterize it? My fear isn't so much the skimmer line where we did put antifreeze and then installed a gizzmo. It's the water that gets in the skimmer housing. Any advice for that? I feel like if I add antifreeze directly to the housing, it'll sort of dilute into the pool itself.

Moved from here.

 

[ajw22]

The objective is to displace water from the skimmer so that if ice forms, the ice has room to expand up. Ice does not expand more than 9% and will go upward in the skimmer.

People fill the skimmer with one or more of the methods below to provide a crush zone so that if the water freezes, the 9% expansion crushes the plastic or foam instead of cracking the skimmer.

Closing Pool for Winter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[RHanna]

I use a gizmo for the return line. Then I have a cut up pool noodle that I stuff around the gizmo and screw the lid shut. I stuff a few of the pool noodles into the skimmer opening.

 

[ilive4this]

I use a gizmo for the return line. Then I have a cut up pool noodle that I stuff around the gizmo and screw the lid shut. I stuff a few of the pool noodles into the skimmer opening.

Thanks! Screwing the lid shut I presume to prevent the noodles from popping it open? Had that problem last night trying to put them in.

Separately, what’s the purpose of stuffing the noodles into the skimmer mouth? Protect the skimmer opening?

 

[RHanna]

Thanks! Screwing the lid shut I presume to prevent the noodles from popping it open? Had that problem last night trying to put them in.

Separately, what’s the purpose of stuffing the noodles into the skimmer mouth? Protect the skimmer opening?

Yes and yes. It's probably overkill but I'd rather be safe than sorry