Winterizing Above Ground and In-Ground Pools:
It’s that time of year again; the days are getting shorter, the nights colder and the mornings are far more difficult to motivate yourself out of bed. It’s pool closing season! So here are some tips and chemical advice to ensure that you protect your investment and open up to clear water in the spring.
Let’s start with the procedures you will need to follow before you start to unhook your equipment:
- Balance the water: It’s as important to balance the pool for the winter season as it is in the summer when it’s in use. Your pool will be sitting without any circulation or filtration for over 6 months, so you need to be preparing the water for the changes in chemistry, and the biological contamination that will occur over the off-season. Holland Home Leisure recommends bringing in a 1l. water sample one week before the pool is going to be closed to ensure the proper balance for the winter season. The chemistry of your pool water during the winter season is similar to the summer months, but we balance the water at a higher pH (7.6-7.8) to fight the corrosive nature of freezing water.
- Add the right chemicals: As I mentioned above, the water becomes more and more corrosive as the water becomes colder and begins to freeze over the winter, so adding the correct chemicals formulated for cold water is essential in protecting the pool at low water temperatures. Adding winter chemicals will also help to prevent scaling (calcium or metal deposits) on the liner, prevent organics from staining the liner, remove the excess waste from the water and prevent algae from blooming in the warmer temperatures in the autumn and early spring. We recommend the following to keep the pool clear into the spring months:
- Super-chlorination for winter temperatures: One bag of Biogaurd Hiber Shock per 40,000L of pool water added directly into the pool.
- Cold water algaecide: 120 ml of the Bioguard Hibernate Algaecide per 10,000L of pool water added around the edges of the pool.
- Stain and Scale Inhibitor for cold temperatures: 120 ml of Bioguard Hibernate Stain and Scale Inhibitor per 10,000L of pool water added around the edges of the pool.
- Enzymes: Add one bottle of BioGuard Pool Refresh into any size pool. Enzymes help to decrease build up on the surfaces of the pool as well as preventing scum lines from forming at the water line over the winter, making your spring clean-up that much easier. Pool Refresh is included free this season with the purchase of a Hibernate Deluxe Kit which contains all three of the above chemicals, and treats up to 80,000L of pool water!
- Circulate: Allow the chemicals enough time to properly mix into solution to maximize their efficiency; we recommend 12-24 hours prior to shutting down the system and draining down the water level.
Now that you have taken the time to properly balance the pool and add the correct chemicals to protect it, its time to begin to unhook the equipment. I am not going to go over the procedures to close both above ground and in-ground pools in this blog, but the information is available in a hand out at either Holland Home Leisure location, or if you’re looking to have us close the pool for you, our service procedure is listed on our website @ hollandhomeleisure.com. Just come into the store or call to book an appointment.
Here are some helpful tips to ensure your pool closing goes as easily as possible, and you open with clear, ready to swim water:
- Winterize the pool fully: I know closing the pool can be both time consuming and a pain, but properly winterizing your pool every season is protecting your investment and will save you a lot of time and money when you open up in the spring.
- Put on your winter cover: This I can’t stress enough, the winter cover protects the pool from falling debris, heavy snow fall and damage from foreign objects that might find their way into your pool. The cover also helps to reduce your chemical cost when you start up in the early spring by preventing large amounts of untreated water from getting into the pool and throwing off the balance and diluting those winter chemicals you spent your hard earned money on. Algae blooms are also far more likely to form in uncovered pools, and occur earlier due to the dissolution (watering down) of the winter chemicals and the direct exposure to UV light. The use of a winter cover will also help to prevent staining on your liner from leaves and other organics that fall into the pool (especially in the autumn when everything seems to end up in the pool.)
- Close late and open early: Even if you aren’t using your pool you should avoid closing early (before October) and opening late in the spring/summer (after early May). Your pool will operate in September and October with the addition of less chlorine then it needs in the summer, and won’t cost you much to keep an adequate sanitizer reading present in the cold water. Also, try to open up in the spring as early as you can, I know its cold and you aren’t ready to get in and use it yet, but opening up by May 15th will help to ensure the pool is clear and algae free, saving you at least $100.00 for an algae treatment, and that’s on a small above ground. In-ground pools can cost upwards of $150-200 depending on the severity of the bloom.
The BioGuard Guarantee:
Bioguard Canada has offered to pay for your shock and algaecide (up to the value of the Hibernate Kit, $61.95) to treat an algae bloom in the spring if you have done the following: - Brought in a water test and can prove you’ve added the chemicals to treat it (we take care of that.)
- Purchased a Hibernate Deluxe kit and added the winter closing chemicals.
- Covered the pool with a solid cover, not a leaf net or secure cover that allows water to drain in.
- Open the pool and have brought in a water sample prior to May 15th 2012.
- Have a copy of the algae free guarantee form that is in your Hibernate Deluxe Kit and have kept your proof of purchase.
* Pease note: the guarantee does not apply to pools that have had their cover fall into the pool.*
-Craig McNutt
